But there are those in the world who live in a different reality. There, people pay $20 (about 19 euros) for a gallon (almost 3.8 liter) carton of raw, unpasteurized milk, $26 for a bottle of oxygenated water that is just under 2 liters, $50 for three small jars of granola (one is about 350 milliliter capacity) or $24 for a nearly 500 milliliter jar of organic probiotic-infused coconut yogurt.
People are surprised, often – expressing opinions that such products and such stores are incomprehensible and pointlessly too expensive. But still go, broadcast their shopping on social networks, try their products and infect others with this fashion.
One of the most talked about chains on social media is Erewhon, a small chain with just 10 stores, all located in Los Angeles, California. They are located in fairly expensive, fashionable neighborhoods. In Pasadena, Calabasas, where stars such as Kim Kardashian or Miley Cyrus have homes, and where NBA star Kobe Bryant and his daughter died in a tragic helicopter crash, in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and elsewhere. It is true that you should understand that although those neighborhoods are quite expensive and luxurious, the lives of people living in them are also much simpler.
“Erewhon” is a satirical short story by the writer Samuel Butler, describing a utopia where people are responsible for their own health, and the sick are persecuted and judged. So, as you can already understand, the store chain targets people who are looking for organic, often exotic (or just good old, but forgotten) products that are considered healthier. Organic, organic, sustainable, sustainably grown, quality, carefully selected are words that often describe the products sold there.
Without a doubt, the appeal is not only to health and quality, but also to fashion. For example, in 2022, Kourtney Kardashian cooperated with the retail chain, presenting her own name-brand lip balms for a limited time. They called it a detoxifying luxury magic potion, and it actually contained complex and fancy sounding ingredients. Responsibly grown coconut water, responsibly sourced vanilla-flavored coconut yogurt, active cultures, ultra-well-formulated almond milk containing only filtered water, organic almonds, and pink Himalayan salt, four-plant protein powder with a sweet vanilla flavor, flavorless fulvic acid , infused with all kinds of minerals, amino acids and other almost magical-sounding words, hyaluronic acid, cold-pressed coconut cream and activated hardwood charcoal powder. In fact, everything is described in a more complicated way and you should probably ask specialists – scientists and doctors – if those words, put into a sentence, make sense. However, it does not sound like a smoothing, but like a recipe for longevity, which makes you wonder why the Kardashian family has so many plastic surgeries, fillers, injections and everything else, if such magical drinks exist.
It cost $18, but it wasn’t the only collaboration. Hailey Bieber, among many others, soon introduced her own, which was a dollar more expensive, calling it skin glaze and promising a radiant glow with the name. It’s true, it sounded really simpler than the one described before – it was a bit more like a smoothie, not a periodic table of elements. It contained collagen, sea moss, and more, all kinds of organic fruits, berries, and the like.
Still, even for fashion-crazed Los Angelesites, the sight of a small bag of ice for $32 was too much. That ice is said to last longer and be colder than regular ice in your freezer. The company that makes this ice cream does the entire process by hand. By the way, after pouring a drink on the ice, the ice remains crystal clear. And yet, it’s just frozen water, even if it’s from another galaxy.
On the other hand, an Erewhon-branded sustainably made canvas bag costs just $225. And people buy. So, expect more shrug-inducing merchandise in the future.
Tags: People crazy supermarket small bag ice cost canvas bag EUR
