Reykjavík Grapevine - 08.04.2005, Page 26

Bónus
Smekkleysa (Bad Taste) was originally an art collective that came together to
produce the works of a group of local artists. They are responsible for helping
spread the word on such Icelandic greats as the poet Sjón, the metal band
Mínus, Sígur Rós, and, of course, Sugarcubes and Björk.
Their new record store would probably get a good write up, then, no matter
what they did... out of sheer respect for past deeds. But, truthfully, what
Einar Örn and his colleagues have done with this shop in the basement of the
Bónus building on Laugavegur is remarkable.
For starters, the store is a venue for free live shows by the best of local and
independent foreign bands. As a cd store, the shop has an excellent selection
of indies, all priced as good as it gets in Iceland. The staff consists of the best
and most humble of the local music scene (including our own correspondent
Benni).
In addition, this is the single cheapest place we know of to purchase music
due to a commendable act by artist and musician Birgir Örn Thorvaldsson:
his personal cd collection is on sale at the store at 300 ISK a cd, with all
proceeds going to the local women’s shelter.
If you came to Iceland for the music, you have to stop here.
Smekkleysa. Laugavegur 59. 101 Reykajvík. Ph# 534-3730.
When it comes to your daily staples, Bónus is the
cheapest supermarket in the country. You probably
won’t be able to find any of the finer imported goods
that Hagkaup has to offer, but if all you’re looking for
are some basic goods to stock your cupboards and fridge
with, then Bónus is the way to go. The only problem
with the Bónus on Laugavegur is how poorly organised
it is. This might be due to limited space - we’re not here
to pin blame. We just want to help. That’s why we’ve
written up this handy guide to Bónus; to make your
shopping experience faster and more affordable.
When you walk in, fruits and vegetables are straight
ahead. Although you might be tempted to buy two apples
enrobed in half a kilo of bubble wrap, you should go for
the loose produce – the kind you bag yourself – as it’s a
lot cheaper than the pre-packaged stuff.
On leaving the veggie cooler, you’ll walk past the breads,
snacks, and a veritable United Nations of Crackers
– more brands than I knew existed. Past this, the meat
cooler is on the right (which also has eggs and some dairy
products like milk and skýr) and to the left are three
aisles. The cheapest lunch meats are from Kjarnafæði,
and in terms of chicken, pork and beef, the Bónus brand
is always the least expensive and often have rebates of
twenty to forty percent. While the milk is cheaper than it
was a couple of months ago (71ISK per litre), the price of
other dairy products remain the same.
Perpendicular to the meat cooler, the first of the three
aisles is stocked with soups and canned goods. Look for
canned goods from Scandinavian countries; tomatoes,
vegetables, tuna and other goods are all generally
available for less than 100ISK. In the second aisle
you’ll find personal and home cleaning products and,
inexplicably, baking goods. We can only guess they’re put
in the same aisle because after doing a lot of baking, the
first thing you reach for is the cleaning stuff. The third
aisle is stocked full of candy. Buy it in bulk for a reduced
price.
Past the three aisles you’ll find more dairy across
the back wall, like ice cream, butter, margarine and
cheese. Icelandic cheese is the cheapest, and butter isn’t
that much more expensive per gram than margarine.
Perpendicular to the dairy products are two long freezers
stocked with frozen meat and vegetables. As with the
candy, buying in bulk will cost you less in the long run,
provided you have the freezer space for it.
The front end of the store is stocked with what can only
be described as “random crap.” DVDs, toilet paper,
towels (both paper and cloth), socks, feminine hygiene
products and children’s games line shelves and cover
tables in no particular order. Naturally, at the register
you’ll find your standard impulse buys: newspapers,
magazines, and more candy. I’d personally suggest either
bringing your own reusable shopping bag, as the Bónus
bags cost 15 ISK each, but you can also double-bag the
smaller, thinner free bags on rolls.
Bónus, Laugavegur 59, ph#562-8200
(The place with the pink pig getting a coin rammed into its
head.)
S
hopping
by Paul F Nikolov
A Foreigner’s Guide to Groceries:
BUY SHIT
Smekkleysa Music Store
The Grapevine celebrates capitalism
Four Times the Suffering
Usually, when you buy your pair of Nikes or Adidas, you know you’re
investing in suffering. Some poor kid in a sweat shop cried his way through
the stitching of your swoosh.
Well, the Icelandic shoes UN Iceland up the ante on suffering. Not only
were they made in sweat shops - they’re also a company who folded in
legendary Icelandic fashion, ruining all employees by not paying the required
employer taxes, only to go bankrupt and escape damages lawsuits. Want more
suffering? Look at the shoes. Ugly to the nth degree, they also fall apart in
rain or heavy wind.
But that much suffering makes for character. We have come to admire these
shoes, priced at 900 ISK, for somehow sticking around.
Available at a temporary shop on Laugavegur. No phone available as of press
time.
UN Iceland Shoes
3
Opal. 90 ISK. Best in blue, which has chloroform for flavouring.
Available at bus station at Lækjatorg and at every other sjoppa in
Iceland.
GRAPEVINE’S PURCHASES
THAT JUSTIFY EXISTENCE
1
Smoked salmon at Kólaportið. Booth in the back sells
outstanding locally produced smoked salmon. Kolaportið,
Tryggvagata 19, 101 Reykjavík. Ph#562-5030.
2
Convoy on DVD at Tiger. For 400 ISK you get 2
hours of trucking. Tiger. Laugavegur. 101 Reykajvík.
Ph# 533-1580.
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