555 (Supermarket)

)is a chain of supermarkets located in western Ukraine, primarily in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. Unlike traditional Soviet-style shops where items must be requested from and retrieved by a clerk behind the counter, 555 is one of the many quasi-Western supermarkets that have sprouted up throughout Ukraine.

The stores do not have anti-shoplifting sensors by the door nor do they have security cameras. As a result, when a patron enters the store, he/she must put any bag or purse into a locker, which contains a key that they may use. Furthermore, plain-clothes security (usually men) patrol the store to look out for would-be thiefs. The register clerks, who are always young women, wear bright yellow outfits complete with red visor hats. Each counter features a computer and price scanner (which is slowly becoming more common in larger towns but is still rare in villages), although produce items must be weighed and given a customized price sticker at a different counter. The shopping bags cost 50 kopiyok (slightly less than 10 American cents) each and the shopper is always responsible for bagging his/her own groceries.

Most 555 stores include a deli featuring meats, cheeses, and various mayonnaise-based salads.