--- product_id: 243868859 title: "Supermarket: A Novel" price: "18.66 DT" currency: TND in_stock: false reviews_count: 7 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/243868859-supermarket-a-novel store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # Supermarket: A Novel **Price:** 18.66 DT **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Supermarket: A Novel - **How much does it cost?** 18.66 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/243868859-supermarket-a-novel) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Supermarket: A Novel [Azuchi, Satoshi, Warham, Paul] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Supermarket: A Novel Review: Supermarkets: book & film - Azuchi Satoshi (real name: Arai Shinya) is a retired executive from the Japanese food supermarket industry, at one of the firms that helped transform that segment of retailing there. He is also a well-known novelist, with one other book translated into English ( Shoshaman: A Tale of Corporate Japan (Voices from Asia) , UCal 1991). So it's good to have another one of his books available to a wider audience. Another reviewer provided comments on the plot, which includes succession issues in a family-owned business, weak management that allowed malfeasance, and contrasts between the old and the new in retail. Now in places the plot is a bit contorted, and some of the characters aren't convincing. That's characteristic of the Japanese "business novel" -- a genre largely lacking in contemporary English-language fiction (cf. Arthur Hailey's Hotel). Again, only a couple items out of hundreds have been translated. Again, that makes this translation welcome. I may use it in the (college) classroom; I will certainly show the film that's based loosely on the novel, Supermarket Woman , released in Japan in 1996 and directed by Itami Juzo of Tampopo fame. If you read the book, the film provides the visuals for things that might not seem significant to someone who's not lived in urban Japan. As with Itami's other films, it is full of satire and slapstick yet accessible to viewers unfamiliar with Japan. They make a good summer pair, neither heavy nor dull and with enough meat (yes, the book features Kobe beef) to reward the reader. Review: Straightforward story-telling set in business setting in post-war Japan - This is a classic that has been on my list for a while. After reading it, I wonder whether the straightforward and understated narratives of business and personal intrigues represent the style for business stories, or if something was lost in translation. What I liked most was the hero's persistence and passion in implementing innovations in the supermarket's approach to pricing and marketing. Also, the suspense in the major plot lines, like the identity of the thief, and whether the innovations and the supermarket itself would succeed, kept my attention. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | B0043RTBFG | | Best Sellers Rank | #159,178 in Historical Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 3.5 3.5 out of 5 stars (21) | | Dimensions | 5.83 x 1.18 x 8.46 inches | | Edition | First Edition | | Item Weight | 1 pounds | | Language | English | | Print length | 336 pages | | Publication date | February 3, 2009 | | Publisher | Thomas Dunne Books | ## Images ![Supermarket: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51phFHtBTeL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Supermarkets: book & film *by S***A on June 9, 2012* Azuchi Satoshi (real name: Arai Shinya) is a retired executive from the Japanese food supermarket industry, at one of the firms that helped transform that segment of retailing there. He is also a well-known novelist, with one other book translated into English ( Shoshaman: A Tale of Corporate Japan (Voices from Asia) , UCal 1991). So it's good to have another one of his books available to a wider audience. Another reviewer provided comments on the plot, which includes succession issues in a family-owned business, weak management that allowed malfeasance, and contrasts between the old and the new in retail. Now in places the plot is a bit contorted, and some of the characters aren't convincing. That's characteristic of the Japanese "business novel" -- a genre largely lacking in contemporary English-language fiction (cf. Arthur Hailey's Hotel). Again, only a couple items out of hundreds have been translated. Again, that makes this translation welcome. I may use it in the (college) classroom; I will certainly show the film that's based loosely on the novel, Supermarket Woman , released in Japan in 1996 and directed by Itami Juzo of Tampopo fame. If you read the book, the film provides the visuals for things that might not seem significant to someone who's not lived in urban Japan. As with Itami's other films, it is full of satire and slapstick yet accessible to viewers unfamiliar with Japan. They make a good summer pair, neither heavy nor dull and with enough meat (yes, the book features Kobe beef) to reward the reader. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Straightforward story-telling set in business setting in post-war Japan *by M***S on May 10, 2018* This is a classic that has been on my list for a while. After reading it, I wonder whether the straightforward and understated narratives of business and personal intrigues represent the style for business stories, or if something was lost in translation. What I liked most was the hero's persistence and passion in implementing innovations in the supermarket's approach to pricing and marketing. Also, the suspense in the major plot lines, like the identity of the thief, and whether the innovations and the supermarket itself would succeed, kept my attention. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A pleasant surprise *by J***Y on December 7, 2016* This book was much better than a novel about a department store has any right to be. (And yes, I know the title is "Supermarket" and not "Department Store," but that's because Japanese people change the meaning of English loanwords.) The characters were easy to keep straight, and the book was just long enough. The plot passed just quickly enough, not feeling rushed but not actually slow either. Highly recommended. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/243868859-supermarket-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/243868859-supermarket-a-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-05-06*