ABSOLUTE

Hey bunnies,

Welcome back again…

Today we shall talk about another BIG supermarket chain in Ukraine. The reason I am saying that it is BIG; it’s because IT IS BIG… Duh!!  Well if you want to get an imaginary yard stick to compare, think Walmart or Mark and Spencer’s, only in Eastern European Scale. Oh, well, I see the futility of it… 

(Shout out to my American readers, you at least do get the point, don’t you? Oh. Please say yes and you thought I don’t know that you are reading ;) 

For my Indian readers, don’t worry, Walmart is the BIG BROTHER version of BIZ BAZAAR (only hundreds of times bigger)

Anyway.. Enough bantering let’s get back to the point.

STOP 2: ABSOLUTE SUPERMARKET

When I said about Walmart, I wasn’t joking, this is one of those all consuming, big, wealthy, powerful conglomerates. Even their showrooms (read outlets) elicit respect when you walk into one of them. They are cutting edge, chique and high end. Wherever they lack, they make it up in glamour, professionalism and service. Most of the new-rich and affluent individuals prefer shopping here, not just for the high end quality and glitz, but also because of the sense of security and choice they have to offer. When I say, one of the few supermarkets who makes you stand right in the middle of a European aisle, I do mean ABSOLUTE. Now as usual, we shall dissect into its core and see how it matches up in other aspect of the service and food industry.  

QUALITY OF PRODUCT:

The specialty about this supermarket chain is that they try to make a conscious effort to provide you the best quality there is but they are not absolutely devoid of flaws. Just because the lapses don’t occur frequently, that does not mean they never occur. But rest assured, if you are a gourmet and opt for the best choice then this supermarket should be your destination of choice. Also, they have a massive selection to offer. If you hop into one of their comparatively big stores, you might actually be in for a surprise given its gigantic size and colossal array of choices offered. I assure you that it is NOT humanely possible to try every variety they have to offer. 

They specialize in meat, cheese, dairy, beverages; vegetables (sometime you shall find better deals and offers that any other supermarket) and fruits. In winter especially, when going to the bazaar is particularly a pain in the ass, this chain surprised me by their amazing offers of fruits. BUT, it is the fruit that needs to be checked before buying from this specific chain of supermarkets.

TAKE HOME ADVICE:  BUY ANYTHING YOU WANT, JUST CHECK THE FRUITS BEFORE BUYING. THE REST YOU CAN BUY WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED.

QUANTITY OF PRODUCT:  I WILL NOT HEREBY INCLUDE THIS CLAUSE ANYMORE IN FURTHER POSTS. THIS IS EUROPE. NO MAGNETS IN THE BUM.

FRESHNESS AND HYGIENE:

This is important. Absolute is one of the few supermarkets here that makes a point about providing fresh quality products to its customers. Well, I decided to check the idea out. So, I decided to try one product from every section (especially food products and dairy products) for hands on experience. Well I was pleasantly surprised and to the very least relieved. The products were all to the highest quality available according to Ukrainian standards and as far as I can say, I am still healthy and alive to write this blog.  They were definitely fresh, but please remember the KEY here is to be SELECTIVE. 

TAKE HOME ADVICE: Do not worry about the freshness as long you are being at least a bit careful. You can never know when you might have grabbed that spoilt fish that had accidentally fallen at the back of the delivery truck and then to blame it on the supermarket.

PRICE OF THE PRODUCT:

Ahem.. ahem.. now how to put it the way it hurts the least.. now that came out wrong :P .. This is no ATB, trust me with that. If you walk in an Absolute supermarket, expecting a price tag that would be at least comparable to ATB, then yeah that’s just simply embarrassing. But, if you can extend the knot and slide it a bit further down the purse, then you are in for a treat. This place offers you a value for money advantage but yeah the aspect of price is definitely there. They are not the most expensive, but comparatively more pricey, but frankly, not as much high to make it unreasonable. If you are not on a homeless allowance, then you can totally afford this place. 

TAKE HOME ADVICE: DON’T BE A MISER.

EASE OF ACCESS:

This specific brand of supermarkets perhaps is the most numerous in Eastern Ukraine. You will see at least one outlet at every block. Literally. I am surprised by the sheer number of showrooms they maintain in the centre of the cities of Ukraine. Rest assured, you won’t miss one when you need one. According to the stats, Absolute has the highest number of outlets according to city population density. 

TAKE HOME ADVICE: If you are lost, you should let ABSOLUTE be the place where you ask for destination.

DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

ABSOLUTE has a royalty program, which is unlike Indian discount schemes. They offer flat discounts of 1%, 2%, 3% upto 10% on final billing amount which is based upon your initial purchase..

Let me explain:

If you buy products worth 200 UAH in one go and bill them out at the counter, you shall be requested to contact the store administrator to get a Discount card of 1 % worth, so your subsequent purchases from any ABSOLUTE mall shall be redeemed with 1 % discount when you show the card.

This percentage goes higher up according to your billing capita. So yeah, keep buying :P

In our next post, we shall talk about our 3^rd stop, hang in there.