Supermarkets discussion

[jon0844]

Maybe they realized selling them at £7 the last couple of years was a bit of a joke?

The important thing is the weight of the ingredients because the manufacturer makes them in loads of different configurations. It's much like the chocolate multipacks where you may not notice some stores have lighter chocolate bars, or a bumper multibag might have 71 chocolates and another has 75.

The tubs/tins are often the same size so you must check the labels carefully.

I think Costco usually has the ones that are near maximum weight for the size.

 

[Peter Sarf]

The important thing is the weight of the ingredients because the manufacturer makes them in loads of different configurations. It's much like the chocolate multipacks where you may not notice some stores have lighter chocolate bars, or a bumper multibag might have 71 chocolates and another has 75.

The tubs/tins are often the same size so you must check the labels carefully.

I think Costco usually has the ones that are near maximum weight for the size.

The red tins/tubs ("celebrations" iirc) I notice are 500g. In Sainsburys they are cheaper (per Kg) than some of the smaller plastic bags of the same stuff.

 

[cactustwirly]

I doubt it! Bananas are one of the top selling items in the entire store. Back in the day, when I managed a Co-op stores they were usually my largest selling item by sales value.

Froma money point of view the logistics of bananas in a depot environment is trivial compared to frozen food. I used to work with a very large frozen food depot that was based in north London. The electricity bill was £60k per week - and that was before the energy price rises we've seen in recent years.


In winter you need to keep bananas warm so there's normally bubble wrap lining the boxes. In summer they need to be kept cool so the lining inside the box is thin tissue like paper.


That's a depot environment, stores won't have separate banana rooms although some large stores might have fruite and veg rooms that have a temperature of about 8C.

Keeping bananas in good condition in a shop environment is a skill. They need to be kept away from draughts. In summer you need to open the boxes to vent the bananas, in winter you keep them wrapped up as much as possible, depending on how warm or cool the store room area is.

Co-op do a good job of getting bananas to stores with the shrouds being used around the cages.


The margin on cigarettes has improved in recent years but the category is in big decline. I agree about track and trace, I'm not sure what it's actually achieved other than adding cost to the supply chain.

I find that crazy because of the relatively low value of bananas.
Thought it would be something like meat or milk which has a higher value

 

[SuspectUsual]

I find that crazy because of the relatively low value of bananas.
Thought it would be something like meat or milk which has a higher value

I’m surprised too, but I only worked in head office not a store. What I do know is that when we put SAP into the Coop the SAP geniuses mentioned they had a module that looked at store sales and proactively identified store issues with bad replen (no sales for x minutes but a positive book stock implying stock was in the store but not on display). Problem was that the Coop only had one article that sold fast enough to make the software work - 2 litre semi-skimmed milk. Everything else would just create loads of false alarms

 

[Hadders]

I find that crazy because of the relatively low value of bananas.
Thought it would be something like meat or milk which has a higher value

If you want a single SKU then 4011 loose bananas (memorised by cashiers everywhere!) is right up there.

Meat or milk is a bit misleading - what type of milk or meat? 4 pint semi skimmed milk is definitely up there but the comparing meat to bananas isn’t a true comparison. You’d need to compare meat the fruit & veg as a whole.

 

[AM9]

I have often wondered does the normal price mean the Punters are subsidising me ?.

No, you are actually trading some visibility of your buying habits to get a discount. In reality, that information along with the same from many others gives RT he company better visibility of their customers buying habits. Some customers eschew that offer, yet quite happily give up information about their movements through the store from their mobile phone and get no price benefit at all. Those who really think that such detail about their lifestyle is that precious need to turn off their mobile phone, walk to the supermarket, pay using cash only, wear inconspicuous clothing and not engage with anything that the store does in promotions. All that to pay higher prices!

 

[Harpo]

Those who really think that such detail about their lifestyle is that precious need to turn off their mobile phone, walk to the supermarket, pay using cash only, wear inconspicuous clothing and not engage with anything that the store does in promotions. All that to pay higher prices!

Don’t overlook those with large volumes of cash that really need to go under the radar.

 

[Gloster]

No, you are actually trading some visibility of your buying habits to get a discount. In reality, that information along with the same from many others gives RT he company better visibility of their customers buying habits. Some customers eschew that offer, yet quite happily give up information about their movements through the store from their mobile phone and get no price benefit at all. Those who really think that such detail about their lifestyle is that precious need to turn off their mobile phone, walk to the supermarket, pay using cash only, wear inconspicuous clothing and not engage with anything that the store does in promotions. All that to pay higher prices!

I do most of these, although I don't carry a 'phone and use the bus, paying cash, but not directly because of a reluctance to let the supermarkets know what I am buying as they always have the record from the tills, even if they don’t know who I am (Just the Snowman in Morrisons due to my shapeless hat). What some people (I know I am not the only one) do not want is to have our details floating about on various websites, which are liable to be hacked. I know it is unavoidable to have your details on some sites, but the fewer, the better and for preference only on those that are most likely to have good protection.

Yes, I do know that even some large, potentially reliable, companies have been hacked, but I think that you just have to accept that you can’t eliminate the risk entirely and this is how I minimise it. I have a couple of friends who have had to spend a lot of time and energy sorting out problems and ended up out of pocket due to hacks. For that I am prepared to give up 20p. on Supa-Choco Deep South-style Lard Burgers.

 

[Peter Sarf]

No, you are actually trading some visibility of your buying habits to get a discount. In reality, that information along with the same from many others gives RT he company better visibility of their customers buying habits. Some customers eschew that offer, yet quite happily give up information about their movements through the store from their mobile phone and get no price benefit at all. Those who really think that such detail about their lifestyle is that precious need to turn off their mobile phone, walk to the supermarket, pay using cash only, wear inconspicuous clothing and not engage with anything that the store does in promotions. All that to pay higher prices!

Oh I agree the storoes are watching us. I see vouchers for things I never buy !. For me the near 50% reductions on certain items for using their "loyalty" (id) card seems rather dramatic so I feel some of the deals will be loss leaders.

One that interests me is Marstons Pedigree Beer/Ale in 500ml bottles (its my favourite).
Since about 2020 the price has occasionally dropped to £1. Over the same period the normal price has gone up from £1.50 iirc to £2.50 now and I think a high of £2.75 recently. There have been offers of six for £10 so £1.66 each. I bide my time and only leap when the price hits £1 - as it has a long shelf life I can buy at least six months worth.
This year I was increasingly concerned that the £1 price mark was a thing of the past. But it has appeared at least twice already in 2025 but I feel the difference is getting too great. It has just dropped to £1.25 (50% off) So I am stocking up as the Best Before Date is 31 October 2026. With the stocks (hoard) that I already have I will not be touching it until next summer or late spring.
When/if it comes down to £1 I will kick myself.

I should add other beers used to drop to £1 at the same time- not sure any have shared the £1.25 price point this time.

Don’t overlook those with large volumes of cash that really need to go under the radar.

The more we get taxed then the more inclined people will be to use cash and receive cash.

I do most of these, although I don't carry a 'phone and use the bus, paying cash, but not directly because of a reluctance to let the supermarkets know what I am buying as they always have the record from the tills, even if they don’t know who I am (Just the Snowman in Morrisons due to my shapeless hat). What some people (I know I am not the only one) do not want is to have our details floating about on various websites, which are liable to be hacked. I know it is unavoidable to have your details on some sites, but the fewer, the better and for preference only on those that are most likely to have good protection.

Yes, I do know that even some large, potentially reliable, companies have been hacked, but I think that you just have to accept that you can’t eliminate the risk entirely and this is how I minimise it. I have a couple of friends who have had to spend a lot of time and energy sorting out problems and ended up out of pocket due to hacks. For that I am prepared to give up 20p. on Supa-Choco Deep South-style Lard Burgers.

I walk to the store - its my gym alternative.

I am probably very well known (eyeing up the soon to be out of date treats).

I agree with keeping my sharing of personal details to as low as possible. So I have a few throw away email addresses for things I am not sure of - trouble is if I then get keen on one of them I have to change the id/recovery-email or often just live with all the trash I get in my inboxes because there are some emails I want.

My main id is my Morrisons More Card. They are probably fed up with my being quite mercenary (or am I kidding myself).
I wonder if one day they will ban me (or my card) ?.

 

[AM9]

My main id is my Morrisons More Card. They are probably fed up with my being quite mercenary (or am I kidding myself).
I wonder if one day they will ban me (or my card) ?.

I doubt it, their interest is in the depth of knowledge of their total footfall customers, not individuals. I go to my local Waitrose almost every day for a free coffee and maybe one or two items that I might have a voucher for. It's very useful, - I know when prices are dropped, and clearance of some fresh products give really low prices, The actual prices that I pay for products of the same quality is generally the same as would be so in Sainsbury or Tesco stores, so as a very local store, Waitrose is both good value, pleasant environment and very convenient.

 

[GusB]

The Presto store in Kings Heath, Birmingham. has been through several owners since 1982. It became a Safeway in 1985 (?), got bumped into Morrisons as part of their mid 1995 takeover but was sold to Somerfield for a time before they sold/ordered to sell a batch pf stores to Co-Op. The Presto Kings Heath is now an Asda.

The story of supermarket acquisitions is rarely simple and it's never a case of one company taking over all branches of another, therefore the journey of an individual store may vary.

Essentially what happened was that:

• Argyll Foods took over Safeway Stores
• Larger Presto stores were re-branded as Safeway
• Argyll Foods became Safeway Plc and all stores began to be branded as Safeway
• Morrison's takes over Safeway and divests itself of smaller stores (to Somerfield)
• Somerfield is then acquired by the Co-op

I'm guessing that your King's Heath store was deemed big enough to become a Safeway by Argyll, but too small to be viable when Morrison's took over. This is exactly what happened with one of the shops I worked in - it was originally built by Norco (Northern Co-op), taken over by Safeway when Norco went bust, briefly run by Morrison's and then sold to Somerfield. Somerfield bailed out and sold the building.

The building is now part of the council headquarters but, had it remained as a supermarket, it may well have become a Co-op again!

 

[dgl]

Interestingly I believe the Blandford Safeway in the town centre was sold off when Morrisons took over only for Morrisons to acquire it again later on. It must be one of their smallest supermarkets.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Morrison's takes over Safeway and divests itself of smaller stores (to Somerfield)

Even that is a bit of a simplification.

Morrisons chose for themselves to get rid of (from memory) about 110 smaller stores because they didn't fit their vision, and this was referred to the Competition Commission and I think about 20 had to be divested by Somerfield.

The Competition Commission also required Morrisons to get rid of about 50 stores (I want to say 48 but don't trust my memory) from the expanded group where there were geographical overlaps - they didn't mind whether it was the Safeway or legacy Morrisons store that went. Most of these were sold to Sainsbury's and Waitrose

 

[DannyMich2018]

Even that is a bit of a simplification.

Morrisons chose for themselves to get rid of (from memory) about 110 smaller stores because they didn't fit their vision, and this was referred to the Competition Commission and I think about 20 had to be divested by Somerfield.

The Competition Commission also required Morrisons to get rid of about 50 stores (I want to say 48 but don't trust my memory) from the expanded group where there were geographical overlaps - they didn't mind whether it was the Safeway or legacy Morrisons store that went. Most of these were sold to Sainsbury's and Waitrose

Also Tesco took on 10 stores, mainly in Northern England, however several have since closed, Acock's Green in Birmingham was sold to Sainsbury's but only a few year's ago went back to Morrisons, Andover went to Sainsbury's but closed down although they have another store in that town. So much change for some stores!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Do any of these supermarket outlets that get traded/sold on, ever get permanently closed, i.e. aren't re-opened by anyone else?

 

[DannyMich2018]

Do any of these supermarket outlets that get traded/sold on, ever get permanently closed, i.e. aren't re-opened by anyone else?

Many do yes, I can't think of any off hand but will be some. Separately the Kwik Save in Hinckley town centre closed in 2007 when they collapsed and has been empty ever since!

 

[DelW]

Do any of these supermarket outlets that get traded/sold on, ever get permanently closed, i.e. aren't re-opened by anyone else?

An ex-Waitrose here is now divided between a Wetherspoons and a clothing shop (previously a Slug & Lettuce bar). I think it had been purpose built as a supermarket in about the 1970s, but in the mid '90s Waitrose moved to a larger edge of centre location with its own car park.

 

[davehsug]

Do any of these supermarket outlets that get traded/sold on, ever get permanently closed, i.e. aren't re-opened by anyone else?

The Sainsburys in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent closed permanently. It's now being converted into an NHS centre.

 

[sor]

following on from the Safeway vs Morrisons discussion in the other thread - am I right in remembering that Safeway used (or was at least trialing) electronic shelf labels towards the end of their existence? I have it in my head that I remember seeing them, and of course they were replaced with paper labels when Ken M and co took over.

 

[dgl]

Don't know if I've mentioned it before but the original Aldi in Yeovil is now a Farmfoods and Majestic wine, the building being the standard original Aldi design.
For a few years Yeovil had no Aldi but had a new one built. Where is this new (larger) one you may ask? Right next to the old one!

 

[SuspectUsual]

following on from the Safeway vs Morrisons discussion in the other thread - am I right in remembering that Safeway used (or was at least trialing) electronic shelf labels towards the end of their existence? I have it in my head that I remember seeing them, and of course they were replaced with paper labels when Ken M and co took over.

Yes they were. Lots and lots of clever stuff got binned when Uncle Ken took over!

 

[RuddA]

Do any of these supermarket outlets that get traded/sold on, ever get permanently closed, i.e. aren't re-opened by anyone else?

In Norwich there were two Lidls near each other. One was closed and became a gym when a larger Lidl opened nearby as a replacement.
The other one was closed a few years later and became Co-op funeral services.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Whilst shopping in Asda yesterday we noticed that the prices on three of the items we bought scanned at a higher price than that displayed on the shelf. We photographed the shelf prices and challenged it at the checkout. The excuse given was that prices had been lowered as part of the “Roll Back” promotion, but the computer system had not been updated so charged the higher price. We were therefore charged the shelf price. How many customers notice these errors?

 

[Howardh]

Lidl have started playing piped musak. So tonight I went to nice and quiet Aldi instead. Spent over £45 on my weekly shop that Lidl aren't getting.

I used to like Lidl.

 

[jon0844]

Whilst shopping in Asda yesterday we noticed that the prices on three of the items we bought scanned at a higher price than that displayed on the shelf. We photographed the shelf prices and challenged it at the checkout. The excuse given was that prices had been lowered as part of the “Roll Back” promotion, but the computer system had not been updated so charged the higher price. We were therefore charged the shelf price. How many customers notice these errors?

Imagine the fun and games when dynamic pricing comes in. I don't know how trials are going in the UK but it's a thing elsewhere (albeit those places don't have prices advertised on the shelves and instead rely on a price list that changes and you must check).

Once more eInk shelf tags come, I expect at least one supermarket to start things off before they all do.

The idea is that when prices go up there will be a delay in case someone picked an item before the change and still shopped for a bit before checking out, but who knows how long that period will be - or if it will get shorter later on.

And that still requires people to check, which they probably won't.

 

[SuspectUsual]

The excuse given was that prices had been lowered as part of the “Roll Back” promotion, but the computer system had not been updated so charged the higher price.

That’s nonsense. The price scanned at the till is taken directly from the ERP system (aka the computer system).

What will 99.99% likely have happened is the store staff haven’t updated the SETs. That might be a missing notification, it might be staff error.

 

[david1212]

Whilst shopping in Asda yesterday we noticed that the prices on three of the items we bought scanned at a higher price than that displayed on the shelf. We photographed the shelf prices and challenged it at the checkout. The excuse given was that prices had been lowered as part of the “Roll Back” promotion, but the computer system had not been updated so charged the higher price. We were therefore charged the shelf price. How many customers notice these errors?

I almost got caught in an ASDA / George homestore with the regular price coming up at the checkout and not noticing but I had the total to pay in my head.

Lidl have started playing piped musak. So tonight I went to nice and quiet Aldi instead. Spent over £45 on my weekly shop that Lidl aren't getting.

I used to like Lidl.

My local Lidl hasn't started this yet. Finally they have taken out I think two manned checkouts and put in 6 self-service ones. If only one or two manned checkouts were open and you only had a few items often a long wait while a couple of full trolleys went through.

I prefer Aldi except avoid their biscuits and cakes but I can walk to Lidl if I can sensibly carry all that I want. A couple of years ago Aldi closed their nearest original store and built a new one close by. The vicinity is bad for traffic but the new location is worse.

 

[Kite159]

That’s nonsense. The price scanned at the till is taken directly from the ERP system (aka the computer system).

What will 99.99% likely have happened is the store staff haven’t updated the SETs. That might be a missing notification, it might be staff error.

Or the shelf edge label is correct but the product is wrong (ie a different size bottle)

 

[Ashley Hill]

That’s nonsense. The price scanned at the till is taken directly from the ERP system (aka the computer system).

What will 99.99% likely have happened is the store staff haven’t updated the SETs. That might be a missing notification, it might be staff error.

Whichever is correct unwary shoppers get ripped off. Can anyone offer an example of the scan price being lower than that on the shelf?

 

[Tester]

Whichever is correct unwary shoppers get ripped off. Can anyone offer an example of the scan price being lower than that on the shelf?

I haven't got an example ready, but I've definitely had it.

In Australia (I'm there now) there is a 'Scanning Code of Practice' which specifies that if an item scans higher than the shelf price, the item is free of charge (first item only if multiple items - others at correct price).

I have claimed such, but have very rarely needed to.