Supermarkets discussion

[Cowley]

As a breakaway discussion from the Companies you expect to disappear soon thread and the Shops selling at prices ending in 99p thread we thought it might be useful to have a separate discussion just on supermarkets.

They’re something that we pretty much all use and it could be useful hearing about people’s observations on prices, quality of goods etc.

So who do you use? What are the different ones good at?

Over to you…

 

[D6130]

IMHO, by far the best supermarket chain in the land is Booth's. 'What/who is that?' I hear you ask....or at least those of you who don't live in Lancashire/South Cumbria/North Cheshire/Western Yorkshire. Booth's is a small family-owned chain of high quality supermarkets - you could say the Northern equivalent of Waitrose - based in Preston. The founder E. H. Booth was a small family grocer in Preston - much as William Morrison was in Bradford - and the present day shops are a by-word for quality, range, friendliness and helpfulness of staff, wide aisles, wide checkouts and full diasabled accessibility. The range and quality of their delicatessen products, cheeses, beers, wines and spirits are legendary and they specialise in selling locally-sourced produce. Like Waitrose, they are not cheap but, given the quality of their produce, they are exceptionally good value. At the last count, they had 22 stores in Barrowford, Burscough, Carnforth, Chorley, Clitheroe, Fulwood, Garstang, Hale Barns (Altrincham), Ilkley, Kendal, Kirkby Lonsdale, Knutsford, Lancaster, Longridge, Longton, Lytham, Penwortham, Poulton-le-Fylde, Ripon, St Annes-on-Sea, Settle and Windermere. The Clitheroe store is in the old railway goods yard alongside the station and the Windermere store has been built within the old Victorian train shed of the original station. AFAIK, they have only closed one store - that in Salford's Media City - due to the astronomical rent outpacing the takings.

 

[Howardh]

For the first time in ages I went to Morrison's today, I'm normally a Lidl guy, and was absolutely gobsmacked at the prices. Long life milk, eggs, bread, sliced ham, way higher than Lidl. They do good Clayton's pies...but all gone! Couldn't even look at a cream cake for a treat without the wallet screaming.

But this seems to be a general theme, had a brew in my local on the way home and the general feeling was "Sainsbury's is cheaper, let alone Lidl/Aldi".

Wonder why Morrison's - which is supposed to be towards the "budget" end, is so expensive now??

Note that Morrison's is about 1/2 mile from me, Lidl 2.5 miles, but I prefer to go the extra, er, two miles for the savings!

Not all bad today, shout out to Deichmann shoe shops, saw a nice pair of ankle boots size 9, rang up the nearest shop, yes they had one pair in stock, saved it for me, two hours later I have some trendy (I think) ankle boots!!

 

[Ediswan]

Wonder why Morrison's - which is supposed to be towards the "budget" end, is so expensive now??

The usual answer is the takeover in October 2021 by a private equity firm.

 

[busestrains]

Waitrose is where i do my big weekly shop. So that is the supermarket i use 99% of the time. It has always been my local nearest supermarket everywhere that i have lived and the one i have used all my life. I have always been very happy with the service and quality.

I find that Waitrose has the best quality products by far compared to other supermarkets. I like to buy organic meats and vegetables and fruits where possible and Waitrose has a much bigger selection. They also sell many types of meats and vegetables and fruits that other supermarkets do not have. Their other food also contains a lot less artificial stuff and additives and preservatives compared to other supermarkets. I do not buy many but their ready meals and sandwiches and salads and snacks are quite good. They have a great selection of all the ingredients you could ever need for cooking. The range at Waitrose is fantastic.

It is more expensive but food is one thing i am happy to spend money on. So it is worth it. I am a cheapskate when it comes to some things (for example i refuse to pay for parking and will drive around to find a free of charge parking space and i always buy the cheapest clothes and cheapest phones and laptops etc) but for certain things like food i think it is important to spend money and buy better quality food and stay healthy.

The price has gone up a lot in recent years. Currently i spend between £250 to £300 a week on my big weekly shop. Just a few years ago it would be £200 to £250 maximum for the same stuff. Every month i notice the prices of stuff going up.

Other than that i go to Aldi and Lidl and Sainsburys and Tesco and Marks & Spencer every now and again when i happen to be near one. They are all quite decent supermarkets. You can find some good things.

Aldi and Lidl always seem to have random stuff for sale in the middle of the supermarket. I have picked up some good things there. You can get some quite good deals.

Sainsburys and Tesco are pretty standard mid range supermarkets. You can pick up everything you need there. They both have quite wide selections of stuff.

Marks & Spencer never used to be very good. They used to just sell mainly ready made meals and chopped up vegetables and things for easy cooking. They never had much stuff for proper cooking. But in recent years Marks & Spencer have improved a lot and now sell most things that any other supermarket has. So they are a decent place to shop now.

I never go to Asda and Iceland and Morrisons so i can not really judge them much. It is very rare to see any of these three where i live and work. I have always lived and worked in the South East and spend most of my time around the South East (around, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, mainly) and Asda and Iceland and Morrisons seem to have very few branches around here. So i never go to any of these three. Iceland is all frozen stuff i think so i am not sure it is really a proper supermarket where you could do a big shop unless you live on an unhealthy diet of frozen junk food. I think Asda and Morrisons are full supermarkets but i am rarely near one so difficult to judge them much.

Coop is best avoided. They just have small local shops these days but their prices are extortionate. Waitrose is far cheaper than them. I very rarely go to a Coop branch. I can not remember the last time i have been.

London has Whole Foods which is an American chain and has some very good products. But the prices make Waitrose look like a budget supermarket. There is a very large branch in Kensington and most of the customers seem to be American expats and wealthy Arabs or people who work in the embassies or royal family palaces nearby. But if you have the money or are nearby then it is has some good products. Unfortunately they were bought by Amazon a few years ago which is a shame.

I have heard of Booths and seen them on my travels but they are only in the North so again not really somewhere i shop or can judge much.

 

[Hardcastle]

IMHO, by far the best supermarket chain in the land is Booth's. 'What/who is that?' I hear you ask....or at least those of you who don't live in Lancashire/South Cumbria/North Cheshire/Western Yorkshire. Booth's is a small family-owned chain of high quality supermarkets - you could say the Northern equivalent of Waitrose - based in Preston. The founder E. H. Booth was a small family grocer in Preston - much as William Morrison was in Bradford - and the present day shops are a by-word for quality, range, friendliness and helpfulness of staff, wide aisles, wide checkouts and full diasabled accessibility. The range and quality of their delicatessen products, cheeses, beers, wines and spirits are legendary and they specialise in selling locally-sourced produce. Like Waitrose, they are not cheap but, given the quality of their produce, they are exceptionally good value. At the last count, they had 22 stores in Barrowford, Burscough, Carnforth, Chorley, Clitheroe, Fulwood, Garstang, Hale Barns (Altrincham), Ilkley, Kendal, Kirkby Lonsdale, Knutsford, Lancaster, Longridge, Longton, Lytham, Penwortham, Poulton-le-Fylde, Ripon, St Annes-on-Sea, Settle and Windermere. The Clitheroe store is in the old railway goods yard alongside the station and the Windermere store has been built within the old Victorian train shed of the original station. AFAIK, they have only closed one store - that in Salford's Media City - due to the astronomical rent outpacing the takings.

They also have stores in Keswick Penrith & Ulverston.

 

[D6130]

They also have stores in Keswick Penrith & Ulverston.

Ah....so that's 25 then!

Coop is best avoided. They just have small local shops these days but their prices are extortionate. Waitrose is far cheaper than them. I very rarely go to a Coop branch. I can not remember the last time i have been.

Unfortunately the Co-op is the only supermarket that we have in Hebden Bridge....and a pretty small one at that. As you correctly say, the prices are extortionate and the shelves are half-empty most of the time. Despite that, the die-hard hippies and left wing activists are still very loyal to it, no doubt under the false impression that it is still a true co-operative. Most locals who don't drive take the bus to Todmorden, where you have the choice of Aldi, Lidl and Morrison's.....the bus fare - for those too young to have passes - is usually far outweighed by the savings to be made on the shopping. Having said that, there is a larger, more modern and better-stocked Co-op beside the station at Littleborough and my wife and I sometimes go there for a ride out on the train and to do a little shopping.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Ah....so that's 25 then!

24. Penwortham, one of the originals, closed recently-ish.

Edit: seems they closed the original one but opened a replacement.

 

[Hardcastle]

Hebden Bridge is ripe for a Booths or similar.

 

[D6130]

Hebden Bridge is ripe for a Booths or similar.

Absolutely, but there is strong local resistance to supermarket chains opening-up in the town....even semi-local family-owned ones. There is a derelict brown field site beside the A646 at the West end of town which, for the last eight years or so, has had planning permission for a supermarket and /or hotel (something else which the town badly needs....witness the proliferation of over 200 Air B&Bs since lockdown). However, the site attracted no interest at all from any supermarket or hotel chains - possibly because it's on the flood plain and does regularly flood - but the solution to that would have been to build a three storey structure on stilts with a ground level covered car park and escalators or lifts and stairs giving access to a supermarket on the first floor and a hotel on the two floors above. Now the owners of the site are applying for revised planning permission to build 38 luxury (i.e. not 'affordable') houses on the site. I doubt it will be passed but - if it is - I'll enjoy videoing the Porsches and BMWs floating down the river next time it floods!

 

[Sprinter107]

IMHO, by far the best supermarket chain in the land is Booth's. 'What/who is that?' I hear you ask....or at least those of you who don't live in Lancashire/South Cumbria/North Cheshire/Western Yorkshire. Booth's is a small family-owned chain of high quality supermarkets - you could say the Northern equivalent of Waitrose - based in Preston. The founder E. H. Booth was a small family grocer in Preston - much as William Morrison was in Bradford - and the present day shops are a by-word for quality, range, friendliness and helpfulness of staff, wide aisles, wide checkouts and full diasabled accessibility. The range and quality of their delicatessen products, cheeses, beers, wines and spirits are legendary and they specialise in selling locally-sourced produce. Like Waitrose, they are not cheap but, given the quality of their produce, they are exceptionally good value. At the last count, they had 22 stores in Barrowford, Burscough, Carnforth, Chorley, Clitheroe, Fulwood, Garstang, Hale Barns (Altrincham), Ilkley, Kendal, Kirkby Lonsdale, Knutsford, Lancaster, Longridge, Longton, Lytham, Penwortham, Poulton-le-Fylde, Ripon, St Annes-on-Sea, Settle and Windermere. The Clitheroe store is in the old railway goods yard alongside the station and the Windermere store has been built within the old Victorian train shed of the original station. AFAIK, they have only closed one store - that in Salford's Media City - due to the astronomical rent outpacing the takings.

Id never heard of Booths until I went to Clitheroe a few months ago. I have to agree, it is very good supermarket. And the staff were super. We could do with some in Brum.

 

[duncanp]

I have an Aldi store round the corner from my block of flats.

It is noticeably cheaper there than when I got to other supermarkets in the area, such as Iceland or Morrisons.

The only criticism I have of Aldi is that I wish they would get rid of all the cheap rubbish they sell in the middle aisle and use the space to sell an expanded range of food.

Aldi seem to only stock items that sell in large quantities, which I suppose is how their business model works, and how they are able to keep prices so low.

However it is slightly annoying when you buying ingredients for a specific recipe, and there is always one item that Aldi don't have, so you have to go somewhere else.

 

[DelayRepay]

I used to use Morrisons a lot, but I've given up on them now. Their prices are extortionate, their stock availability is poor and basic things like having enough trolleys seem impossible due to a lack of staff. They have one member of staff covering the self-service tills, customer service desk and kiosk so you have to wait for ages if there's a problem. And they have hardly any staffed tills open so the queues are miles long. The aisles are blocked with cages of stock waiting to be put on the shelves, and by people making up Amazon orders.

The only good thing about Morrisons is that unlike Sainsburys and Tesco, they still have their fresh meat and deli counters. The bad thing is that you have to go hunting for someone to serve you!

Now I use a mixture of Tesco and Lidl (next to each other, and the closest shops to my house) and Sainsburys (closest shop to my work). Sainsburys used to have a reputation of being expensive, but I find them quite reasonable, especially if you use their self-scan app which gives you extra discounts.

How often do people shop? I used to shop weekly, but for the last couple of years I've been doing a big monthly shop for store cupboard and household products, then doing small shops a few times a week for fresh stuff (bread, milk and whatever I need for my dinner).

 

[Bantamzen]

I have an Aldi store round the corner from my block of flats.

It is noticeably cheaper there than when I got to other supermarkets in the area, such as Iceland or Morrisons.

The only criticism I have of Aldi is that I wish they would get rid of all the cheap rubbish they sell in the middle aisle and use the space to sell an expanded range of food.

Aldi seem to only stock items that sell in large quantities, which I suppose is how their business model works, and how they are able to keep prices so low.

However it is slightly annoying when you buying ingredients for a specific recipe, and there is always one item that Aldi don't have, so you have to go somewhere else.

The centre isle is really part of their business model, along with the basic store layouts and asking people to pack at the shelves beyond the checkouts. So they are unlikely to get rid of them soon. But otherwise Adli (and I presume Lidl) offer probably the best value in the basics that you might need, in fact its incredibly hard to spend anything like as much as you would elsewhere given some quite astonishing price differences at time. So I tend to use them for filling the cupboards, as well as topping up on fresh produce. I tend to buy my meat in bulk online (a company called Best In Bury) to freeze up, so don't often buy meat elsewhere other than pies and fish.

 

[Bald Rick]

Sainsbury’s here, simply because they are the nearest big supermarket, and do have a reasonably predictable system of offers for much of the stuff we buy, so it works out fairly cheap. We use mini Tescos for top up shopping, and M&S Food for certain products.

Aldi opened in St Albans about a year ago - I went for an exploratory look and it was entirely as I expected (Having been a regular customer of their first ever U.K. store 30+ years ago).

Booths is essentially Waitrose o’ th’ North.

 

[DarloRich]

I float between Asda, Morrisons, Tesco, Aldi and Lidl depending on where I am. Morrisons tends to be via an Amazon delivery but the others are all in walking distance of my house.

I don't really have any loyalty tbh!

Those using Waitrose and even Sainsbury must have money to burn. There will be a shock as the cost of living problem escalates. ( I get they are fairly competitive on staples but everything else is so expensive. )

 

[birchesgreen]

I use Waitrose (as thats where my wife works so i get the spouse discount) and Lidl as there is one about 50m from my front door.

I think the stuff about Waitrose's prices being so high is slightly over blown, their essentials range is more or less the same as any other (non-German) supermarket.

I do my Mum's shopping at her local coop, now their prices can be a bit steep.

 

[Bald Rick]

Those using Waitrose and even Sainsbury must have money to burn. There will be a shock as the cost of living problem escalates. ( I get they are fairly competitive on staples but everything else is so expensive. )

Sainsbury‘s is much cheaper than Waitrose, and prices matches Aldi for many things. It’s similar pricing to Tescos for the few occasions I use it.

 

[duncanp]

The centre isle is really part of their business model, along with the basic store layouts and asking people to pack at the shelves beyond the checkouts. So they are unlikely to get rid of them soon. But otherwise Adli (and I presume Lidl) offer probably the best value in the basics that you might need, in fact its incredibly hard to spend anything like as much as you would elsewhere given some quite astonishing price differences at time. So I tend to use them for filling the cupboards, as well as topping up on fresh produce. I tend to buy my meat in bulk online (a company called Best In Bury) to freeze up, so don't often buy meat elsewhere other than pies and fish.

I suppose some people must buy the cheap rubbish in the centre aisle, but I still think they could make just as much money by selling a bigger range of food at very low prices.

Aldi have been confirmed as Britain's cheapest supermarket today.

Britain’s cheapest supermarket revealed – and a typical basket costs £31 less than Waitrose

Cost of living crisis forces shoppers to turn away from premium supermarkets

www.telegraph.co.uk

Britain’s cheapest supermarket revealed – and a typical basket costs £31 less than Waitrose​

Cost of living crisis forces shoppers to turn away from premium supermarkets

Aldi has been named as Britain’s cheapest supermarket, with a typical shopping basket costing a third less than at Waitrose.

According to a report by consumer group Which?, a shopping basket of 48 groceries cost an average of £81.63 at Aldi in December, while the equivalent shop in Waitrose cost £112.62 – 38pc more than at Aldi.

Aldi was found to be the cheapest option for the last seven months of the year, while Lidl was calculated to be the cheapest for the first five months. This is the second year in a row Aldi has topped the list. Waitrose was found to be the most expensive supermarket in every month of 2022.

Which? compiled a shopping list of branded items such as Kenco coffee, Oxo stock cubes and PG Tips tea bags alongside own-label products, including onions and milk. It used the average price for each item during the month.

Reena Sewraz, of Which?, said the cost of living crisis had forced shoppers to turn away from premium supermarkets in favour of Aldi and Lidl. She added: “As well as choosing a supermarket that is cheap overall, you can save in other ways by swapping from branded to cheaper own-brand products and by sticking to a shopping list.”

Which? also calculated the cost for a larger trolley of 149 items, however this meant Aldi and Lidl were both excluded because of their limited product ranges. Asda was found to be the cheapest option for larger trolleys.

The average Asda trolley cost £355.62, cheaper than the equivalent at Sainsbury’s (£368.97), Which? said. Waitrose again emerged as the most expensive option – a trolley of 149 items was calculated to cost £406.95 – an increase of 14pc compared to Asda.

Ms Sewraz urged supermarkets to ensure all branches stocked cheaper own-brand goods in as many stores as possible, including smaller convenience stores. The consumer group also pushed for supermarkets to be more transparent with offers and provide targeted promotions to support people in the areas that are struggling most.

Which? has previously called for supermarkets to clearly label unclear “unit price” information – where the cost of an item should be displayed in grams or litres to be easily comparable. It said seven in 10 people could not work out the cheapest item from a range of real-life examples.

Shoppers have been grappling with the worst cost of living crisis in a generation, driven by soaring interest rates and a 10.7pc rate of inflation. However, the prices of some consumer favourites have risen far beyond the headline rate.

A 500g tub of Lurpak now costs £4.58 on average, up from £3.75 in December 2021 — a 22pc increase, according to comparison site Trolley. The surge in price led several branches to place security tags on individual tubs to ward off theft.

The cost of toilet roll has also risen by 17pc in the last year, while the price of milk has increased by 30pc.

Julie Ashfield, of Aldi, said: “Aldi remains resolutely committed to providing customers with the best quality products at the lowest possible prices.”

A Waitrose spokesman said: “Our range gives our customers great value, while continuing to deliver outstanding quality, industry-leading animal welfare standards, fresh produce grown with care and fair deals for farmers.

“Which's price comparison excludes multibuy offers which are extremely popular amongst our customers for both our branded and own-branded products.”

 

[DarloRich]

Sainsbury‘s is much cheaper than Waitrose, and prices matches Aldi for many things. It’s similar pricing to Tescos for the few occasions I use it.

Really - that is interesting. As i said i don't use either so my perception is that they are pricy, eye catching staples aside.

 

[Yew]

The usual answer is the takeover in October 2021 by a private equity firm.

Who cares if it's ran into the ground as long as you give out good dividends.

 

[birchesgreen]

I suppose some people must buy the cheap rubbish in the centre aisle

Not always rubbish, i picked up some cheap Airfix kits from Lidl before christmas, i can't remember if i got what i went in for

 

[duncanp]

Not always rubbish, i picked up some cheap Airfix kits from Lidl before christmas, i can't remember if i got what i went in for

Maybe not always rubbish, but it is very hit and miss whether they have what you were looking for, and with clothing whether they have it in your size.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Despite everyone's moans above, I'm going to leap to the defence of Morrisons. Not least for their Deli, Butchers and Bakers counters which wipe the floor with the rest of the "Big Four". For one thing, they sell baps/cobs/barms/teacakes (delete as appropriate) in packs of two- which massively reduces waste compared to Tesco and Sainsbury who only sell them in sixes. An added bonus is they're also far nicer than their competitors, especially Tesco whose 'in store baked' baps are denser than a neutron star and have a shelf-life measured in minutes! Mozzers also is the only supermarket that stocks my preferred brand of instant coffee, after Tesco reduced their range.

Speaking of Tesco, if there wasn't a huge branch right on my doorstep I'd probably never go there, as they don't seem to know what they're doing. Last autumn they introduced a range of "Finest" brioche burger buns with beetroot or turmeric flavour, £1.19 for a pack of 2. These were delicious, and obviously very popular as they sold out really quickly. Now if you ran a shop and one of your lines was so popular that demand outstripped supply would you: (a) increase supply of said product? Or (b) discontinue it? Guess which option Tesco chose...

 

[birchesgreen]

Obviously living in a city most of the supermarkets are available.

Apart from Waitrose / Lidl mentioned above i also have a nearby Sainsburys which i use frequerntly though i don't find them particularly cheap. They do have a Starbucks instore though so thats nice.

We have a big Asda nearby which i can't stand, their ale selection is decent though. There are a couple of Tescos within reasonable travel distance but i can't say i'm that keen on them. We do have a nearby Aldi though as Lidl is even closer i don't bother going to Aldi much. No Morrisons are close enough for me to bother going to.

Sometimes go to an M&S Food if i'm feeling flush.

 

[Bletchleyite]

One thing that's common and quite handy is where you have an Aldi/Lidl and a Waitrose in the same development. You go to the budget supermarket for staples then to the premium one for a few luxuries. Probably works even better if the premium one is M&S Food, as they only give a slight nod to staples.

 

[DannyMich2018]

Up until about a year ago I used to use all big four supermarkets. Asda for years used to be the cheapest of those, not now. I rarely go any of the big four now, I go Aldi for most of what I can get, quality of stuff has improved a lot, other bits I can't get from Aldi I'll get from B and M, Home Bargains, Poundland etc. Beware of Tesco prices, even with a Clubcard prices can be deceiving!

 

[DarloRich]

Despite everyone's moans above, I'm going to leap to the defence of Morrisons. Not least for their Deli, Butchers and Bakers counters which wipe the floor with the rest of the "Big Four".

I like Morrisons. No issues from me.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I like Morrisons. No issues from me.

The "honest Northern grocer theme park"* thing slightly grates with me, as does the insistence of hanging the bananas which isn't necessary and makes it harder to choose the ones you want, but other than that they're not the worst. Not where I usually go, I tend towards the smaller Sainsburys at Shenley CE as it's a nice size to have what I want but doesn't take too long to get round, but I have used it in the past. It's cheaper than when it was Safeway way back when.

* I think they sort of try to conjure up the image of Booths but they're not premium enough for it to work.

 

[PeterY]

Speaking of Tesco, if there wasn't a huge branch right on my doorstep I'd probably never go there, as they don't seem to know what they're doing. Last autumn they introduced a range of "Finest" brioche burger buns with beetroot or turmeric flavour, £1.19 for a pack of 2. These were delicious, and obviously very popular as they sold out really quickly. Now if you ran a shop and one of your lines was so popular that demand outstripped supply would you: (a) increase supply of said product? Or (b) discontinue it? Guess which option Tesco chose...

Tesco is my nearest big 4 supermarket, they're OK but I hate their dual pricing. (clubcard).

Given the choice, I'd much rather go to Sainsbury's but it's a bit further away to walk.

Only having myself to feed, I do tend to use the local Co-op for things like milk and bread.