Mcr Warrior
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Aren't these increases partly reflective of higher cocoa prices?
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Supermarkets discussion
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DannyMich2018
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Yes I believe they are. Fortunately I don't eat much chocolate.
There’s more to it than just defrosting but Tesco announced yesterday that all their scratch bakeries are converting to bake off.
jon81uk
Member
Tesco removed them from several stores and consolidated them as regional bakeries with "The Bakery Project" about 8 years ago or so while they owned Euphorium, but don't think that worked out.
Will be interesting to see exactly what happens, some things like cookies are just bake from frozen anyway. Its items like soft rolls that will be most missed without scratch bakery, crusty bread is easier to do as part-bake.
Back in the 90s I worked in a Somerfield store of course they didn't have scratch bakery but got part-baked loaves in ambient from Allied Bakeries and finished them off in the store. Then crusty rolls and baguettes were bake from frozen (so managed to be sold as both Made in France and Baked in Store!), cookies and doughnuts were baked from frozen too.
But back then the Somerfield store still had an in-store butcher doing cuts of steak, no counter they just wrapped in the trays and put out for sale, but he had a very good reputation and many customers were happy to order specific thickness or sizes of steaks and joints.
I didn‘t realise any of the big 3 and a half still had any in store bakeries! Learn something every day.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
I feel my local Morrisons must be one of the last with a bakery (last time I looked properly) and all the other fresh counters. I do sense the end coming when I happen upon other large Morrisons.
Still all there in Stoke too. It's what makes them different, and if they ended them we'd go elsewhere.
py_megapixel
Established Member
I don't typically shop in Morrisons (for reasons that will become clear!) but occasionally I go in for a few things because they end up being the most convenient. Every time I go, I am impressed by how much worse they've managed to get in the month or two since my previous visit.
The stores are increasingly filled with various forms of clutter, and general upkeep is poor. On my last visit, there were plenty of products where I struggled to find the price label and plenty of signs that didn't match the nearby products. It makes shopping there quite a frustrating experience.
Also, the store was noticeably dirty - particularly bad was the yoghurts section, where the shelves had what appeared to be splatters of dried-on spilled yoghurt that seemingly hadn't been thoroughly cleaned for some time.
They still don't have scanner handsets, which their competitors now have in almost all of their largest format stores, so you have to unload everything and then pack it again, fighting an uncooperative checkout machine that requires repeatedly requires staff intervention . Of course there are never enough staff around.
Stepping into a Tesco, Sainsbury's or Asda - and of course those all have their problems too - it is immediately apparent how much better run the store is. It's a wonder to me that anyone still shops at Morrisons - it's not as if the prices are especially competitive (and their differential pricing for loyalty card holders seems quite extreme). I suppose their last major differentiator is their fresh food counters, but I'm not really sure that makes up for all the other shortcomings. Better to support local bakeries, butchers etc. anyway - at least where they still exist.
It's a shame, Morrisons used to be an enjoyable place to shop but I feel they have really fallen from grace in recent years.
The stores are increasingly filled with various forms of clutter, and general upkeep is poor. On my last visit, there were plenty of products where I struggled to find the price label and plenty of signs that didn't match the nearby products. It makes shopping there quite a frustrating experience.
Also, the store was noticeably dirty - particularly bad was the yoghurts section, where the shelves had what appeared to be splatters of dried-on spilled yoghurt that seemingly hadn't been thoroughly cleaned for some time.
They still don't have scanner handsets, which their competitors now have in almost all of their largest format stores, so you have to unload everything and then pack it again, fighting an uncooperative checkout machine that requires repeatedly requires staff intervention . Of course there are never enough staff around.
Stepping into a Tesco, Sainsbury's or Asda - and of course those all have their problems too - it is immediately apparent how much better run the store is. It's a wonder to me that anyone still shops at Morrisons - it's not as if the prices are especially competitive (and their differential pricing for loyalty card holders seems quite extreme). I suppose their last major differentiator is their fresh food counters, but I'm not really sure that makes up for all the other shortcomings. Better to support local bakeries, butchers etc. anyway - at least where they still exist.
It's a shame, Morrisons used to be an enjoyable place to shop but I feel they have really fallen from grace in recent years.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
I go at least once a week to my local Morrisons. Yes I can see the deterioration even without a long time gap. The latest is that the lamps in the car par are always off - makes one think it must be closing time, really uninviting from the main road (A23). I know over a year back staff told me their hours had been cut back so it is obvious that the chain is being made lean ready to sell on. If Morrisons was not my nearest supermarket I might not bother with it. If I am in town then I check out the prices in LIDL but I used to like the quality in Morrisons.
Morrisons date checking is also getting worse. You used to find a product out of date on the shelves very occasionally. In recent months it's just about every time you go in, there will be bread or chiled products on the shelves past their sell by date. I used to point it out to staff, but the only ones you see now are doing online Amazon orders, and they don't care, and probably fill the orders with short & out of date stock.
Went into Asda for the first time in a couple of weeks today.
They appear to have disconnected from another Walmart system as the shelf labels have changed format. The pricing structure has also changed - prices that used to end in 'usual' amounts such as zero, 5 or 99 pence now seem almost random. A tube of toothpaste was £1.27, for example.
They have also replaced the store lighting. The new lights are much brighter, there are loads more of them and they're cold white. It makes for an incredibly uncomfortable shopping experience.
They appear to have disconnected from another Walmart system as the shelf labels have changed format. The pricing structure has also changed - prices that used to end in 'usual' amounts such as zero, 5 or 99 pence now seem almost random. A tube of toothpaste was £1.27, for example.
They have also replaced the store lighting. The new lights are much brighter, there are loads more of them and they're cold white. It makes for an incredibly uncomfortable shopping experience.
Brent Goose
Member
I read elsewhere that Asda have downgraded their rewards scheme so the new pricing might be somewhat related to that.
Asda Brighton was perhaps unique in actually increasing the price of their mince pies as January came to a close
Asda Brighton was perhaps unique in actually increasing the price of their mince pies as January came to a close
Peter Sarf
Established Member
I get the impression the people doing online orders are not Morrisons' staff. Certainly over the years the staff I know at my Morrisons never do online orders.
But yes I find out of date stock.
Two things happening regarding dates as a result of staff cutbacks :-
First - No time to replenish a location properly - I have seen staff just push what is there back so they can put the stock from the warehouse in front, so you can guarantee the oldest stock stays unsold for longer.
Second - Staff have less time to look for out of date stock.
Really the worst is stock sitting on the floor for hours due to lack of staff to place it on the correct shelf. Worrying if it is meant to be chilled or frozen. Probably not out of date but maybe spoiled !. Many customers must notice this and form an opinion.
On the subject of stock not on shelves etc. A while back (2023 maybe ?) there was a whole pallet of eggs in boxes in bulk boxes held together with the usual wrapping tape - cling film sort of. There were so few eggs on the adjacent shelves that customers had broken open the packaging wrap. Sods law dictated that people would want the brand/size of eggs not near the top. In the end the "pile" collapsed and there were plenty of broken eggs on the floor !. Result wasted stock and a huge cleaning job, or personal injury liability if really short of staff.
That was a while back and only happened once but you can tell things are tight.
Someone from Morrisons must read this thread because the lights were on in the car park this evening !.
jon81uk
Member
Asda have long seemed to like pricing ending in sevens. For a long time their petrol was priced to the 0.7p not the 0.9p most other supermarkets do.
Silver Cobra
Member
I believe that's a result of the removal of 'Star Products' from the Asda Rewards scheme and a return of the Rollback campaign. The 'Star Products' used to give 10% of their cost back to the Rewards user for their cash pot. I guess it was decided that ending this and just applying the discount directly to the products provides better optics, what with all the recent complaints about Clubcard/Nectar Prices and all; everyone can benefit from the prices rather than just Asda Rewards users.
Yes, I've noticed the packaging on frozen food is often covered in frost, and looks as though someone has played football with it, presumably because it's lying around thawing.
Also, what the hell is going on with orange juice prices? It was £1.09 per litre just a few months ago, then £1.29, £1.45 and has now shot up to £1.75.
4x1L for £4.50 in Asda.
The challenge is finding an Asda which still stocks the 4x1L of 'with bits' instead of smooth!
That was deliberate. They did some research that showed that prices ending .99 or .x9 didn’t fool may people, and so deliberately chose .97 / .x7 as prices that appeared to be random to show that they had (supposedly) beaten down prices to absolute minimums. It also helped them to be 2p cheaper than their competitors for many items.
That’s what I was told by two people I know who used to be senior in ASDA head office, one in retail finance and one in category management (who actually set the prices of some products).
Peter Sarf
Established Member
This made me think - are we heading towards the reward card bubble bursting. After all Green Shield stamps started getting stupid. First came double stamps, treble stamps etc, eventually got up to ten fold stamps, twenty fold stamps etc. That was especially at petrol stations. Then it was all over.
So the story goes out of fashion Green Shield realised people actually liked what they saw in the catalogues so when the love of stampt failed Green Shield kept open by turning itself into - Argos !.
I must admit I try hard to ignore the discount on offer and FOCUS on the FINAL price per unit (litres/kilograms etc). My missus cannot/will-not see it and so often she will go for something cheaper if she does not realise the pack is smaller. I do not think she even knows how many grams are in a kilogram !. I suspect that maybe a lot of people do not know or want to know ?.
I wonder if there is a shortage. I have a vague recollection that something like oranges (imported fruit) has suffered a poor harvest.
I don’t think so. If anything, it is gong to become more prevalent.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
I suppose you are correct as the purpose of the reward card is to harvest our spending habits and encourage us via marketing to expand them. Green shield stamps was rather more basic so lacking in that sense - as in being able to target tailored opportunities at individual punters.
I can see stores just getting more and more carried away with their non-loyalty card prices, so we'll be expected to believe a pint of milk is £75, down to 95p (or whatever).
And best of all, there will be a bunch of people suggesting it's nothing to worry about as you just get the loyalty card and pay the lower price. Problem is there will be some who forgot their card, or are under 16/18 (can't remember which) who will have to pay thatinflated normal price.
And best of all, there will be a bunch of people suggesting it's nothing to worry about as you just get the loyalty card and pay the lower price. Problem is there will be some who forgot their card, or are under 16/18 (can't remember which) who will have to pay that
Peter Sarf
Established Member
It will actually be all those "punters" that cannot be bothered to look into things. It is how business makes money out of us. Probably keeps the prices I pay cheaper (/self interest).
Me too, - it's my choice whether I trade a record of my buying habits for a better deal. The real losers are those that take marketing at face value without pausing to think about what's on offer. Are those that object to the setup seeing themselves in that group, or just prepared to pay to keep their shopping habits out of retailers' view?
agree. The deodorant I use is about £2.70 everywhere. In superdrug it is on special offer: £2.50 with their reward card, £5 without!
Peter Sarf
Established Member
Tesco have some eye watering differences on Reward prices. As you say the reduced price is not really that much cheaper than in other shops, if cheaper at all.
Another example I spotted last year was PoundStretcher. A lot of their items were suddenly half price. To me many of the items I knew seemed to be a similar price to what I thought I had paid for previous purchases. Turned out the prices had been doubled a while before the half price offer !. So now I am very cautious of PoundStretcher prices even if on "offer". But then I periodically shop around anyway and just do so more if it is something I used to favour PoundStretcher for.
I keep a list of commonly bought food items on my mobile with their cost per kilo/litre from various shops I have visited. It needs updating more than I can be bothered to do BUT it does alert me to any significant fluctuations up as well as down. I suspect most people do not bother and it is an effort - but when I see some of the price differences it keeps me feeling the effort is justified.
My son is too young to have a Clubcard, so he'd need to pay the full prices. Sure, most adults just give their kids their Clubcard, but that's probably in breach of the T&Cs.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
I never have "time" to read all that small print
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dangie
On Moderation
Tesco Crunchy Peanut Butter
I quite like the Tesco own brand peanut butter, I prefer the taste to the more well known brands, Sunpak etc.
However I don’t know what they’ve done to it. The last two jars I’ve bought is like spreading concrete. It used to be quite easy to spread straight from the jar (which it should be) but I now have to give it a few seconds in the microwave to soften it up a bit. I shall be writing off to Tesco, will post any replies back here.
I quite like the Tesco own brand peanut butter, I prefer the taste to the more well known brands, Sunpak etc.
However I don’t know what they’ve done to it. The last two jars I’ve bought is like spreading concrete. It used to be quite easy to spread straight from the jar (which it should be) but I now have to give it a few seconds in the microwave to soften it up a bit. I shall be writing off to Tesco, will post any replies back here.