No, that's not what I wrote. It means, that the average person, whom doesn't have an inferiority complex and won't feel the need to gift the platinum plated anal beads from the Ming dynasty will feel quite comfortable shopping there, as he/she will be able to purchase good quality products at affordable prices.

Well you don't need to Trev;

Now you live in SG you have easy access to all the knock off Asian stuff

Calm down COOP boy... I in no way wanted to insult everyones favourite supermarket (although "affordable price" might be debetable...).

It simply depends on what you define as "quality". For me is it having something either made, so it is unique, or franly exclusive, so I do not see it 20 times in Zurich - for others could quality mean the weight of Gold chain they get per 100 bucks... why do I actually try to explain somebody the concept of quality who likes US cars?

Well, I could. But I happen to not be some maid spending her day off in malls called "Lucky Plaza" or the like... on the up side do I have more and better shops than all cities of Switzerland combined. Open till 22.00 in the evenings. And on Sundays.

Seriously: the week before I left did I try to get a replacement strap for a Swiss watch in Zurich: "Uh, oh, Blancpain.. no we need to order that... about four weeks!" Here they simply have it on stock. I never understood who volunteerily brings their money to Bahnhofstrasse. It is not just expensive and bad service... it just isn't fun.

Sure, everybody can insist on quality and the exlusivity if they have money. For the average consumer however, Christ has a decent price/value notion.

Versus somebody who had a dark blue, manual Audi with cloth seats.

That was uncalled for.

Well Treverus, I trully appreciate the majority of what you write. But right now, you sound pompous and a tad snob.

...that had a build quality which has never been seen in a factory on the other side of the Atlantic.

thank you J Marple.. this is exactly what I thought

Would you rather spend your time in "Orchard Towers"?

..now you're making me laugh. Either way, I'm not here to discuss cars with you..so go ahead and shine on with your fine, fine jewelery.

Hum.... That is a tough one. I'll try to answer it.

I guess it has something to do with lack of other places to go? Not everyone is able to travel around for his shopping, ya know?

So you're enjoying it there then? I shoulda popped in for a beer on my way back from Auz...

Thanks.

But seriously: Ever been to a Christ shop? It really is a supermarket for mass market jewelry. Clueless staff that just as well could sell meat at Coop.

It is the single one shop in Switzerland that has a service so bad that even I wrote a complaint letter the one and only time I was their customer. I got the battery of a quartz watch which I bought there previously exchanged. Something that takes five minutes in Germany or anywhere else, but in Zurich, you need to leave it at the shop and they will inform you by post (!) when it is ready. Never got the letter, so I asked per telephone if my watch is ready for pick up. Their employee who apparently cannot use a mute button talked loudly in the shop to his colleague and called me an idiot (!) while I could hear him... As an aswer to my complain did I get a five CHF voucher to be used exclusively for watch servicing exclusively at the same shop and was valid for a year (how often do you exchange the batteries on your watch?)... and a standard letter which made it more clear that complains go to the trashcan than to the manager of said employees.

I bring my money elsewhere and yes, I rather wear either a Swatch or a high end watch. I do not understand what a 800 CHF watch is good for.

True for supermarkets. That's why they can be as expensive as they are. Not true for clothes as a simply hop over the border - in ANY direction is pretty easy for most Swiss. At least if we talk about Zurich, Geneva and Basel, which is 80% of the EF.

You will see loads of CH numbers as far over the border as Metzingen on any weekend. And if we talk about jewelry you can probably even pay the trip to other EU cities on the price difference... or buy online. Last time I bought jewelry I got it made from bluenile.com. Beats street prices here by far, so I am sure it beats Zurich by 50%.

Now there is a surprise. Do you think they're on the forum as well?

I doubt he can write German properly, let alone a foreign language.

He will probably exchange batteries for the rest of his life insulting customers and not having the slightest clue how he should be doing his job. So in essence a bit like some of the IT guys on this forum.