I've begun making regular trips to Lion and FoodMaxx in Newark
and Clement Street in San Francisco to buy groceries. It's
just incredible how much cheaper the Asian markets are compared
to Safeway and Albertsons, and even FoodMaxx manages to charge
half as much without using any stupid "discount" cards or asking
me if I found everything okay (it's too late if I didn't, I'm
already at the register).

Assuming building rent is one factor in a store's prices, why
does the FoodMaxx in Newark charge half as much as the Albertsons
less than a mile away, and the Lion near both charges even less?
And I found the most incredible selection of imported groceries
at various small markets on Clement Street, all with prices
comparable to Lion; since San Francisco has some of the highest
rents in the country, how are stores located there able to offer
such low prices? If anything, one would assume their sales
volume to be lower and thus their operating costs per unit higher
than huge chains like Safeway with national supply and distribution
networks.