Supermarkets discussion

[DM352]

We have the same problem with package sizes at dollar stores in Canada, and likely the same in the US.

Example is Lays crisps advertised at dollar stores and the packages look big yet are 150g and the supermarket is 220g but a bit more expensive. Per 100g the supermarket is often cheaper and the dollar store bags look the same as the supermarket containing extra air.

We go with non-name brands at supermarkets which are 50% off and taste similar especially ketchup crisps!

 

[Bishopstone]

I bought a Meal Deal in Morrisons today and, as usual, got a regular Costa coffee from the machine as the drink element. Normally you scan the screen on the machine to add a 'bean' to your Costa loyalty App, but today no such code appeared on screen - at least, I don't think I missed it!

I'm wondering whether beans can no longer be earned at Costa machines, or not in Morrisons, or whether there was an IT glitch that happened to coincide with my purchase.

 

[Tom B]

If no produce is sold by weight, then there is no need to have scales whatsoever. That is a saving on purchase, maintenance, and staff time on checking that they are within tolerance (as required by trading standards).

 

[JamesT]

If no produce is sold by weight, then there is no need to have scales whatsoever. That is a saving on purchase, maintenance, and staff time on checking that they are within tolerance (as required by trading standards).

The scales on self service checkouts are (primarily?) for confirming the correct item has been scanned, regardless of whether it’s sold loose.

 

[jon0844]

We have the same problem with package sizes at dollar stores in Canada, and likely the same in the US.

Example is Lays crisps advertised at dollar stores and the packages look big yet are 150g and the supermarket is 220g but a bit more expensive. Per 100g the supermarket is often cheaper and the dollar store bags look the same as the supermarket containing extra air.

We go with non-name brands at supermarkets which are 50% off and taste similar especially ketchup crisps!

The differences in size of tubs of chocolates (such as Celebrations etc) are crazy, as are the supposed normal prices - especially now they seem to be sale all year round.

You can still get the 750g or 1Kg tubs but the supermarkets that love to do these for £4 or £5 at times seem to keep getting smaller and smaller ones!

And when it comes to shrinkflation, I'd rather they do that than keep a product the same size, increase the price but reduce quality - such as ready meal curries that are now with less meat and sauces that are like water. They taste, well, tasteless.

I assume they can't easily adjust the production line to make a smaller container so they have to resort to reducing the quality of what's inside. Who wants a runny watery sauce instead of the original creamy sauce? The end result is not buying it all.

In these cases I'd just want to pay a little more again to have food I want to eat. Thankfully there are still companies that aren't degrading the content (yet).

 

[SuspectUsual]

If no produce is sold by weight, then there is no need to have scales whatsoever. That is a saving on purchase, maintenance, and staff time on checking that they are within tolerance (as required by trading standards).

Almost all self service tills have two sets of scales - one next to the scanner for weighing items sold by weight, and one in the bit where scanned items go, to help guard against theft.

Getting rid of items sold by weight would only halve the requirement, and there’s been a lot of research into customer behaviour around weighted items, and a significant majority of customers prefer the choice that comes with variable weight items in fruit and veg. The alternative - which is possible for fruit and veg and is used for some high value meats - is individually pricing weighted items so they effectively are sold as eaches not kilos. However this pushes a lot of cost into the supply side

 

[takno]

Almost all self service tills have two sets of scales - one next to the scanner for weighing items sold by weight, and one in the bit where scanned items go, to help guard against theft.

Getting rid of items sold by weight would only halve the requirement, and there’s been a lot of research into customer behaviour around weighted items, and a significant majority of customers prefer the choice that comes with variable weight items in fruit and veg. The alternative - which is possible for fruit and veg and is used for some high value meats - is individually pricing weighted items so they effectively are sold as eaches not kilos. However this pushes a lot of cost into the supply side

I would be happy paying by item if the price wasn't set to about twice the price of the largest weighed item you could possibly buy. In terms of the scanners, I'd say at least 80% of the ones I use these days have dropped the second set of scales. They may still be there in larger stores which sell by weight, but they aren't in the smaller ones.

Even in the bigger supermarkets they often want you to weigh at the machine in the produce section, which prints a label. This ironically is how it used to work 40 years ago in Leos as well, although the machine in the produce section then was operated by a human, and they used to seal the bags so you couldn't sneak in another onion.

 

[jon0844]

I would be happy paying by item if the price wasn't set to about twice the price of the largest weighed item you could possibly buy. In terms of the scanners, I'd say at least 80% of the ones I use these days have dropped the second set of scales. They may still be there in larger stores which sell by weight, but they aren't in the smaller ones.

Even in the bigger supermarkets they often want you to weigh at the machine in the produce section, which prints a label. This ironically is how it used to work 40 years ago in Leos as well, although the machine in the produce section then was operated by a human, and they used to seal the bags so you couldn't sneak in another onion.

Now you have to pay for the bag (if you don't bring your own*), so I just stick the label on to the item itself.

*In reality, people just don't pay for the bags. As Asda has told me many times, they run out of bags because people take them without paying and the stock control can't order more bags as they are shown to have loads still in stock. In the end they find a way to manually order, but you get the result that carrier bags run out so people take baskets and trolleys home with them - and, as has happened many times, our Asda can end up with a shortage of all three.

Gotta love the people at the top that didn't see that coming or do anything to fix it before it got that bad.

 

[Bald Rick]

Now you have to pay for the bag (if you don't bring your own*), so I just stick the label on to the item itself.

I just stick sll the preint of labels on the lettuce pack!

Oddly the self weigh Broccoli label never ever scans. The staff monitoring the self checkouts usually just say ‘keep it’.

 

[lookapigeon]

Now you have to pay for the bag (if you don't bring your own*), so I just stick the label on to the item itself.

*In reality, people just don't pay for the bags. As Asda has told me many times, they run out of bags because people take them without paying and the stock control can't order more bags as they are shown to have loads still in stock. In the end they find a way to manually order, but you get the result that carrier bags run out so people take baskets and trolleys home with them - and, as has happened many times, our Asda can end up with a shortage of all three.

Gotta love the people at the top that didn't see that coming or do anything to fix it before it got that bad.

As a general point what started out as an environmental drive to reduce plastic bag usage is just now another profit line for shops, the costs of reusable plastic bags have tripled or quadrupled, I recall the stronger reusable ones were about 10p but now are closer to 30/40p in some stores! Even M&S whist getting rid of the plastic bags and switching them for paper charge for them, as has now Primark.

 

[jon0844]

What annoys me is it used to be for plastic bags, but now I have to pay Subway 10p for my sandwich to be served in a paper bag. It's compulsory, so I can't just ask for it in the paper wrapping.

Ordering online, especially for delivery, seems like you're dealing with Ticketmaster if it was owned by Ryanair.

 

[3rd rail land]

As a general point what started out as an environmental drive to reduce plastic bag usage is just now another profit line for shops, the costs of reusable plastic bags have tripled or quadrupled, I recall the stronger reusable ones were about 10p but now are closer to 30/40p in some stores! Even M&S whist getting rid of the plastic bags and switching them for paper charge for them, as has now Primark.

I'm sure I read that retailers are supposed to donate profits from carrier bags to charity although it is not a legal requirement, just an expectation. As for price charged the cost of items does go up over time but going from 10p to 30p+ is a huge increase and I am not sure how it can be justified. Does it encourage people to reuse bags more than when the charge was 10p?

 

[AM9]

I'm sure I read that retailers are supposed to donate profits from carrier bags to charity although it is not a legal requirement, just an expectation. As for price charged the cost of items does go up over time but going from 10p to 30p+ is a huge increase and I am not sure how it can be justified. Does it encourage people to reuse bags more than when the charge was 10p?

Well, for anybody who feels that paying for carrier bags is unreasonable, the remedy is in their own hands, i.e. take bags with you (i.e. re-using them) or shop elsewhere. I remember when the 5p/10p charge for single use/lifetime use carrier bags was introduced, there was wailing from some online complaining that they couldn't get them for nothing on demand, completely missing the whole re-use ethos.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Well, for anybody who feels that paying for carrier bags is unreasonable, the remedy is in their own hands, i.e. take bags with you (i.e. re-using them) or shop elsewhere. I remember when the 5p/10p charge for single use/lifetime use carrier bags was introduced, there was wailing from some online complaining that they couldn't get them for nothing on demand, completely missing the whole re-use ethos.

Well said, Whenever I have "a big shop" to do, I take my "bag of bags" which is a heavy-duty Marks and Spencer large hessian bag, in which are four quarter-folded strong plastic orange Sainsburys bags. I now only live a short walk away from the Sainsbury store at Cheadle Royal and at the age of 80, I collect items in the shopping trolley and the checkout operators these days pack for me, as I always give them my Nectar card and any Nectar vouchers at the start of the transaction. I then just walk with loaded trolley to the wall-mounted taxiphone to order my taxi home from the pick-up bay outside the main entrance.

 

[Ashley Hill]

When "bags for life" came along I remember supermarkets claiming they would replace worn out ones for free. Do they still honour or advertise this?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

When "bags for life" came along I remember supermarkets claiming they would replace worn out ones for free. Do they still honour or advertise this?

Some do. Believe Aldi don't, however. Neither do Morrison's.

 

[davews]

Tesco still do.

 

[Buzby]

When "bags for life" came along I remember supermarkets claiming they would replace worn out ones for free. Do they still honour or advertise this?

Asda and Sainsbury’s as well as Tesco swapped mine for free last month when the handles all gave out. Aldi/Lidl always made a charge.

 

[AM9]

Asda and Sainsbury’s as well as Tesco swapped mine for free last month when the handles all gave out. Aldi/Lidl always made a charge.

Even if 'bags for life' are in the past, there's a responsibility of shoppers to arrive at supermarket with sufficient means to accommodate their intended shopping.

 

[Kite159]

As a general point what started out as an environmental drive to reduce plastic bag usage is just now another profit line for shops, the costs of reusable plastic bags have tripled or quadrupled, I recall the stronger reusable ones were about 10p but now are closer to 30/40p in some stores! Even M&S whist getting rid of the plastic bags and switching them for paper charge for them, as has now Primark.

I think Smiths at Waterloo charge something stupid like 99p for a bag. Which will be at least 98p of profit

 

[Darandio]

I think Smiths at Waterloo charge something stupid like 99p for a bag. Which will be at least 98p of profit

Whilst these companies obviously order them in huge numbers I don't think any retailer is getting bags for 1p these days. Where I work we certainly don't get them for that price and we order a lot!

 

[Hadders]

I'm sure I read that retailers are supposed to donate profits from carrier bags to charity although it is not a legal requirement, just an expectation. As for price charged the cost of items does go up over time but going from 10p to 30p+ is a huge increase and I am not sure how it can be justified. Does it encourage people to reuse bags more than when the charge was 10p?

It’s the profits from single use bags that has to be donated to charity. Single use is defined by the density of the polythene used in the bag.

The bags retailers sell these days are generally made of denser polythene, meaning they’re not categorised as single use, so profit on them doesn’t need to be donated to charity.

 

[stadler]

When "bags for life" came along I remember supermarkets claiming they would replace worn out ones for free. Do they still honour or advertise this?

Waitrose certainly do not. They scrapped their free replacement in 2023 at the same time that they increased the charge from 30p to £1.00 for their plastic bags. So you can no longer get a free replacement when your bag breaks despite them charging the highest of any supermarket.

I find it ridiculous that Waitrose charge £1.00 for a plastic bag these days. Yes their ones are thicker and better quality than other supermarkets but it is still ridiculous. They have no cheaper bags so you are forced to pay £1.00 per bag if you forget to bring any bags. I forgot my bags at Waitrose a couple weeks ago and was forced to pay £10.00 as i needed 10 bags to fit all my shopping in.

I know it is all about being environmentally friendly but i miss the days when plastic bags were free. Everyone sometimes forgets to bring bags and it is annoying having to pay for them on top of your shopping costs. The supermarkets must be profiting massively from these bag sales.

 

[Belperpete]

Asda and Sainsbury’s as well as Tesco swapped mine for free last month when the handles all gave out. Aldi/Lidl always made a charge.

I don't recall Aldi or Lidl ever marketing their bags as "bags for life" in the same way as the other retailers did.

 

[SuspectUsual]

The supermarkets must be profiting massively from these bag sales

They’ll make some money but not loads, certainly in the context of their overall profitability.

As has been mentioned already upthread carrier bags are a pain in the backside for store and head office alike, as the true stock figures are always miles out from the real stock, so reordering is almost always manual and a faff.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Our oldest Sainsbury’s bag for life must be coming up 10 years old. They are very robust and it’s certainly earned its money.

 

[JamesT]

Sainsbury’s will still exchange the normal style plastic bags, however they stopped exchanging the big tough ones with the flat bottoms years ago.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

What annoys me is it used to be for plastic bags, but now I have to pay Subway 10p for my sandwich to be served in a paper bag. It's compulsory, so I can't just ask for it in the paper wrapping.

What happens if you bring in your own paper bag for them to put it in to?


Edited 12.14 on 25/08/25 for typo

 

[DM352]

What happens if you being in your own paper bag for them to put it in to?

It happened in Calgary until repealed last year- some people brought their own bags or the fast food company gave you an eat in tray to unload and return. It was 25c from what I remember.

There was a related rule that no disposable cutlery or napkins were provided unless asked for.so made drinking vietnamese soup fun out of the container if on the road!

 

[Buzby]

I don't recall Aldi or Lidl ever marketing their bags as "bags for life" in the same way as the other retailers did.

I don’t believe they did, so unlike Waitrose, not guilty of over promising then under delivering.