A party at the Albert Heijn in Putte, because Maria Smeyers (65) has been working at the supermarket for exactly fifty years. The figurehead, the mother, the flower girl are a few nicknames that colleagues and clients gave her. After all these years, she thinks it’s time to stop. “I don’t like the self-checkout. Then you miss the chat and the fun.”
Maria arrives at the blue supermarket in a blue van, in a blue suit. Blue confetti is fired as she walks in over a blue carpet. “I really have a blue heart,” she says.
“This department is her pride, her passion and her shop.”
On March 31, 1973, Maria started working in the meat department. She dropped out of school when she was 15 and then started working in the shop. She cut smoked meat all day long.
After that she did just about everything. “I filled shelves, worked in the vegetable department, and sat behind the cash register for a long time. After that I started doing the administration”, Maria sums up. “Then bread, meat and cheese. I’ve had everything.”
But in recent years, the service desk and the flower corner have become her place. “I can oversee the entire store here and I see all the customers coming in,” says Maria as she pays for a magazine.
“This department is her pride and passion,” says manager Jeremy Dudok. “This village shop has the largest turnover of flowers and plants of the nearly one thousand AH shops in the Netherlands. And that is because of Mary.” And there is a record in Maria’s name: last year on Belgian Mother’s Day she sold 700 bunches of flowers in four hours.
“I’ve seen people’s lifestyles change completely.”
Customers line up to congratulate Maria on her anniversary. “She is very friendly and always compassionate. Everyone knows her and she knows everyone,” says customer Brigitte. And that is also apparent when you get behind the cash register. “How are you? I haven’t seen you in a while. Were you sick?” Maria immediately asks.
“This store means a lot to me. What do you want after half a century?”, she says with some emotion in her voice. “I have been through many renovations. I’ve seen people go shopping differently. From leisurely shopping and buying fresh products, to rushed and ready meals.”
“I will not miss the work, but the customers will.”
And the biggest change? “The self-scan.” She shouldn’t know much about that. “I prefer the regular cash register, it’s more personal. That self-scan was not necessary for me.”
She never thought about stopping. “I am glad that I have always been able to work in Putte. I didn’t like another Albert Heijn. This is my store.” But it’s going to happen now. In two months Maria will say goodbye to her shop. After fifty years, she feels like working in her garden and diving into club life. “I will not miss the work, but the customers will,” she concludes.
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