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Supermarkets
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orange


Posts: 97
Joined: Jul 2011
Post: #1
07-12-2011 02:43 PM

Is it my perception or is it that Sainsbury stores in the area/also Homebase are very expensive stores for the area?
Do we really get good value for money from these outlets? I found that prices differ a lot compared to other stores and the quality lets a lot to be desidered. The reductions are minimal and as many already said, sometime more expensive than the original prices. Sometime the goods reduced are not for human consumption.
I would rather be happy to have Asda or Waitrose in the area, instead of Sainsbury. Does anybody else find the same?
Anytime I do the shopping in these stores, I feel robbed by price and quality.

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poolsneighbour


Posts: 162
Joined: Mar 2011
Post: #2
07-12-2011 03:01 PM

Agreed...SE London is like Sainsburys land and it really isn't very good value at all!! Sad

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Londondrz


Posts: 1,538
Joined: Apr 2006
Post: #3
07-12-2011 03:27 PM

I was amuzed a while ago with a wine offer they had, two bottles for £10.

Problem is single bottles were £3.99

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #4
07-12-2011 04:34 PM

For most things I don't think there is usually much difference between supermarkets particularly on branded items.

I did a few quick comparisons online:
Tea Direct 80 £2.05 in Sainsbury, Tesco, Waitrose, Asda (but Asda had 2 for £3)
Jura Superstition £20 in Asda and Tesco, £25 in Waitrose, £31 in Sainsbury (Waitrose and Tesco were reduced from £31)
Single Lemon 30p in Sainsbury, Tesco, Asda but 34p in Waitrose
Bananas 52p per kilo in Sainsbury, Tesco, Asda but 59p in Waitrose
Single Cream 300ml £1 in Sainsbury, Tesco, Waitrose, but £1.03 in Asda

the problem is that while prices may vary slightly and you can win pennies here or there, something like a bottle of whiskey can completely wipe out any saving made elsewhere and this is as much down to special offers as standard pricing.

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Londondrz


Posts: 1,538
Joined: Apr 2006
Post: #5
07-12-2011 04:36 PM

Tipple at your house tonight then MichaelLaugh

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shzl400


Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #6
07-12-2011 09:14 PM

Tesco, Sainsbury etc. all tend to be quite competitive on price, but variations can arise by the various special offers they run. I've often found, as one offer expires in on supermarket, you will find the next one takes it up. Waitrose are traditionally more expensive overall.

If you want to compare, I find "mysupermarket.com" a very handy tool. I often drive to Tesco in Lewisham, but generally I find Sainsbury's quite satisfactory, although I always visit Lidl first, to see what bargains they have in their fruit n veg, which is often much cheaper than S & T, but the quality sometimes leaves something to be desired.

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sydenhamcentral


Posts: 269
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #7
08-12-2011 03:26 AM

All the stores match each other for branded goods pretty much.

Own brand is where it differs.

Not all own brand products are the same. Some supermarkets spend more on ingredients than others. Generally if it's really cheap then a supplier has been screwed along the way of the product has been compromised in some way.

Worth a look:
http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/buyersgui....aspx.aspx

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #8
08-12-2011 08:31 AM

I was probably a bit unfair comparing Jura between the supermarkets without taking account of similar offers, since a bottle of single malt is discretionary spending for most people. I found that a bottle of Singleton is £20 in Sainsburys on a special offer, compared to £30 in Tesco and £32 in Asda and Waitrose.

Fortunately I have a good stock of duty free whisky at home, so I won't need to buy any more for a few years!

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dbboy


Posts: 201
Joined: Feb 2009
Post: #9
08-12-2011 10:33 AM

Sometimes it can be cheaper to buy in the likes of Aldi and Lidl. You can get a good range of products although the brands may be uncommon in the UK, on the continent they are recognised. They provide better value than UK based supermarkets, especially of you want continental products.

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lacb


Posts: 627
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #10
08-12-2011 10:44 AM

I think that Sainsburys and the other UK supermarkets are a complete rip off, so no, generally not good value for money.

Found quality and stock control at Sainsburys to be variable at best (as has been covered by another thread) and as a result, conducted an experiment. We bought our meat, fish and vegetables from butcher, fishmonger and greengrocer. All the rest, still sourced from a supermarket. Now the trick here is to only buy what you need.

Have found, and this has now been our normal behaviour for many years now, that this approach is cost neutral. The added advantages are that the food quality is far higher than from a supermarket and very little is wasted. The downside is that the shop takes longer and requires planning.

So, in conclusion, one pays for convenience at a supermarket, and little else. We also, when pressed for time, will do this. I guess on those occasions, it is value for money, as we have bought the time to pursue another activity.

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sydenhamcentral


Posts: 269
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #11
08-12-2011 11:27 AM

Dbboy,

the so called 'brands' in Lidl are actually own brand. They aren't brands at all.

So I doubt if you will find many of them in other stores unless those other stores are owned by Lidl. Look at the back of pack and you will find Lidl's address. Tesco tried a similar scheme with their 'discounter brands'.

In general supermarkets only make a profit of 6%, they often sell loss leaders (products at a loss) to entice you in.

It sounds as if store management is an issue with the Forest Hill Sainsbury's. How stores are run makes a huge difference.

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #12
08-12-2011 12:25 PM

lacb wrote:
We bought our meat, fish and vegetables from butcher, fishmonger and greengrocer..... The downside is that the shop takes longer and requires planning.

If we had any of these in Forest Hill I would gladly give it a try. Since we don't I will continue to buy fish from Sainsburys (vacuum packed means I have never had a problem with freshness, probably fresher than a fishmonger where the fish is left out all day).

I don't think supermarkets have the monopoly on keeping Vegetables and fruit on display that will not last long. I found the same problems with plenty of produce when we did have greengrocers in Forest Hill (20 years ago) or when I had a greengrocer round the corner (in Edinburgh). I reckon the freshest fruit and veg comes direct from a farm or is air-freighted, buying English produce in a supermarket is worst because too often the produce is picked when ripe and packed for fast consumption but it takes too long to reach the shelves.

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lacb


Posts: 627
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #13
08-12-2011 01:00 PM

Have had the experience where have bought vacuum packed fish from sainsburys which was rank when opened the following day. My understanding is that vacuum packing is only likely to help if you are buying fish whole (and even then you do not know how long it has been stored before that point, I have also caught them presenting fish from the freezer as fresh). This is because fish starts to rot the moment it is filleted (enzymes in the gut). I can only say that you have been fortunate Michael.

Would rather avoid that experience by travelling to a local fishmonger, where you can see the fish prepared in front of you, even if sadly it is not in SE23. Supermarkets put far less back into the local economy than a local shop anyway.

Each to their own taste!

Agreed re shops and food shelf life. I was making a point about value for money.

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Baboonery


Posts: 581
Joined: Sep 2007
Post: #14
08-12-2011 01:14 PM

@sydenhamcentral
Somebody better tell Heinz about the beans I bought in Lidl last week, then. Wrong.

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Londondrz


Posts: 1,538
Joined: Apr 2006
Post: #15
08-12-2011 01:21 PM

Why dont you buy fish from the fishmonger at the station every Thursday? I buy sushi grade salmon from him nearly every Thursday as well as superb squid.

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IWereAbsolutelyFuming


Posts: 531
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #16
08-12-2011 01:24 PM

Quote:
buying English produce in a supermarket is worst because too often the produce is picked when ripe and packed for fast consumption but it takes too long to reach the shelves.

Not always the case (although probably is a lot of the time) - drivers often collect produce direct from the commercial grower, return it to the distribution depot and then it is delivered out to stores within 48 hours.

Quote:
Supermarkets put far less back into the local economy than a local shop anyway.

Interested in this comment, not saying you are wrong but could you give examples of what you mean?

Personally I think the biggest problem with the big supermarkets is that they screw over their suppliers. They are the people being robbed by supermarkets, not the customers.

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lacb


Posts: 627
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #17
08-12-2011 01:26 PM

Quote:
Why dont you buy fish from the fishmonger at the station every Thursday? I buy sushi grade salmon from him nearly every Thursday as well as superb squid.


Good point. When we were in Forest Hill, only used him occasionally as I was generally on way to work. Now in Honor Oak, it is less convenient, but I have [/quote]a more flexiible working arrangement now, so will look him up again.

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #18
08-12-2011 01:29 PM

I do eat a lot of fish and have never needed to throw any away. Of course I am a little fussy about the fish I choose from a supermarket shelf. If the tuna looks rainbow coloured I don't buy it and it is all marked with a best before date which is usually a reasonable guide as to which I should buy.

But please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that a supermarket is superiour to a fish shop. If there was a fishmonger in Forest Hill I would probably be in there most days.

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lacb


Posts: 627
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #19
08-12-2011 01:42 PM

Quote:
Quote:

Supermarkets put far less back into the local economy than a local shop anyway.

Interested in this comment, not saying you are wrong but could you give examples of what you mean?


Don't have the stats to hand but try looking here for a bit of background:
http://www.neweconomics.org/programmes/c...-economies

[/quote]Personally I think the biggest problem with the big supermarkets is that they screw over their suppliers. They are the people being robbed by supermarkets, not the customers. [/quote]

[/quote]I agree with this. Almost entirely. It's just that the customers do create the demand for what they do, so we can't absolve ourselves of responsibility.

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dbboy


Posts: 201
Joined: Feb 2009
Post: #20
08-12-2011 02:40 PM

Some recommendations;

Fruit and Veg - Lewisham fruit and Veg market (selected stalls)
Meat - W.Bunting, Peckham Park Road
Fish - F.Soper, Nunhead Lane
Fresh baked bread - Morrisons, Peckham or Tesco, Old Kent Road or Percy Ingle (Lewisham)

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