Do I really need the Supermarket ?

Do I really need .... The Supermarket.

I came up with this idea as I often have that very thought as I race around Tescos trying to do the weekly shopping. I do try where possible to support the local shops in my area and the town markets too and I have managed for periods of time not to use a supermarket. In my experience it is more time consuming and inconvenient way to shop in comparison to supermarket shopping but far more rewarding.

With supermarkets dominating the grocery market it is little surprise that many small businesses are closing as more supermarkets are been built. supermarket inquiry . Should we be supporting local businesses ? With the advent of online shopping people are becoming by far more detached from the food that they consume and from where it originates.

Take an average family of four or five, with both parents in full time employment, with children aged between five and sixteen. For a given period time around two to three weeks they would agree to filmed around the clock and live by a given set of rules. It would make a challenging subject throwing up some interesting issues.

The rules would be as follows.

• On day one all food stuffs bought from a supermarket or have not been sourced locally will be removed from the house. They would however be allowed to keep or be given basic baking ingredients such as Flour, oats yeast in order to bake their own bread or whatever they might choose and be encouraged to do so.
• No Supermarket shopping, restaurants, fast food or takeaways will be allowed.
• All groceries must be bought and sourced locally within a fifty mile radius including dairy products and meat.

It would be interesting to observe how great the impact that living with out a supermarket would have on a family and what difficulties would arise. Also if the experience has any positive effects upon a family, would they become more aware of their consumer habits and change the way they shop and eat. These would be the key issues I would focus upon and would want portray.

The Format

• Intro, how many people today use a supermarket and how will the family cope without one, etcetera.
• All food is removed from the house except what is allowed in the rules
• Family would be followed on their first shopping trip.
• Clips of family challenged by the life style and focus upon the difficulties and stress.

Second Half

• Clips of family enjoying any aspects of the life style.
• Focus on any new changes adopted.
• Family reflecting upon their experience having watched selected footage and if or how they might make any changes because of their experiences.
• Finally, family are reunited with supermarket. The end