Grace Lynis - Assignment 5

The Store

My favorite retail outlet is the grocery store. In Atlanta, Your Dekalb Farmers Market offers the best variety of items for all of your basic and international food shopping needs. Ample parking, hot food cafeteria, bakery, florist, wine, beer, produce, dairy, fish, meat, poultry, dry goods, spices, great crowd energy and etcetera are all offered in ample supply. This is the closest replica of an international food bazaar, in at least a 200 mile radius.

The building is a decorated shed and prime example of the Big Box personified. Adorned with cedar shingling, the facade makes the attempt to communicate a quaint New England village effect.

However, this is where any association with the Northeast begins and ends.

Upon entering this vast warehouse you are immediately struck by the drop in temperature and depending on the day you will encounter large milling crowds of people pushing shopping carts en masse, in an organized and yet not so organized motion. On close observation it becomes apparent that some people are clearly on a mission, but also there are many customers who are simply overwhelmed and meandering along in daze.

Hanging from the rafters are national flags from around the globe, which provide ornamentation and a visual distraction from the glaring florescent lighting overhead. On the ground there are rows and rows of products.

Egress to the building, is narrowly prescribed and strictly enforced. Two entrances flank exits and are positioned along the facade. Reminiscent of early twentieth century grocery store designs, grocery check out is negotiated in a separate room and entry into the room is possible from only one direction. Store exits to the street, are possible only through this room. Payment is cash, debit and EBT, credit cards are not accepted. The ancillary bakery and cafeteria operations accept cash only.Naturally if you need cash, there is a cash machine.

First time? No sweat, plan ahead. Hang out, have something to eat, get your bearing and then shop. The interior pictures may be blurry however the illustrate the vastness of the space. Nevertheless despite the austere warehouse design, Your Dekalb Farmers Market is one of the most popular places to grocery shop in Atlanta.