What do we buy? And what does that say about us?

• Emily Mester examines what happens when consumption begins to consume you
• Journalist Ada Tseng visits Costco twice a week for gas, deals, and hidden Asian treasures
• Benjamin Lorr explores how the sliding doors at American grocery stores stay open
• Patty Civalleri tells us about the man who created Trader Joe's, which started in Pasadena in 1967
• Gustavo Arellano recalls the legacy of Frieda Caplan, who introduced Angelenos to all sorts of exotic produce
• LA transplant Vanessa Anderson, aka The Grocery Goblin on Tiktok, documents the city by visiting its markets.

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