Academic apples

Port Melbourne is currently the lucky subject of a Health Sciences PhD, thanks in part to its angular demographic profile. Tracy posed a question on her blog last week about Thomas Dux; a store clearly marketed toward high disposable income lycra-clad apartment dwellers, and yet conspicuously lacking resentment from Port Melbourne old-timers.

Despite being wholy reliant on Coles' late night opening and far superior range of basics, I can offer one reason why Mr Dux might have managed to fashion himself a place in local's hearts.

In a way the lobotomy inducing jingles are right, there really is no freshness like Coles freshness ... there's far fresher and it's only 5 minutes walk away (or even 30 seconds). Coles apples in particular have been miserable looking rejects for weeks now, and the competitors quite cannily ensure that there are some products like these where they are price competitive.

There are those that don't mind paying a premium for all the rest of their shopping (some of which Coles isn't interested in selling them), and there are those that recognise that the best value is invariably found by shopping around. Neither of these people seem to have a beef with Thomas.