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Supersized: Why American Supermarket Products Dwarf Their French Counterparts
Exploring the cultural, spatial, and societal factors behind the giant-sized food products in the U.S.
America’s supermarkets are a land of giants. From colossal pizzas to mammoth ketchup bottles, the sheer scale of food products can leave European visitors baffled. But what drives this obsession with size? To understand, we need to dive into culture, consumption habits, and even home design. Let’s break it down.
The XXL Phenomenon: A Shopper’s First Impression
Imagine walking into a U.S. supermarket. The first thing you’ll notice is scale. A pizza that might weigh 500 grams in France balloons to over a kilo. Ice cream? Forget the modest 500-milliliter tubs of Paris; here, it’s sold in two-liter behemoths. Ketchup bottles tip the scales at 1.8 kilos. Even juice comes in gallon-sized jugs — nearly four liters.
These sizes aren’t a coincidence. They reveal a deep-seated difference in how Americans and Europeans consume food. While a French shopper might prioritize freshness and portion control, the American mindset leans toward convenience and abundance.
