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A couple of years ago, I was unfortunate enough to move into an apartment located just a few blocks from a Whole Foods. There were other grocery stores in the area, but my inherent laziness meant I was a frequent patron of the chain with a reputation for collecting more of your paycheck than you expect whenever you step up to the checkout line.
One day, I walked into the store with the goal of rectifying the lack of pepper in my kitchen. While I could have picked up a single grinder, I decided to buy in bulk to avoid having to come back sooner than necessary. When I brought the bag of peppercorns to the register, I discovered they were somehow $25, and instead of laughing in amazement and putting them back on the shelf, I was paralyzed by sticker shock and threw them into the reusable bag I always bring to avoid being shamed by the cashier.
However, after watching this video, I suddenly don’t feel so bad.
A couple in Barrow, Alaska— a settlement located in the Arctic Circle that is the northernmost point in the entire state— took a tour of the Alaska Commercial Company, which they describe as the Walmart of the town. However, because every single grocery item in the store has to be flown in, you’re not going to find any rollback deals when you’re walking up and down the aisles.
A website meant for people who are thinking about traveling to Barrow warns that a gallon of milk costs $11, but that’s a bargain compared to some of the other items. Half of a watermelon will set you back $37, and a gallon of water costs almost $10 (compared to the $6.50 residents pay for a gallon of gas. However, there might not be a price more ridiculous than that of a roll of Scotch brand toilet paper— one of the worst paper products ever invented— which will set you back $2.60.
I don’t really need a reason to never visit the coldest location in the country, but this gives me yet another excuse.