Write a paper discussing the question, “What is the purpose of a food store?”
People tend to be creatures of habit when it comes to food. This isn’t just about what we consume, but also where we buy it. When this happens, it’s pretty easy to forget that there are big differences between different kinds of establishments that sell food, or “food stores” as we’ll call it for this assignment.
This assignment is an observational one rather than a research paper. For this paper, you need to visit two different KINDS of food store: 1) a full service food store (i.e., a supermarket), and 2) an alternative food store (i.e., a convenience store, a specialty ethnic food store). Note what similarities and differences there are between the two types of establishment — the location, how they are accessed / how accessible they are given different transportation options, the exteriors, food marketing (availability, packaging, and promotions), use ALL of your senses, and add anything else you notice! Consider how the store environment & marketing both reflects and influences purchase decisions for the customer base.
What NOT to do: don’t choose two stores that are essentially the same category, i.e., do NOT try to compare a Stop & Shop to a Whole Foods – these are both full service food stores.
Other Details:
Start, End & Inbetween: This paper should start with an introductory paragraph that allows your reader to understand the premise of the paper, and perhaps helps set the scene. The paper should end with a conclusion paragraph that wraps everything up. In between, you can both discuss your observations and draw some larger conslusions about what those observations mean.
Style/ Content:
This paper is about your personal observations, so the narrative format is fine.
This is a paper and not a list.
Use an outline. Make sure the premise of the paper is apparent from the very first lines of the paper, i.e., someone who doesn’t take or teach this class should be able to pick up your paper and understand what’s going on with the assignment.
Use high-level vocabulary & sentence structure.
Ok to use “I”….but avoid “you” when possible.
Citations are optional, but if you do need to cite, use APA