How to Buy Brown Shoe Polish in Dundee: Hint - No Target Here.

One of the tricky things about changing countries is that you don't know where to buy things.  I had realized that I was somewhat dependent on Target before I left the U.S., but it wasn't until I tried to buy brown shoe polish here that I realized the true level of convenience that Target, a store that carries pretty much anything you need, provides.  The closest thing we have to Target here is the Tesco Extra.  And to be fair, I didn't go there for my shoe polish, because it's a bit of a tricky walk, especially on my lunch hour at work, which is when I have most of my opportunity to shop.

But anyway, the brief story: I have brown leather shoes. They were getting pretty scuffed, since I walk pretty much everywhere I go in Dundee.  The smart thing to do would have been to go to the shoe store and get the shoe polish, but I thought sure I could find it cheaper and closer (the shoe store is pretty much on the far end of the pedestrian high street in town).  So I started looking. And I found tons of black shoe polish.  I could buy black shoe polish at the local post office near A's primary school.  No brown shoe polish, though.  To be fair, all the kids have to wear black shoes to school, so there's probably a lot more call for black shoe polish than brown.  Finally, after walking all the way downtown (in fact, past the aforementioned shoe store I didn't want to walk to), I found brown shoe polish, in a so-called "Gift Store" - there are several of these dotted around town, and I'm not sure why they are called Gift Stores, other than they sell gift wrap and gift bags, among many other things.  Most of the things they carry I cannot imagine giving as a gift...practical things like shower curtain rings, an inexpensive watch, vaguely strange things like velvet posters of unicorns to color...and of course, shoe polish....almost all black, but one tin of brown hidden in the basket. I think these stores might be competing with the British version of the Dollar Store (called, unsurprisingly, Poundland) but don't want to limit themselves to very low prices, perhaps. More points to ponder...and Target, I miss you and all your easily available made-in-China goods.