Which supermarket do you use?

[999pooch]

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[999pooch]

Just need to be aware of the bargains, and whats overpriced.

They often use a trick of 'hi -lo' pricing. i.e. they put 'known value items' (KVI's) at rock bottom prices (bread, milk, beans, coffee, tea etc), but other lesser known goods at stupidly high prices.

You got to look at all the prices in your basket. They rely on you putting the odd over inflated item in.

[SkodaTC]

I shop at Tesco, just for the convenience factor. It's nearest to me and I can't be bothered going further. Don't feel welcom at Tesco and it's very rarely a pleasant experience but like some well trained lab rat there I go most nights after work.

I hate myself.

[vindaloo]

Spoiled for choice. Tesco nearest, so most usual, Sainsbury and Waitrose near, then Asda a little further away. All within 5 miles though. Size of store makes some difference as Sainsbury is "small" by modern standards whilst the Asda seems huge.

J.

[Llanigraham]

Perhaps all you supermarket fans would like to watch tonights Panorama programme.

Here's a sample:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_9655000/9655493.stm

[Caenantkath]

I don't use supermarkets! I live too far away from any big ones and prefer the service at my local independent small businesses, plus we're lucky enough to have a mobile fishmonger and an egg producer who also does pies,dairy etc and come to the door every week. It would cost me so much in petrol to drive to a big supermarket I'd probably not save money on my shopping and an hour round trip is a waste of time not to mention the time spent wheeling one of those trolleys round miles of isles. Our little market town has just got planning permission for a supermarket but I still will support the small shops and never darken its hideous doors. It will ruin the character of the place, look awful and create traffic the narrow roads can't handle.

[gadgetman]

Costco are kings of jacking up prices just before a promo. From our usual items, I can guess whats in the next promo round....

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Perhaps all you supermarket fans would like to watch tonights Panorama programme.

Here's a sample:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_9655000/9655493.stm

I`v sky+`d that

I wouldnt say i`m a "fan" of supermarkets, if I had your choice of local independent stores I would without doubt use them, but supermarkets have the convenience over me driving round the town to find decent butchers, bakers, greengrocers etc etc. I would spend a huge amount more of my free time shopping, when really I just want to get the food and get home to my Mrs. It`d be interesting to know what kinda distance your shopping has travelled and how large the carbon footprint is compared to Tesco or the like.

[Web Ferret]

We use to use ASDA home delivery but increasingly more and more problems and their customer service team no longer give two hoots. So back to Tesco for us.

[Llanigraham]

I suppose that is where we are lucky, Matt. I can probably walk all around our local shops as quickly as I could around a huge Tesco's.

Caenantkath, my condolences about you getting the "in-comer". At least Maxhynlleth have managed to fight Tesco's off.

[MissPiggy]

Personally i shop at Waitrose, Mainly because i work for them, but even before i did, the service you get there is always much better than you find at Tesco etc. People say it might be more expensive, but the branded stuff is price matched to Asda. And all the Essential Waitrose products cost a hell of a lot cheaper, and keep the same good quality, unlike some of the Tesco Value stuff you find etc.

WHOOO HELLLOOOO fellow partner!!!

[RapidRonnie]

Sainsburys has gone downhill, probably cutting quality and staff to compete with the cheap boys.

Pop in there about once a week when I'm doing my recycling in their car park...

- Meal deal offers without the products actually in the meal deal listed and when I asked someone the main, side and desert options were all in the own separate parts of the store.

Bought 2 Pizzas on a BOGOF, got home, found out they were 2 days out of date.

Usually only one human serving at the checkouts (if you're lucky)

I use local independents and M&S in the town centre for a bit of quality and service instead mostly. Not too expensive if you buy the stuff on offer and at least you know it's gonna keep well too. Had stuff from Asda go off before the use by before.

[lozparry]

I shop mainly at sainburys, because the wife works there and it is actually the closest store to me but Its not a big store.... but has most items we want. besides with the wifes discount (15% at the mo until the new year) its a no brainer. must admit some of the veg is poor quality compared to the bigger sainsbury's Ive been in.

[softscoop]

I have to say we've recently started using Aldi. Apart from the fact that you have to have £1 to use the trolley, I can't fault it.

A normal big shop in Tesco used to cost us around £120, we struggle to spend £80 in Aldi, buying exactly the same stuff but with a different label.

[VWD]

Depends what we want .Used to do a lot in Sainsbury ,mainly because their car park is next to a park .So we first walked dog ,then shopped .We thought it a fair trade -we got free parking to walk dog ,they got our custom( plus we were never more than half an hour in total) .But then they brought in some grabbing parking firm ,so now we get half hour free ticket ( thet seem only in whether or not you've got valid parking ticket) ,walk dog and go elsewhere -especially as now we've found that other stores are a lot cheaper -aldi for veg for example .Talk about kiling the golden goose ,especially as parking firm advertise that half the takings from paid parking goes to charity ,an Sainsbury refunds cost on production of ticket at checkout .So who is paying for the parking firm - I suspect the customer .

[gac]

Speaking of parking "scams", I got caught out in Nottingham the other Sunday. Pulled up for a quick drop off, checked my car clock and it was 10:02 or similar. Went and chucked 70p in the meter which is enough for half an hour after 10am on a Sunday, but as I walked back I looked at the ticket and realised that the time on the machine was 9:59 and my ticket expired at 10:00 (when the parking charges change tariff). The 9:59 must have been logged when I put the first coin in or something so I paid 70p for 1 minutes parking.

Didn't have any more change on me so I just left the car anyway and decided I was prepared to have an argument that regardless of what the ticket said, I'd paid 70p at 9:59 which would be enough to cover me for half an hour after 10am so as long as I was back by 10:29 then I wasn't overstaying what I'd paid for.

Seems like an easy way to get PCNs to me though, due to the way the tariffs work. If you arrive at 9am on a Sunday morning, knowing that you have a 2 hour appointment and need to park until 11, there's no way to do it without coming back at 10am to put a "new tariff" ticket on. The money you put in will just go towards the charge of 50p from 8am-10am and based on my experience, no way to extend that into the later tariff. Not to mention the fact that the Sunday parking charges are very new and there's not too many signs saying that you now need to pay, they're easily missed...