[originaltext] Shopping is very much a part of a country’s culture, and attit

Shopping is very much a part of a country’s culture, and attitudes to shopping and consumers / vary from country to country / just as much as climate or taste in food.
   Recent economic hardship has given the consumer increased power in Europe / as retailers fight to win their share of reduced disposable income. This has meant falling prices, plenty of special offers / and a re-examination of what customer service really means. People often point to America as an example of sophisticated customer service. In restaurants in the south of the USA, for example, waiters compliment you on your clothes, ask about your day, compliment you on the wisdom of your order / and then return every ten minutes to refill your glass / and make sure that everything is to your satisfaction.
   Anyone who has waited 30 minutes to be served in a restaurant / might well dream of such attention, but Europeans do not really want US style service. Different nationalities expect different types of service.