I can’t say that I’ve ever enjoyed shopping. For me, it’s in and out. Get what I want and sprint for the checkout.
However, one of the last things Jacques Chirac (who he?) did when he left office was to improve and create closer ties with the Chinese government. To the extent that French business now has quite an extraordinary length of rope (or rein) in the People’s Republic. The latest out-crop of French consumerism to open its wings is Carrefour which has just opened its 101st hypermarket in China – Chongqing to be exact.
Knock-down bargains is one thing but when basic cooking oil rockets up more than a third in price, then something has to be done. Carrefour, the world’s 2nd biggest retailer, was to mark it’s 10th anniversary, so held a sale. Amongst which was rapeseed, at a staggering -20% off normal prices. The public were not going to miss out on that and so, as the doors opened last Friday, a stampede began, killing 3 and injuring more than 30 shoppers.
Is Sarko going to fly out and release the ‘trapped’?
Talking of which, I have it on very good authority that little Nikki has a new love in his life. Let’s just say that her surname is ‘Ferrari’ (no connection).
Watch this space as the French newspaper printing presses top-up their ink-tanks …
