Supermarkets discussion

[DelW]

Curiously my local (large) Sainsbury's has been completely cleaned out of tinned sardines and pilchards for the last week or so. There were plenty of mackerel fillets and tuna, so fishy alternatives were available, but has there been a big rush on sardines and pilchards, or is it a shortage of supply?

Yes. Morocco, their catches are dwindling.

Fish Tales

Fish Tales website

www.fish-tales.com

That's a pity, sardines are one of my store-cupboard standbys. Maybe I'll have to try the mackerel fillets while I can still get them.

Sardines had reappeared today, after a couple of weeks absence, though not in large quantities. I was public spirited and limited myself to one tin

 

[Hadders]

The last few times I've shopped at Sainsbury's, the machine that prints offers has failed (and I don't use the same till). I can hear it try to print what appears to be two or three vouchers (usually it's a double or triple Nectar point one, then some offers) and in all cases I ask staff what I need to do and they say I can't do anything. They can't reprint them and the printers have either jammed or run out of paper.

I'm starting to think it's deliberate because surely someone would attempt to load more paper, or fix any issues? Seems like it's an effective way to ensure I don't get any vouchers. I went to customer services and they said they can't do anything either, but offered to fish some out of the bin that other people had used?!?!

Sainsbury’s should be able to reprint vouchers that haven’t printed at the kiosk, on production of your Nectar card.

On the trial I read about, if the price goes down it goes down immediately so you will check out and pay the lower price even if you saw it was higher. If the price goes up, the lower price remains charged for a set period of time (say 15-30 minutes).

These are things supermarkets would indeed need to take account of.

Of course, due to short staffing in many stores it is currently a problem with items priced incorrectly and the electronic ones can solve that at least - without any clever stuff like variable pricing. I believe they use Bluetooth LE, but they could use another protocol like ZigBee for longer range and retaining good battery life.

In theory it could be done, it doesn’t matter whether shelf edge labels are electronic or manual:

Price increases - display increased price at the shelf edge. Apply prices at the tills after a short period of time (eg an hour).

Price decreases - apply decrease to the tills then display decreased price at the shelf edge.

Doing this makes sure no-one pays more than the price displayed at the shelf edge.

 

[jon0844]

Sainsbury’s should be able to reprint vouchers that haven’t printed at the kiosk, on production of your Nectar card.

Interesting, because I've spoken to many staff (including what I thought was the duty manager) who all said no. I haven't pushed further because I didn't want to seem like some awkward annoying Karen. I got the feeling that I was being judged as a PITA for asking why I couldn't get vouchers.

In theory it could be done, it doesn’t matter whether shelf edge labels are electronic or manual:

Price increases - display increased price at the shelf edge. Apply prices at the tills after a short period of time (eg an hour).

Price decreases - apply decrease to the tills then display decreased price at the shelf edge.

Doing this makes sure no-one pays more than the price displayed at the shelf edge.

Yeah, that's exactly what was happening in the trials (in Germany) and would be the only acceptable way to do things.. a bit like the TfL Oyster/contactless peak and off-peak having a grace period that is in favour of the passenger.

I am calling it now though; if the time is set at, say 30 minutes, or even an hour after a price change that goes up, you can absolutely certain that someone will wait and then kick off and go viral on TikTok or something saying it's unfair/illegal/immoral or whatever!

 

[Mojo]

Interesting, because I've spoken to many staff (including what I thought was the duty manager) who all said no. I haven't pushed further because I didn't want to seem like some awkward annoying Karen. I got the feeling that I was being judged as a PITA for asking why I couldn't get vouchers.

I did complain once (maybe 10 years ago or so before the Nectar app was launched and you regularly got useful vouchers, not just the 900 points for spending £20 on Tu clothing or a list of three products and their price) and the customer service desk staff manually awarded me a number of Nectar points.

Back in the day I did sometimes use to briefly press the round “feed” button on the front of the voucher printer just to see if it was working, and move to a different checkout if it wasn’t, but like I say it’s so rare these days to get a decent voucher out of them I don’t bother.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Apr 2026 ==

I tried using a voucher off the floor a few years ago in Sainsbury's, but it didn't work (and I think the till decided it wasn't happy so a member of staff had to come over to reset it). Has this changed relatively recently?

I’ve used vouchers like this many times and not had a problem. I think the only thing that I’ve noticed is that for the cash rewards (e.g. £5 off a £40 shop) the checkout insists on manual verification and the staff member verifies the number printed on the voucher matches the number on the Nectar card.

 

[jon0844]

I did complain once (maybe 10 years ago or so before the Nectar app was launched and you regularly got useful vouchers, not just the 900 points for spending £20 on Tu clothing or a list of three products and their price) and the customer service desk staff manually awarded me a number of Nectar points.

Back in the day I did sometimes use to briefly press the round “feed” button on the front of the voucher printer just to see if it was working, and move to a different checkout if it wasn’t, but like I say it’s so rare these days to get a decent voucher out of them I don’t bother.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Apr 2026 ==


I’ve used vouchers like this many times and not had a problem. I think the only thing that I’ve noticed is that for the cash rewards (e.g. £5 off a £40 shop) the checkout insists on manual verification and the staff member verifies the number printed on the voucher matches the number on the Nectar card.

I must admit printing vouchers is rather archaic, and while there are ways to get deals on the Nectar app, I always do my shopping with the Sainsbury's app and it doesn't (as far as I can see) allow you to apply or see what vouchers you have. I don't use the Nectar app and don't even think I know my login details.

Waitrose does let you see deals on your phone (not sure about the handheld scanners), albeit in a clumsy way where you must activate a voucher in your list.

Vouchers could be applied automatically as the scanner/app knows who you are (like BK and McDonald's shows you your points and offers on a kiosk if you can your member number) but I suppose they don't want to make it easy for you.

 

[Hadders]

Sainsbury's are moving away from vouchers towards the app for offers but there's still a place for vouchers, as there's still something about vouchers that some people quite like.

They seem to go through phases when it comes to vouchers. At times they go through phases of not issuing physical vouchers then they seem to come back again.

 

[jon81uk]

I must admit printing vouchers is rather archaic, and while there are ways to get deals on the Nectar app, I always do my shopping with the Sainsbury's app and it doesn't (as far as I can see) allow you to apply or see what vouchers you have. I don't use the Nectar app and don't even think I know my login details.

Waitrose does let you see deals on your phone (not sure about the handheld scanners), albeit in a clumsy way where you must activate a voucher in your list.

Vouchers could be applied automatically as the scanner/app knows who you are (like BK and McDonald's shows you your points and offers on a kiosk if you can your member number) but I suppose they don't want to make it easy for you.

The Nectar log-in is now the same one as your Sainsbury's website log-in.
If you check the Nectar app you can activate both money off and extra points on certain items, these will show up in the Smartshop scan as you go app and handsets, similar to what you say Waitrose do.
They will automatically apply on the scanning handset, providing you did activate them first.
I get an extra 20-100 Nectar points a week and save money most weeks on the personalised offers even if its just 20p, its often something I am looking to buy anyway and the point offers almost always are, this week I got 10 bonus points for buying an onion, so thats 5p back on a 15p item.

 

[Kite159]

The last few times I've had something printed out of the voucher printer in Sainsbury's it's been rubbish like advertising 'price match' products or advertising insurance via Sainsbury's Bank.

 

[Bald Rick]

The last few times I've had something printed out of the voucher printer in Sainsbury's it's been rubbish like advertising 'price match' products or advertising insurance via Sainsbury's Bank.

We don’t get the pet insurance offers since we claimed on it!

 

[AM9]

I must admit printing vouchers is rather archaic, and while there are ways to get deals on the Nectar app, I always do my shopping with the Sainsbury's app and it doesn't (as far as I can see) allow you to apply or see what vouchers you have. I don't use the Nectar app and don't even think I know my login details.

Waitrose does let you see deals on your phone (not sure about the handheld scanners), albeit in a clumsy way where you must activate a voucher in your list.

Vouchers could be applied automatically as the scanner/app knows who you are (like BK and McDonald's shows you your points and offers on a kiosk if you can your member number) but I suppose they don't want to make it easy for you.

Not everybody has a smartphone or is able to use one, so why would Sainsbury want to exclude those from the scheme? They presumably see a benefit to using a medium that doesn't

 

[styles]

We don’t get the pet insurance offers since we claimed on it!

Sainsbury's this year dropped out of the home/buildings/contents insurance market, and handed renewals over to LV=. Their quote that they sent me was absolutely absurd. I got a different policy with another insurer for around 30% of what LV= were offering with almost every element being better coverage as well. I know part of this is that I took the policy out a few weeks in advance rather than a few days before, but still expecting a more reasonable handover.

Sainsbury's had their hayday around 2007 and have been a bit crap ever since - neither great quality nor cheap.

 

[Bald Rick]

Sainsbury's had their hayday around 2007 and have been a bit crap ever since - neither great quality nor cheap.

That’s not my experience, for what we buy as ‘baseload’ shopping, Sainsbury’s are as cheap as the low cost supermarkets, better quality, and a much nicer shopping experience.

 

[styles]

That’s not my experience, for what we buy as ‘baseload’ shopping, Sainsbury’s are as cheap as the low cost supermarkets, better quality, and a much nicer shopping experience.

Maybe it depends what you buy but certainly not my experience, or that of Which?:

Supermarket	Average price of 95 items
Aldi	£171.32
Lidl (with Lidl Plus)	£172.31
Lidl	£172.41
Asda	£193.37
Tesco (with Clubcard)	£198.07
Sainsbury's (with Nectar)	£199.79
Morrisons	£201.02
Tesco	£201.41
Sainsbury's	£205.35
Ocado	£219.86
Waitrose	£235.70

Supermarket	Average price for 225 items
Tesco (with Clubcard)	£580.35
Asda	£584.32
Morrisons (with More)	£593.34
Morrisons	£594.09
Sainsbury's (with Nectar)	£596.93
Ocado	£622.10
Tesco	£629.25
Sainsbury's	£643.23
Waitrose	£650.11

 

[Bald Rick]

Maybe it depends what you buy but certainly not my experience, or that of Which?:

We do have quite ’bespoke’ shopping requirements. And are well up on Nectar prices (and gift cards, so get a further 4% off). It’s a rare shop where we don’t get at least 15% off the sticker price of our shopping, and often 25%.

 

[styles]

We do have quite ’bespoke’ shopping requirements. And are well up on Nectar prices (and gift cards, so get a further 4% off).

Ah yes the gift cards. I get these with one of my clients. Though I find they'd pretty much the same % regardless of supermarket (which offers it).

Aldi still works out cheaper, after Nectar/More/Clubcard + workplace discount.

Costco can be cheaper if buying branded items, but it needs some research as some stuff is more expensive, some much cheaper.

 

[jon0844]

Not everybody has a smartphone or is able to use one, so why would Sainsbury want to exclude those from the scheme? They presumably see a benefit to using a medium that doesn't

Well, maybe they should ensure the printers work then. Or find another way to issue them, such as printing offers and codes on the receipts they automatically give so you can exit the barriers.

 

[The exile]

That’s not my experience, for what we buy as ‘baseload’ shopping, Sainsbury’s are as cheap as the low cost supermarkets, better quality, and a much nicer shopping experience.

Poorly stocked, dirty and uncared-for sums up my local branch. Haven’t heard a tannoy call for the “instore cleaner” for ages - probably because there would be no-one to answer it.

 

[Bald Rick]

Though I find they'd pretty much the same % regardless of supermarket (which offers it).

4% at Tesco, 4.5% at Sainsbury’s, 7% M&S, nothing for Aldi/Lidl.

 

[jon81uk]

Not everybody has a smartphone or is able to use one, so why would Sainsbury want to exclude those from the scheme? They presumably see a benefit to using a medium that doesn't

The offers via the Nectar website or app are completly different to the ones the printers give. So if someone isn't willing to use the website or app they won't get those offers no matter the status of the voucher printer.

 

[Sprinter107]

Poorly stocked, dirty and uncared-for sums up my local branch. Haven’t heard a tannoy call for the “instore cleaner” for ages - probably because there would be no-one to answer it.

My local branch is the same. Twice in the last few weeks ive had to call a member of staff to the produce, as their lemons had grown white fur, and the other occasion was rotting carrots that had gone black. Thats something that would never have happened at Sainsburys back in the day. Its definitely not the Sainsburys shopping experience it was. Sainsburys always seemed much nicer than it's competitors. Now theyre nicer than Sainsburys.

 

[dgl]

On the new tills Morrisons now just print any vouchers as an extra receipt so don't have to worry about the paper and ink for a specific coupon printer.

 

[AM9]

The offers via the Nectar website or app are completly different to the ones the printers give. So if someone isn't willing to use the website or app they won't get those offers no matter the status of the voucher printer.

Hence the case for maintaining some offers via a paper voucher.

 

[Hadders]

There are far fewer paper vouchers issued. I do get some but not many. The ones I tend to get are for:

Points on petrol
Pet insurance offers
Clothing

I don't seem to get any product related ones issued as paper vouchers.

What I do get is around 20 bonus Nectar point offers pushed every week to me via the Nectar app. All for products I buy frequently and on average get me around 800 additional Nectar points each week. Additionally I also get personalised half a dozen or so personalised Nectar prices.

Clearly, it's much cheaper and easier for these sort of offers to be pushed out via the app rather than through printers that cost to install and maintain and cost to fill with ink and paper. As I said earlier, there's something about a physical voucher that some people like. Supermarkets would rather take the savings and push everything to digital but it's probably a bit premature to be doing that but the direction of travel is that there will be fewer paper vouchers and more offers pushed via the app.

 

[jon81uk]

Hence the case for maintaining some offers via a paper voucher.

But the paper vouchers don't offer anything close to the same as the online Nectar offers.

 

[Vexed]

My local Sainsbury's (a newish build - opened in the 2010s) is pretty good, I don't recognise any of the comments about out of date food or poor cleaning. If anything there're too well staffed, the speed at which they get cages out in the evening is impressive!

It really does depend on the store I think, the one I think Bald Rick is referring to is in much better shape than the one near where my parents recently moved (from St Albans to High Wycombe). Neither the Morrisons or Sainsbury's in central High Wycombe are very good.

 

[The exile]

My local branch is the same. Twice in the last few weeks ive had to call a member of staff to the produce, as their lemons had grown white fur, and the other occasion was rotting carrots that had gone black. Thats something that would never have happened at Sainsburys back in the day. Its definitely not the Sainsburys shopping experience it was. Sainsburys always seemed much nicer than it's competitors. Now theyre nicer than Sainsburys.

If I had a viable alternative I wouldn’t touch the place with a barge-pole. Unfortunately I don’t.

 

[Sealink]

Maybe it depends what you buy but certainly not my experience, or that of Which?:

Lidl (with Lidl Plus)	£172.31
Lidl	£172.41

Pretty surprised that Lidl Plus only seems to generate 10p of savings over 95 items.

When I log in now I am seeing much bigger discounts, although it could be that these don't form part of that basket.

 

[wilbers]

first trip of the year to Sainsbury's - for some reason Sky are giving out coupons for free Taste the Difference pizzas this weekend. Suppose it helps here that there are a relatively large number of supermarkets for a town this size so keeps them all competitive (and that the planning permission for Morrisons and Sainsburys means they have to have 2 hours free parking).

 

[davehsug]

Hence the case for maintaining some offers via a paper voucher.

Morrisons went through a period of about a month earlier this year when they were giving out printed discounts, £6 off £60, that sort of thing. There was a week when I had one on the app & one on paper, the voucher being better. I had to make sure at the till that they were applying the best one.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Morrisons went through a period of about a month earlier this year when they were giving out printed discounts, £6 off £60, that sort of thing. There was a week when I had one on the app & one on paper, the voucher being better. I had to make sure at the till that they were applying the best one.

I had a printed one of those, and the woman on the till looked at it when I used it and cheerfully announced it would only work on the self-scan tills. She seemed surprised when I didn't just shrug and say never mind, and positively put out when I politely asked her to find someone to make it work. She grudgingly asked the woman on the next till, who fixed it in five seconds flat