Supermarkets discussion

[jon0844]

I think they've taken all the water out and put it into their Indian ready meals...

 

[davehsug]

Morrisons have a decent More card offer on 500g Clover at £1.22/ The 1 kg tubs are supposedly on "normal offer" at £3.00!

 

[lookapigeon]

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).

Tesco also had another deliberate policy years ago of placing discontinued lines ending .97 as some sort of 'secret' code.

 

[jon0844]

Tesco also had another deliberate policy years ago of placing discontinued lines ending .97 as some sort of 'secret' code.

Dixons stores, Costco and many others do similar. Sometimes to signify a limited offer, sometimes to show an item discontinued, and even in the past a 'code' to tell staff to promote an item (applicable to environments like Currys, where you might have a staff member actually with you to give advice).

Don't know if it was a repeat but I caught part of a programme on Channel 5 earlier in the week that looked at loyalty card prices, and questioning the differences between the normal and reduced prices - and it seems the regulators are now investigating how genuine these deals are and how long the 'normal' prices have been. I expect it's a grey area as they're not 'sale' prices, rather discounted prices (even if they're not always actually discounted compared to other shops), but it needs to be clarified - especially as sooner or later stores will claim their savings over another store will be based on the other stores 'normal' price.

 

[styles]

Don't know if it was a repeat but I caught part of a programme on Channel 5 earlier in the week that looked at loyalty card prices, and questioning the differences between the normal and reduced prices - and it seems the regulators are now investigating how genuine these deals are and how long the 'normal' prices have been. I expect it's a grey area as they're not 'sale' prices, rather discounted prices (even if they're not always actually discounted compared to other shops), but it needs to be clarified - especially as sooner or later stores will claim their savings over another store will be based on the other stores 'normal' price.

The CMA looked into it last year and concluded in November that after analysing 50,000 products on offer as part of loyalty schemes like Clubcard, 92% offered a genuine saving, i.e. the non-loyalty price hadn't been artificially inflated merely for the loyalty scheme to bring it back down.

The evidence shows that:

• almost all products scrutinised – 92% of around 50,000 items – offered a genuine saving against the ‘usual’ price in the same store
• while loyalty prices are generally some of the cheapest available, this wasn’t always the case meaning it’s worth shopping around
• people can make an average saving of 17-25% buying loyalty priced products at the 5 supermarkets examined: Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Co-op and Morrisons
• 76% of shoppers say loyalty pricing has not changed where they shop, but 24% now compare prices more due to the introduction of loyalty pricing
• 55% of those surveyed think the price for non-members is inflated during loyalty price promotions
• 43% of those surveyed think it is unfair that loyalty scheme members pay lower prices for some products than those without a membership [

Loyalty pricing in the groceries sector

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) reviewed loyalty pricing by supermarkets.

www.gov.uk

 

[jon0844]

I think they need to keep a constant check on it then, because people are regularly seeing examples of normal pricing being way higher than they can ever recall seeing things sold at (and if the supermarkets are using the same tricks of inflating prices in one or two stores for xx days, then that is to me somewhat misleading even if legal).

I use loyalty cards and am not against them, nor am I too concerned about the data harvesting and how that data may be sold shared with other companies, but I think they're now getting carried away. The price differentials are ridiculous on many products right now, and there are surely better ways to entice people to use a loyalty card. It used to be points and offers later on, but I am sure over time these benefits will be reduced because the key benefit now is 'saving' on the product purchase in the first place - if it actually is a saving.

 

[Harpo]

The Tesco/Sainsburys ‘loyalty’ cards and their constantly changing combinations of loss-leaders and gouges make me feel played.

Alternatively I can go to Lidl or Aldi with my shopping list and grab everything on it without needing to feel like I’m on a mental arithmetic challenge.

Sainsbury & Tesco loyalty cards are reinforcing my Aldi/Lidl loyalty.

 

[jon0844]

Yes, the more you have to try and check for deals (or should I say, check you're not being played) the easier it is to just go to Aldi or Lidl in the first place.

I like the bigger supermarkets for being able to self scan, so I can pack bags as I shop and be out in seconds - throwing the already filled bags into the boot. But there's clearly a price to pay for that convenience and given how quick Aldi scans, I can still be out pretty quick. I am sure one day Aldi and Lidl will introduce app/handheld scanning and I think it's already being trialled.

 

[takno]

The CMA looked into it last year and concluded in November that after analysing 50,000 products on offer as part of loyalty schemes like Clubcard, 92% offered a genuine saving, i.e. the non-loyalty price hadn't been artificially inflated merely for the loyalty scheme to bring it back down.

Loyalty pricing in the groceries sector

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) reviewed loyalty pricing by supermarkets.

www.gov.uk

The CMA looked at it and concluded that 92% of the products with a loyalty card offer were cheaper to buy with a loyalty card, which is completely unsurprising and isn't what anybody asked.

Essentially they seem to have been looking for short term offers where the normal price had been temporarily doubled, so that the loyalty card offer would be cheaper. The actual problem is the number of prices which have been permanently ramped up to levels people would never choose to pay, which their analysis didn't capture at all.

The head of the CMA has subsequently been forced out of course, with a heavy suggestion that the entire organisation is about as much use as a chocolate teapot.

 

[ChrisC]

At the other end of the scale from Aldi and Lidl, I’m not aware that Waitrose and M&S have introduced any members only prices as part of their loyalty schemes. They do have offers which can be loaded to your card and other benefits but currently prices are the same in-store whether you use the loyalty scheme or not. I do like the Waitrose idea of Fish Friday, Sizzling Saturday and Cheese Thursday where there is up to 20% off for members at the fresh food counters on those days. Also good that Waitrose are retaining and indeed developing their fresh food counters when the other chains are removing them.

 

[jon0844]

The CMA allowed Vodafone and Three to merge too, which will (I know they say itwon't, but it will) lead to job cuts, a likely cut in network infrastructure as sites are unwound from current alliances (Vodafone with O2 and Three with EE) and high street store closures (just look at EE to see how that worked). They've promised no price rises for a set number of months, which basically means price rises the day after. Me cynical much? Let's just wait and see. [To add balance, there could be some advantages but knowing how complicated things are, I can't see those benefits forthcoming for ages].

I believe they also found no evidence of supermarkets keeping petrol prices high in what appeared to be collusion, and seen by so many who found in some cases that Asda was more expensive than BP or Shell and couldn't figure out why. Then more recently it became apparent that at least one supermarket had been doing just that - funnily enough the supermarket 'bought' by two people who made their fortune selling petrol.

Under the last Government we also had Ofcom investigating whether to axe net neutrality, which could lead to higher prices for consumers as broadband providers could restrict certain services (e.g. Netflix) without paying more, or imposing increased latency unless you pay for unrestricted access. EE is already trialling something similar on mobile and broadband, and I am sure it will spread and need the regulator to actively watch.

Sorry for being off topic, but in a time where Trump and Musk are claiming we can't have regulations, it's important to consider how important it is for consumers. Clearly scrapping regulators is great for businesses though.

 

[317 forever]

I could not find a Goodfella's Cheese pizza in Sainsbury's, Asda or Farmfoods. It might just be a matter of deliveries in the area, as the product does still exist online

Although some Nectar points for the correct loaf of bread were not added yesterday, I won't pursue this as I had just had 250 free points the other day.

 

[Buzby]

Tesco also had another deliberate policy years ago of placing discontinued lines ending .97 as some sort of 'secret' code.

As did (does) Dixon’s & Currys, with the addition that 97p meant it was discontinued and the item would not be restocked.

 

[stuartl]

I could not find a Goodfella's Cheese pizza in Sainsbury's, Asda or Farmfoods. It might just be a matter of deliveries in the area, as the product does still exist online

Although some Nectar points for the correct loaf of bread were not added yesterday, I won't pursue this as I had just had 250 free points the other day.

Plenty of Goodfella's Big Cheese in ASDA Sheffield yesterday

 

[ChrisC]

I could not find a Goodfella's Cheese pizza in Sainsbury's, Asda or Farmfoods. It might just be a matter of deliveries in the area, as the product does still exist online

Although some Nectar points for the correct loaf of bread were not added yesterday, I won't pursue this as I had just had 250 free points the other day.

I also got those 250 free points the other day. My points are really adding up at the moment without having to spend much more than £10 a couple of times a month at Sainsbury’s. I’m just using a Sainsbury’s Local which I pass by occasionally to get things like milk, fruit, veg and salad items where they are giving me bonus points on things I buy regularly. The small independent garage in the next village has Esso petrol and I’m also regularly getting some quite generous bonus nectar points on petrol.

 

[317 forever]

Plenty of Goodfella's Big Cheese in ASDA Sheffield yesterday

Oh well, I guess it was just out of stock locally. I'm glad it is still being produced. I won't travel to Sheffield to stock up though

I also got those 250 free points the other day. My points are really adding up at the moment without having to spend much more than £10 a couple of times a month at Sainsbury’s. I’m just using a Sainsbury’s Local which I pass by occasionally to get things like milk, fruit, veg and salad items where they are giving me bonus points on things I buy regularly. The small independent garage in the next village has Esso petrol and I’m also regularly getting some quite generous bonus nectar points on petrol.

I timed some of my purchases before Christmas to maximise bonus points where it was things that would not go off quickly. I then redeemed some points to get some discounts on my final bills.

 

[jon0844]

I also got those 250 free points the other day. My points are really adding up at the moment without having to spend much more than £10 a couple of times a month at Sainsbury’s. I’m just using a Sainsbury’s Local which I pass by occasionally to get things like milk, fruit, veg and salad items where they are giving me bonus points on things I buy regularly. The small independent garage in the next village has Esso petrol and I’m also regularly getting some quite generous bonus nectar points on petrol.

I saw a Turkish Delight on sale in Sainsbury's Local for £1.20, whereas it's £1.65 for THREE in a regular Sainsbury's (disclosure: I like them as a bit of a guilty pleasure). Nectar points aren't worth that much these days, so surely you'd need a shed load to make it worthwhile paying such premiums for some convenience?

 

[Buzby]

I have an aversion to these ‘local’ stores, primarily for the very reason you outlined. I remain sensitive to the rip-off pricing and as Ican roughly remember the main store price-points I’ll skip anything that is invariably top-loaded - usually basic essentials, but strangely the discounted Lunch deals are often the same, so it’s not all bad!

 

[1D54]

I noticed on my till receipt on visiting Tesco yesterday i have 44 points yet last time i took a receipt i had in the region of 500. It was last year so i take it they have gone as i didn't use them before the end of the year. They always used to send me an email telling me the status of my account and what i can take off my next shop etc but that must have stopped.

 

[ChrisC]

I saw a Turkish Delight on sale in Sainsbury's Local for £1.20, whereas it's £1.65 for THREE in a regular Sainsbury's (disclosure: I like them as a bit of a guilty pleasure). Nectar points aren't worth that much these days, so surely you'd need a shed load to make it worthwhile paying such premiums for some convenience?

I get your point but as I live in a village the Sainsburys Local in the next village is quite useful for topping up on a few fresh items. Nectar points aren’t worth much but when they are regularly offering me between 10 and 30 bonus points on items I regularly buy, it’s worth doing rather than using petrol to drive to a larger store in town. To people with lots of choice of supermarkets these local shops are expensive in comparison. Shops like Sainsbury’s Local and the Co op are very useful in villages and I would rather walk there than do a 10 mile round trip to by car to a large Sainsbury’s in a town.

 

[Buzby]

but that must have stopped.

They still do it - your points would have been converted to a printed voucher, and posted with your statement. You then have a number of months to use them. Check online and it shows your voucher history and what has still to be redeemed.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

They still do it - your points would have been converted to a printed voucher, and posted with your statement. You then have a number of months to use them. Check online and it shows your voucher history and what has still to be redeemed.

They've only just sent out one of these regular mailings with vouchers in so it's probably on the way to @1D54 as we speak.

 

[jon0844]

I get your point but as I live in a village the Sainsburys Local in the next village is quite useful for topping up on a few fresh items. Nectar points aren’t worth much but when they are regularly offering me between 10 and 30 bonus points on items I regularly buy, it’s worth doing rather than using petrol to drive to a larger store in town. To people with lots of choice of supermarkets these local shops are expensive in comparison. Shops like Sainsbury’s Local and the Co op are very useful in villages and I would rather walk there than do a 10 mile round trip to by car to a large Sainsbury’s in a town.

My nearest shop is a Premier (owned by Tesco) and then there's a Co-op that's ridiculously overpriced, and a Budgen (also Tesco). I do pay way too much for convenience to get things like milk or a pack of bacon, or snacks, but my point was more that if they had a loyalty card scheme and gave points - would they really be a good thing if it made you psychologically think you're getting a good deal (thus buy more) and end up way worse off?

I think the key is to plan a big shop so you only need to use a local store infrequently, or for those moments when you fancy a snack/sweets or whatever. And you might even find paying for delivery is cheaper than doing more than the bare minimum locally.

When on holiday in Norfolk, we had to use local stores that were also stupidly expensive (I wondered if they had the advertised prices for tourists and offered cheaper prices for locals, as if I lived there I'd have refused to pay what they were asking for on things like toilet paper, washing up liquid etc (the things people in caravans or cottages likely need to buy).

Makes me realise that while we often talk about supermarket prices from the big stores all attempting to compete with each other, at local level the same chains (which own so many of the local stores) are willing to price gouge to the max.

 

[1D54]

They've only just sent out one of these regular mailings with vouchers in so it's probably on the way to @1D54 as we speak.

Thanks for that and of course to Buzby. I look forward to receiving the statement but the last time i used paper vouchers i had to print them off myself but it doesn't really matter. Thanks again.

 

[Bald Rick]

When on holiday in Norfolk, we had to use local stores that were also stupidly expensive (I wondered if they had the advertised prices for tourists and offered cheaper prices for locals, as if I lived there I'd have refused to pay what they were asking for on things like toilet paper, washing up liquid etc (the things people in caravans or cottages likely need to buy).

It’s the same in the small local stores in Scotland once out of the central belt. It’s because of the logisitics. Nevertheless, the locals tend to do a ‘big shop’ at Tescos - I rmemeber a few years ago staying in a remote village in the NW Highlands, being out on the road early for a long day walking, and going past a column of Tesco delivery vans (about 6) all heading from Inverness to their first drops of the day.

 

[SteveM70]

It’s the same in the small local stores in Scotland once out of the central belt. It’s because of the logisitics. Nevertheless, the locals tend to do a ‘big shop’ at Tescos - I rmemeber a few years ago staying in a remote village in the NW Highlands, being out on the road early for a long day walking, and going past a column of Tesco delivery vans (about 6) all heading from Inverness to their first drops of the day.

Although to their credit the Coop prioritise their remote stores if anything goes wrong at their depot by the M8. There’s a register of all the stores where the Coop is basically the only shop in the village / on the island and if anything happens to delay work in the depot (late deliveries, fire / ammonia alarm going off etc) they make sure these stores are picked and despatched to schedule

 

[takno]

Thanks for that and of course to Buzby. I look forward to receiving the statement but the last time i used paper vouchers i had to print them off myself but it doesn't really matter. Thanks again.

I don't think I've ever used the vouchers as paper vouchers, not least because they are worth twice as much if you convert them online into vouchers for other things. The last pile were converted into Megabus vouchers, although they aren't available anymore, and previous ones have been used for Denby crockery and other stuff.

I don't know why they faff around with the voucher stage at all to be honest, since it's all just online credit, but I guess some people like it, and it's an easier way to expire unused balances.

 

[Buzby]

I don't know why they faff around with the voucher stage at all to be honest, since it's all just online credit, but I guess some people like it, and it's an easier way to expire unused balances.

Probably to help/appease those not online. @1D54 don’t overlook the My Vouchers section on the Tesco website after logging in. It’s much easier than losing those square bits of paper. As @takno suggests, much better value awaits if you exchange them at partners… I’ve bee with Disney+ for over 2 years and never have had to pay directly for it.

 

[1D54]

My browser has failed some security checks so i can't even log into my account

 

[takno]

My browser has failed some security checks so i can't even log into my account

They do have a weirdly fussy login. Worth checking that you're running the latest version of the browser, and Firefox sometimes fails because the login depends on dodgy tracking that Firefox blocks, so if you're able to use Chrome or Edge you might be better off. Adblockers also get in the way sometimes, so worth disabling those for the site.