Supermarkets discussion

[AM9]

Increase price at the shelf edge first. Apply the increase in the tills half an hour later (maybe an hour later in a very large store)

When the price goes down change it in the tills first then apply the price to the shelf edge.

Customers might be undercharged but they won't be overcharged.

How does that work on self scan shopping where the price is shown on the hand scanner when picked?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

In the small town where I now live (some people still refer it to as "The Village") there is a Co-Op and a Tesco Express, no less than three Asian Cash and Carry shops, two butchers and three chemists and at one edge of the town is a large John Lewis store and a large Sainsburys. It is like "going to Heaven" compared to the rural border area that I have relocated from.

 

[Hadders]

How does that work on self scan shopping where the price is shown on the hand scanner when picked?

The price on the handset should be the same as that in the till.

On the subject of surge pricing in supermarkets, while you never say never, I really can’t see it happening. While the railway can get away with the reputational damage would be too great.

Can you just imagine it - the shops busy, I’ve got to stand in a massive queue to get out and they’re charging me more…. It wouldn’t be a good look.

 

[jon0844]

The price on the handset should be the same as that in the till.

On the subject of surge pricing in supermarkets, while you never say never, I really can’t see it happening. While the railway can get away with the reputational damage would be too great.

Can you just imagine it - the shops busy, I’ve got to stand in a massive queue to get out and they’re charging me more…. It wouldn’t be a good look.

It will just become accepted as the norm in time. As long as they can introduce it by selling it as a way to save money, people will not see the downsides until it's too late.

A bit like almost everything becoming a subscription now, and you never really owning a lot of what you purchase if it is in any way connected to a server, or requires updates, or your purchased content is stored anywhere other than your own hard drive, or you can't repair something because the manufacturer has discontinued it but won't allow third parties access to parts etc. (I realise all this is off topic, but it IS connected because we - the consumer - are our own worst enemy when it comes to encouraging things that turn out not to be in our best interests).

 

[Cambrian359]

Makes you laugh really when the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury's etc have specialist shelf fillers on site all day and you'd think the first thing they would be told about on day one is stock rotation.

Must state that i always leave the shelf in a good looking state after rummaging through looking for latest sell by dates unlike some who leave them in a terrible mess!

You sir are a dream customer! Even after 20 years in retail it still baffles me the absolute trashing 1 customer is capable of doing to an entire bread section in such little time, even more frustrating when they are only buying 1 loaf! but leave the section in such a state you would think a group of kids had just played football with the stock.
I have no issues with people going to the back of the shelf if they are tidy about it and don’t damage other loaves in the process.(same with any section)

 

[jon0844]

As a follow on here's a video from Louis Rossman that is just one of many videos about companies doing bad things but pretending it brings value.

And they'll use various methods to test out new ideas and trial things with a view to making things worse, and in the case of this video after you've made a purchase and agreed to their terms that they're changing after the fact.

Caution for bad language. Video talks about a 'trial' to charge you to change the temperature on your smart radiator thermostats. It isn't directly related to supermarkets and maybe worthy of a thread of its own but I think it is relevant to talking about supermarkets choosing to change the way they price things.

 

[jon81uk]

Iceland (the country and not the British supermarket chain) has been doing dynamic pricing for years. At least four of their supermarket chains do it. I think they first started this about fifteen years ago. The prices of items change throughout the day. In each store the way they do it can be different. For example in the 24 hour large supermarkets (or ones that stay open until very late) they will generally increase their prices in the evening once their nearby competitors have shut and then lower them again in the morning once the nearby competitors open. So the same items costs a different price depending on the time of day you shop. On many holidays (when more shops are shut) and during busy periods the prices will increase too. For items that are in high demand the prices will also increase. Iceland is the only country i have ever seen this in but i would not be surprised if the UK introduces it.

In a sense this is just the same as Tesco superstores having lower prices than Tesco Express. Bascially what you describe is the stores doing surge pricing are switching from being a supermarket price to a convenience store price.

For fresh-baked bread items I think some stores already have started trying time-adjusted pricing instead of yellow sticker reductions. If the bakery items normally go half price at 8pm, why not just automate that instead of someone going round with yellow stickers. Only works of course with things where all stock is disposed at close.

 

[jon0844]

In New York shops frequented by tourists at certain times of the day (the corner shop bodegas) are using these to charge extra with discounts at certain times for locals.

In the past corner shops have simply given discounts to people they know or believe not to be a tourist, but this probably makes things easier.

In Italy there are different prices for English and Italian menus in tourist hotspots.

We all accept this I'm sure. Everyone clearly knows this happens don't they?

 

[Bald Rick]

In Italy there are different prices for English and Italian menus in tourist hotspots.

You should see the prices on the Russian menus in Courchevel!

 

[Silver Cobra]

Makes you laugh really when the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury's etc have specialist shelf fillers on site all day and you'd think the first thing they would be told about on day one is stock rotation.

This is one of my biggest bug-bears at the store I work in. Not a day goes by during my working of overstock in the mornings where I don't find very poor date rotation on my department (I work in fresh/chilled, so date rotation is absolutely important). I can say with almost complete certainty that it is the team responsible for working the deliveries in the afternoon/evening that are doing this. While I appreciate that they are often in the unenviable position of having a lot of delivery to work with not enough time or people to do it, which will lead to them cutting corners to get the job done a bit quicker (so just shoving the stock out without rotating it first), it doesn't properly excuse this. Heck, even on days where the delivery has been a lot smaller and therefore more manageable I've still found poor rotation occurring, so it's just ingrained in some of the evening team to not care at all about properly rotating stock. I've complained to management several times in the last 6 months about this, but nothing seems to have happened in response.

 

[1D54]

Very sad to hear that management don't seem to care less about chilled meats etc not being rotated but i suppose it goes to show the state of attitudes in general these days and if food is being chucked away because of it then it is scandalous.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Very sad to hear that management don't seem to care less about chilled meats etc not being rotated but i suppose it goes to show the state of attitudes in general these days and if food is being chucked away because of it then it is scandalous.

Cooked sliced meats especially are ones that I always look at the date shown when buying them.

 

[DelW]

Last week in Sainsbury's I happened to notice that the tub of crab pate that I'd just picked up had a "use by" of the previous day. This was lucky since I don't always check.

I put it to one side in the chiller, but there were no members of staff around to pass it to.

 

[Ediswan]

Increase price at the shelf edge first. Apply the increase in the tills half an hour later (maybe an hour later in a very large store)

When the price goes down change it in the tills first then apply the price to the shelf edge.

Customers might be undercharged but they won't be overcharged.

That is the obvious solution, but not, so far, reported as used anywhere that currently implements variable pricing.

 

[sprunt]

Agreed, especially with some of the greed. Items will be cheap at 6am or 11pm when hardly any shoppers are in the store and will increase during the day.

That's usually approvingly referred to as "yield management" round here.

 

[1D54]

I put it to one side in the chiller, but there were no members of staff around to pass it to.

And this brings me on to another bugbear of mine.

I occasionally visit Iceland and all too many times i have spotted frozen goods that a customer was going to buy but then had a change of mind and rather than go and put it back where they got it from (or any freezer) just dump it in a chilled section.

I can't find staff to report it to and don't know if I'm doing the right thing by putting back in the freezer section as I've no idea how long it has been out of it so i end up leaving it for staff to eventually find where no doubt it is then dumped in the bin.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Some good "member price" offers in our local Co-Op this week.

 

[AM9]

And this brings me on to another bugbear of mine.

I occasionally visit Iceland and all too many times i have spotted frozen goods that a customer was going to buy but then had a change of mind and rather than go and put it back where they got it from (or any freezer) just dump it in a chilled section.

I can't find staff to report it to and don't know if I'm doing the right thing by putting back in the freezer section as I've no idea how long it has been out of it so i end up leaving it for staff to eventually find where no doubt it is then dumped in the bin.

If I had an item where the price changed (upwards of course) between me picking it and reaching checkout, I might tell them to remove it from my total cost and leave the item there so that they to return it to it's fridge/freezer/shelf. If they're intent on adjusting the deal between me selecting it and paying for it, I'm quite happy to make it inconvenient for them.

 

[lookapigeon]

For fresh-baked bread items I think some stores already have started trying time-adjusted pricing instead of yellow sticker reductions. If the bakery items normally go half price at 8pm, why not just automate that instead of someone going round with yellow stickers. Only works of course with things where all stock is disposed at close.

Waitrose have always done the centralised reduction thing for the loose baked goods, not as clever as them changing the shelf tickets electronically, but they adjust the price on the computer in the back of the store and just place the reduced shelf label with the new price on for each set of baked items (e.g. croissants, danishes, rolls etc).

 

[takno]

And this brings me on to another bugbear of mine.

I occasionally visit Iceland and all too many times i have spotted frozen goods that a customer was going to buy but then had a change of mind and rather than go and put it back where they got it from (or any freezer) just dump it in a chilled section.

I can't find staff to report it to and don't know if I'm doing the right thing by putting back in the freezer section as I've no idea how long it has been out of it so i end up leaving it for staff to eventually find where no doubt it is then dumped in the bin.

Frozen stuff often used to sit out in ambient temperatures for a good couple of hours while deliveries were put away when I worked in frozen food. An hour or so in a chiller isn't going to do it any great deal of harm.

 

[Bald Rick]

If I had an item where the price changed (upwards of course) between me picking it and reaching checkout, I might tell them to remove it from my total cost and leave the item there so that they to return it to it's fridge/freezer/shelf. If they're intent on adjusting the deal between me selecting it and paying for it, I'm quite happy to make it inconvenient for them.

Consumer law is quite clear here:

1) if the retailer advises you of the price change before you buy, then they are under no obligation to sell at the lower price; equally you are under no obligation to buy.

2) if the retailer does not advise you of the price change, but charges you a higher price, then you are entitled to a refund of the difference, or a full refund if you return the item.

Clearly (1) requires the retailer to advise you of the higher price before you pay. That could be interesting, as (2) will create a whole world of pain for retailers, especially in major supermarkets where something like 80%+ of transactions are done through self service.

For this reason, I can’t see it being widely adopted. Unless the variable pricing is a matter of pennies, when I suspect most people won’t notice, or if they do, won’t be bothered enough to stand in line for a refund.

 

[philthetube]

Last week in Sainsbury's I happened to notice that the tub of crab pate that I'd just picked up had a "use by" of the previous day. This was lucky since I don't always check.

I put it to one side in the chiller, but there were no members of staff around to pass it to.

Depending on the system, it may have been rejected at the checkout.

 

[Cloud Strife]

It will just become accepted as the norm in time.

There's actually a point that surge pricing could make sense to keep some products on the shelf. Let's say everyone gets obsessed with Bovril and the producer can't deliver enough stock to keep up. Surge pricing would allow for keeping it available, while at the same time, allowing for Another Not Beef Drink to go down in price because no-one wants it. Same story with stuff like milk, where a glut of milk close to the sell-by date could be automatically reduced in price, while a lack of milk on Saturday night and no deliveries until Monday could allow for the price to go up.

I'm not against it as a rule, because it also encourages shoppers to actually consider different things. Having said that, most of the 'branded' things will not be affected by this, as they won't want their products to be sold at a comparable price. McVities for example: they would never agree to having the same price as Barry's Own Biscuits.

 

[johntea]

Last week in Sainsbury's I happened to notice that the tub of crab pate that I'd just picked up had a "use by" of the previous day. This was lucky since I don't always check.

I put it to one side in the chiller, but there were no members of staff around to pass it to.

Me and a friend often remind ourselves of the time they picked up a small jar of mustard in Asda...only to then find it didn't taste that great and discover it was in fact over a YEAR past the best before date!

 

[Peter Sarf]

The supermarkets in Iceland all seem to have those digital shelf price tags (like some Aldi and Lidl branches here in the UK are using) and they change automatically when the price changes. The only issue is if you happen to be at the supermarket at the time that the price changes. For example lets say that supermarket increases their prices at 22:00, you pick up that item at 21:50, then by time you get to the checkout it is 22:10, and as a result the price you will pay is higher than the price you saw labelled on the shelf. So if you happen to shop around the time of day that they change their prices then the price you pay can be higher once you get to the checkout. I am not a fan of this dynamic pricing but people in Iceland seem to be used to it. But i hope the UK does not adopt this practice.

This will lead to a lack of customers in the changeover period and then a rush straight after.
A bit like how trains just after 09:30 are busier than the trains just before 09:30 !.

Makes you laugh really when the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury's etc have specialist shelf fillers on site all day and you'd think the first thing they would be told about on day one is stock rotation.

Must state that i always leave the shelf in a good looking state after rummaging through looking for latest sell by dates unlike some who leave them in a terrible mess!

When I was a lad I worked in Tescos (1976-1978 iirc). I sometimes tidy a shelf I visit in my local supermarket. Get told off by the missus.

Increase price at the shelf edge first. Apply the increase in the tills half an hour later (maybe an hour later in a very large store)

When the price goes down change it in the tills first then apply the price to the shelf edge.

Customers might be undercharged but they won't be overcharged.


During the day, I regularly see more staff behind the counter at a Costa or Starbucks than working in the grocery department of a large supermarkets.

No need to have a time lag on price rises. Changing prices on an instant will be used to encourage us to self scan.

In New York shops frequented by tourists at certain times of the day (the corner shop bodegas) are using these to charge extra with discounts at certain times for locals.

In the past corner shops have simply given discounts to people they know or believe not to be a tourist, but this probably makes things easier.

In Italy there are different prices for English and Italian menus in tourist hotspots.

We all accept this I'm sure. Everyone clearly knows this happens don't they?

Thailand - two tier prising is so well known. My friends tell me off for ordering a round or buying something for them - except chocolate I bring from the UK !..

And this brings me on to another bugbear of mine.

I occasionally visit Iceland and all too many times i have spotted frozen goods that a customer was going to buy but then had a change of mind and rather than go and put it back where they got it from (or any freezer) just dump it in a chilled section.

I can't find staff to report it to and don't know if I'm doing the right thing by putting back in the freezer section as I've no idea how long it has been out of it so i end up leaving it for staff to eventually find where no doubt it is then dumped in the bin.

My favourite example is uncooked meat left on top of cream cakes !.

For chilled/frozen I will put it back in the most convenient chiller or freezer. But if I am unsure on the temperature I hand it to staff at the checkout.
Checkouts could do with a small chiller and freezer by them for people who change their mind as they unload their trolley. They are never going to trek to the correct place once at the checkout.

I have more than once spotted someone putting something back. My intuition spots how quickly/furtively they did it. Often I am right and its a chilled/frozen item left on a plain shelf (usually at the aisle ends). I have tried to walk past them with the item obviously in my hand. I look back to see if they have noticed me (noticing them noticing me noticing them).

I also have recently started seeing boxes of large eggs with a loose lid and discover the eggs inside have shrunk.
It also seems perhaps that the boxes for small eggs can accommodate eggs that "swell up".
I am sure some people do not believe this counts as shop lifting.

Also half drunk cans (usually energy drinks) or half eaten packets of sandwiches.

Consumer law is quite clear here:

1) if the retailer advises you of the price change before you buy, then they are under no obligation to sell at the lower price; equally you are under no obligation to buy.

2) if the retailer does not advise you of the price change, but charges you a higher price, then you are entitled to a refund of the difference, or a full refund if you return the item.

Clearly (1) requires the retailer to advise you of the higher price before you pay. That could be interesting, as (2) will create a whole world of pain for retailers, especially in major supermarkets where something like 80%+ of transactions are done through self service.

For this reason, I can’t see it being widely adopted. Unless the variable pricing is a matter of pennies, when I suspect most people won’t notice, or if they do, won’t be bothered enough to stand in line for a refund.

I find the offer prices on shelves are all too often left on the shelf after the offer has finished. No matter I always go to customer services and get my bill reduced. I do that so often that they now often do not even go to the shelf and check if I am telling the truth or I am mistaken. It has even been pointed out to me that they might end up relying on me to flag up errors. Fair enough but I do go back the next day for some more if it is a long life product just in case the label is still wrong - I have learnt that activity is often rewarding.

I ALWAYS check my receipt.

 

[DarloRich]

I went to Waitrose the other day - wow!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I went to Waitrose the other day - wow!

Good choice? Value for money? Or maybe ludicrously expensive?

 

[Hadders]

No need to have a time lag on price rises. Changing prices on an instant will be used to encourage us to self scan.

Not everyone uses a handset. Self checkouts and staffed tills aren't going to completely disappear anytime soon.

There has to be a lag because is the price charged:

- Based on what the price displayed on the shelf edge label
- The price when the item is scanned (this could be different to the handset as I could see a price, pick up the item and before I've scanned it the price has changed)
- The price when final payment is made which could be half an hour or even an hour later in a large shop

 

[DarloRich]

Good choice? Value for money? Or maybe ludicrously expensive?

there is very good choice, much of it very expensive. That said, I don't think a "normal" shop ( fresh veg, milk, groceries etc) was much more than a more normal supermarket.

 

[ChrisC]

there is very good choice, much of it very expensive. That said, I don't think a "normal" shop ( fresh veg, milk, groceries etc) was much more than a more normal supermarket.

In recent years I have been doing roughly a monthly big shop at Waitrose. I don’t find basic items any more expensive than at the other main supermarkets. I mostly buy Waitrose own label items and I find them very good quality. If you are shopping for branded items I think Waitrose would be very expensive. I enjoy shopping in Waitrose, the cleanliness and the layout of the store and the friendly and helpful staff. Living on my own I find them very good for selling smaller items like baked beans, tinned tomatoes etc at a very reasonable price. For example a small tin of Waitrose baked beans is 40p whereas many other stores only sell Heinz small tins at more than double that.

The main problem I find with Waitrose is that although their basic items are reasonably priced, I can’t help but be tempted to buy lots of their lovely luxuries and end up spending far too much! It’s the same when I go in M&S where there basic items including milk are often very reasonably priced. The only problem is after shopping regularly for a few years at Waitrose, I visited an ASDA recently where around 10 years ago I used to regularly, hated it, and walked out without buying anything. I’ve think I’ve probably become a shopping snob!