Station shop prices (in particular, beer)

[Baxenden Bank]

Providing decent beer in cans seems to be a particular blind spot.

According to this months CAMRA newspaper, someone has successfully introduced real ale in a can.

As for prices, I can't help but think that SSP are pricing themselves out of the market. Then again many people seem perfectly happy to pay inflated prices when there is often a much cheaper alternative nearby - Manchester Piccadilly for example has a Sainsbury next to the parade of SSP various branded outlets. Plus a Waitrose by the front doors and a Tesco within a few minutes walk. Similarly many larger stations. Nottingham has a Tesco express just outside.

My issue is where there is no provision other than SSP / expensive similar brands, making it a choice of eye-watering prices or do without. Stoke-on-Trent for example has just two outlets, both on the expensive side, and a Subway outside.

 

[yorksrob]

According to this months CAMRA newspaper, someone has successfully introduced real ale in a can.

As for prices, I can't help but think that SSP are pricing themselves out of the market. Then again many people seem perfectly happy to pay inflated prices when there is often a much cheaper alternative nearby - Manchester Piccadilly for example has a Sainsbury next to the parade of SSP various branded outlets. Plus a Waitrose by the front doors and a Tesco within a few minutes walk. Similarly many larger stations. Nottingham has a Tesco express just outside.

My issue is where there is no provision other than SSP / expensive similar brands, making it a choice of eye-watering prices or do without. Stoke-on-Trent for example has just two outlets, both on the expensive side, and a Subway outside.

That's interesting. Which brewery is it ?

 

[jamesbwxm]

That's interesting. Which brewery is it ?

Moor Beer from Brizzle.

 

[yorksrob]

Moor Beer from Brizzle.

Cheers. Never heard of that one. Will keep a look out.

 

[tankmc]

The M&S at Liverpool Lime Street charges £1.09 for 1 can of that cider, or £3.95 for 4.

I like their range of canned craft beers. Some of them are brewed by Fourpure (London).

The bottles of M&S "Citra" are £2.65 for a 500ml bottle and are actually brewed by Oakham, and is in fact a bottle conditioned and stronger version of the wonderful Oakham Citra that most decent real ale pubs have on from time to time!

There's also a Sainsbury's Local opposite Lime St station. Decent prices on 4 packs of lager and cider, and you can also pick up bottles of Sainsbury's brand "Porter" (can't remember who brews it) for £1.60. Badgers "Blandford Flyer" and a few others can be had for £1.60 - £1.85.

There's a Tesco Metro down on Clayton Square with an even bigger choice if you have more time.

And you've also got the North Western 'spoons at Lime Street station; but expect a very long wait to get served at the bar. It's quicker to walk over to the Richard J Blacker 'spoons across the road!

Always use m&s Liverpool Street, I prefer the pre mixed cans and find them much nicer, and stronger, than the branded ones. I would avoid Whistle Stop like he plugs. There prices are outrageous and the staff are always rude.

Other SSP outlets are just laughable. Charging £5 for a pasty or £6 for a sandwich! I honestly don't get why people pay these prices. The coffee they use is also terrible, always prefer the margenelly better AMT shops.

Do they have a deal with Network Rail or something because they are like the plague at train stations. Surley it's unfair competition when you have a station where all the outlets are owned by the same company?

 

[sprinterguy]

Do they have a deal with Network Rail or something because they are like the plague at train stations. Surley it's unfair competition when you have a station where all the outlets are owned by the same company?

SSP is the vestigial successor to British Rail's Travellers Fare; privatised in 1988 and merged with Compass Group's other retail interests in 1997 to form Select Service Partner. As such, it wouldn't be surprising if they have some favourable tenancies and lease agreements with Network Rail.
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Cheers. Never heard of that one. Will keep a look out.

Though they only do those daft little 'craft' cans.

In my opinion, secondary fermentation in the container can be the antithesis of good quality bottled or canned beer.

 

[Puffing Devil]

As for prices, I can't help but think that SSP are pricing themselves out of the market. Then again many people seem perfectly happy to pay inflated prices when there is often a much cheaper alternative nearby - Manchester Piccadilly for example has a Sainsbury next to the parade of SSP various branded outlets. Plus a Waitrose by the front doors and a Tesco within a few minutes walk.

Not to mention a Greggs by the main entrance. My guilty pleasure and normally only indulged there on Match Days, after I've collected my pre-ordered coffee from Starbucks - gotta love the app for busting the queue. I'm not sure if the SB prices are loaded, though.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Do they have a deal with Network Rail or something because they are like the plague at train stations. Surley it's unfair competition when you have a station where all the outlets are owned by the same company?

I think they should be more open about the ultimate ownership of the various brands. There will be a small brass plaque somewhere stating it but your average punter will see that parade of outlets at Manchester Piccadilly, see the similar prices on offer, and assume that that is the going rate because clearly there is lots of competition between all these outlets right! Even the cheap stand alone box (now removed, name forgotten) was an SSP outlet competing with itself. They even shared cups when one was short they borrowed from one of the others - rather giving the game away.

I suppose if revenue per unit at Manchester (where there actually is competition) was significantly different than at a station where there is no competition, they would adjust their prices accordingly. Similarly if rents exceeded revenue they would hand back the lease / negotiate different terms / not renew.

I just worry that one day, people will cease to use these outlets, they will close, Network Rail or a TOC will not want to reduce their rents, so we as passengers end up with no outlets at some / many stations. Or, as is happening with bus services on evenings / Sundays, opening times will reduce at marginal times so, when travelling after 1800, a hot drink will become impossible to find. This is what is happening with pubs. Rents increased, prices increased, customers desert, pubs close, customers lose out.

 

[tankmc]

I think they should be more open about the ultimate ownership of the various brands. There will be a small brass plaque somewhere stating it but your average punter will see that parade of outlets at Manchester Piccadilly, see the similar prices on offer, and assume that that is the going rate because clearly there is lots of competition between all these outlets right! Even the cheap stand alone box (now removed, name forgotten) was an SSP outlet competing with itself. They even shared cups when one was short they borrowed from one of the others - rather giving the game away.

I suppose if revenue per unit at Manchester (where there actually is competition) was significantly different than at a station where there is no competition, they would adjust their prices accordingly. Similarly if rents exceeded revenue they would hand back the lease / negotiate different terms / not renew.

I just worry that one day, people will cease to use these outlets, they will close, Network Rail or a TOC will not want to reduce their rents, so we as passengers end up with no outlets at some / many stations. Or, as is happening with bus services on evenings / Sundays, opening times will reduce at marginal times so, when travelling after 1800, a hot drink will become impossible to find. This is what is happening with pubs. Rents increased, prices increased, customers desert, pubs close, customers lose out.

Well that is exactly what happens. The renovation of Hull Paragon saw a Caffè Ritazza open in a prominent purpose built unit. It closed less than a year later and has been empty since. I think it was demolished on my last visit.

They priced themselves out the market with the station having a Gregg and a huge centre across the road.

 

[johntea]

I don't understand why Leeds station has both a Wetherspoons and SSP pub and two WHSmith!

Leeds however is certainly a station that seemed to try expanding its retail but are now reducing it again, they built those 'shed' things on the concourse for retail but now a few just contain cash machines, a few are empty and one is currently holding a temporary thing

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Well that is exactly what happens. The renovation of Hull Paragon saw a Caffè Ritazza open in a prominent purpose built unit. It closed less than a year later and has been empty since. I think it was demolished on my last visit.

That is my worry. Independent operator at a quieter station has a long term lease which comes up for renewal. NR / TOC see opportunity to hike the rent to match main station rentals. SSP (or similar large chain) keen to grow and remove competitors outbids local independent (fair enough, that's the free market), opens it's own branch with higher prices to cover the higher rents, unit fails to make a profit, closes after 12 months trading. No-one independent wants to move back at the now massively hiked rent.

Should NR / TOC's have a remit beyond maximising their rental income, in terms of ensuring a service is offered to customers as part of the overall 'journey experience' - the same cross-subsidy argument used for on-train catering.

 

[neilmc]

Never buy anything in a station other than a newspaper, unless I'm desperate. Walk out the barrier, look left, look right, look straight ahead. Do you see a pub/café/newsagents/cheap sandwich or pasty shop? Problem solved. Having said that I broke this rule recently, Superdrug in Sheffield station did a really good value £3 meal deal.

 

[FQTV]

Should NR / TOC's have a remit beyond maximising their rental income, in terms of ensuring a service is offered to customers as part of the overall 'journey experience' - the same cross-subsidy argument used for on-train catering.

I'd argue that they don't even, in practice, maximise their rental income properly.

Slightly OT: Having tried, and failed, to negotiate a lease for an actively-marketed unit on a TOC-operated station, my experience is that their expectations in terms of rental income, and landlord obligations, can be quite insane.

Other potential tenants would appear to agree as, years later, that unit and many others like it remain empty, dilapidating, earning no income to the railway and providing no service to the traveller.

As publicly-owned assets, it's something of a scandal in my humble opinion.

For those who are paying these rents, it seems inevitable that retail prices will have to be high, with other variable-costs kept to-the-bone and therefore generally poor levels of service will be the result.

That's not to say, of course, that there aren't some very honorable and widespread examples of excellent service when it comes to individual staff members' efforts.

 

[noddingdonkey]

I think they should be more open about the ultimate ownership of the various brands. There will be a small brass plaque somewhere stating it but your average punter will see that parade of outlets at Manchester Piccadilly, see the similar prices on offer, and assume that that is the going rate

Much the same deal as motorway services, where the Burger King, Costa and Subway are all franchises run by the same company.

At Man Pic there is a Gregg's just outside the main entrance, incidentally.
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Having said that I broke this rule recently, Superdrug in Sheffield station did a really good value £3 meal deal.

I believe Boots at Leeds does the same meal deal as other branches too, but it's a while since I've been in

 

[yorksrob]

I don't understand why Leeds station has both a Wetherspoons and SSP pub and two WHSmith!

Leeds however is certainly a station that seemed to try expanding its retail but are now reducing it again, they built those 'shed' things on the concourse for retail but now a few just contain cash machines, a few are empty and one is currently holding a temporary thing

Those on the footbridge are still soldiering on. The Wellington concourse has a lot of high street brands at fairly standard prices, so perhaps it was too much competition for the higher cost ultra-convenience type brands.

 

[Groningen]

0,5 liter Heineken is at the kiosk in Groningen 2,24 Pound. 1 euro = 80 pence

 

[johnnychips]

Is it cheaper in supermarkets, Groningen, or is that the 'station price'?

 

[father_jack]

275ml bottle of Peroni in Starbucks on Taunton station - £4.40.

Price list said 330ml. I queried this but because till scanned it at £4.40 that was the price they were charging.

Typical SSP pricing.

Only catching up on this now. I know BNM enjoys an ale or two () but I wholeheartedly recommend SSPs "jewel in the crown" at Manchester Victoria. Beautifully refurbished (bar the fluorescent lights). And wonderful beer, everyone's favourite Thornbridge Jaipur. Now I know someone will be along to say it's 5.9% but should you dare to order 2 pints and hand over a tenner you'll get back 40p change................

We did use a bite card which made it £4.32 a pint but £4.80....father jack nearly said the bad F word, worse than **** !!!!

 

[Groningen]

Heineken:
0,33 liter can is 50 pence
0,50 liter can is 86 pence

in a normal supermarketstore in the Netherlands

I see that the normal Tesco has 2 liters (3 x 0,65 liter) Heineken for 5 Pound. The 0,33 liter is 75 pence a piece.

 

[sprinterguy]

Only catching up on this now. I know BNM enjoys an ale or two () but I wholeheartedly recommend SSPs "jewel in the crown" at Manchester Victoria. Beautifully refurbished (bar the fluorescent lights). And wonderful beer, everyone's favourite Thornbridge Jaipur. Now I know someone will be along to say it's 5.9% but should you dare to order 2 pints and hand over a tenner you'll get back 40p change................

We did use a bite card which made it £4.32 a pint but £4.80....father jack nearly said the bad F word, worse than **** !!!!

I'm surprised to hear that they had Jaipur on in there: When I've been in it's all been mediocre Greene King dross (unlike some real ale aficionados I've got no problem with Greene King beers properly kept, but they don't produce the most adventurous ales) at absurd prices. I avoid the place now because of their daft pricing scheme.