About the work
In a world ruled by a tyrannical retail system that punishes you if you don't buy, supermarkets function like nightclubs, where products have pompous personalities and approach customers aggressively. Manny, a pragmatic young man who relies on his price comparison app to stretch his income, and Theresa, a perfectionist former quality auditor who inspects every label with a magnifying glass, reject predatory pricing and low-quality products. Their rejection causes their AI-activated shopping carts, 222 and 333, to become increasingly frustrated, until they accelerate and crash in a spectacular collision. The security guard, in his stained uniform, blames the two shoppers and takes them to a kangaroo court trial, where the manager is the judge and the security guard is the prosecutor. The injured products testify against them for “not buying,” and despite their defensive arguments, they are found guilty and fined, leaving them without sustenance for the rest of the month. Upon leaving, the protagonists watch as their carts are rebuilt, brighter and more obedient, revealing that the supermarket is a game that allows no escape from consumerism.
AI Availability Declaration
This work cannot be made available to AI systems.
Creativity declaration
This work may be perceived as informative or factual, but it is fiction.
Print work information
Work information
Title Retailocracy
In a world ruled by a tyrannical retail system that punishes you if you don't buy, supermarkets function like nightclubs, where products have pompous personalities and approach customers aggressively. Manny, a pragmatic young man who relies on his price comparison app to stretch his income, and Theresa, a perfectionist former quality auditor who inspects every label with a magnifying glass, reject predatory pricing and low-quality products. Their rejection causes their AI-activated shopping carts, 222 and 333, to become increasingly frustrated, until they accelerate and crash in a spectacular collision. The security guard, in his stained uniform, blames the two shoppers and takes them to a kangaroo court trial, where the manager is the judge and the security guard is the prosecutor. The injured products testify against them for “not buying,” and despite their defensive arguments, they are found guilty and fined, leaving them without sustenance for the rest of the month. Upon leaving, the protagonists watch as their carts are rebuilt, brighter and more obedient, revealing that the supermarket is a game that allows no escape from consumerism.
Work type Script
Tags satirical sci-fi, dark comedy
-------------------------
Registry info in Safe Creative
Identifier 2509052985917
Entry date Sep 5, 2025, 1:27 PM UTC
License All rights reserved
-------------------------
Copyright registered declarations
Author. Holder HUÁSCAR MÉNDEZ. Date Sep 5, 2025.
Information available at https://www.safecreative.org/work/2509052985917-retailocracy
/
Registration: 2509052985917
