Are Waitrose Any Good?

Debt_Free_Chick

Waitrose has more a conscience when it comes to sourcing their products. Their meat & veg comes from known, named farmers and much of it comes from British farmers. They have a "fair trade" policy on third-world farmers, too. This accounts for much of the price difference where Tesco (and other supermarkets) don't give a monkeys about the farmer who produces the food - they just want to pile it high, as cheaply as possible and make as much money for themselves as they can. Waitrose commit to giving the farmers a fair price and don't force them to cut prices to the minimum.

The result is pure quality in Waitrose. You won't find "value" lines as the quality doesn't come up to scratch.

It's also a real pleasure to spend time in a Waitrose store - clean, well lit, well stocked, knowledgeable, polite, helpful staff. The staff own the business and it shows in their attitude - they know that the success of the business and their bonus is directly linked to how well they do their jobs.

You pay for all this, of course. If you don't want to (or can't), then I'd suggest an online shop at your normal supermarket and perhaps reserve Waitrose for those "little luxuries" or occasional treats. Agree with others though, that the meat is often hugely discounted in the run up to closing time.

It's certainly worth a visit if you've not shopped at Waitrose before - then at least you decide whether it's worth paying extra for. I used to shop at Waitrose, but now limit my supermarket "experience" to a once in three months visit to Lidl for tinned & dry goods - meat from local butcher, fish from the nets (live near the coast) and grow my own veg or use the local farm shop. Personally, I believe you get what you pay for and if I were still a supermarket shopper, I'd shop at Waitrose.

maryb

I'm often pleasntly surprised at how little I spend in Waitrose when I go there - it does sometimes have some very good bargains and on 'basic' things as well not the heavily processed food that tends to be on special offer in other supermarkets. It's worth doing an occasional stock up on dry goods from a cheaper supermarket then going to Waitrose for fresh stuff - it is so much better quality. Buying fruit and veg from Asda is a bad buy whereas it is much better quality from waitrose and I don't throw out as much.

Another thing that might help some people - some employers offer the chance to 'buy' vouchers for Waitrose or other supermarkets at a discount. My company does this and I've just signed up for it. It works out at a saving of about 7%. They do other supermarkets as well but the discount is much smaller. So for me that will go quite a long way to making up for the price difference

Kimberley

I'm hoping i get employed there. Do they employ on a flexi sort of thing like other supermarkets do? Are they choosy on who they pick, like say do they only take those with qualifications?

I applied for a job at Morrisons but i was put on a waiting list as they had enough staff, now i have to re do it all over again..

Spikefan

Hello Kimberly,
I work for Waitrose (used to be Safeway/Morrisons). Somethings are expensive, but not everything, look carefully there are usually plenty of reduced items, and stock cupboard items are no more expensive than Morrisons (I have compared at times) they are just tucked away amongst all the higher priced items. In all honesty I dont spend any more when I shop at Waitrose and the quality is far better. The food doesnt go off as quickly and it tastes as it should. I also only buy what I need - I found with Morrisons I was filling the trolley up with BOGOFF offers and then ended up binning them after the best by date as they werent used. Now very little food gets wasted.
Internet shopping is good for things like toilet rolls, wash powder etc.
Spikefan,

Kimberley

Spikefan, as you work for them, are the wages the same as Morrisons? When they took over from Morrisons did it effect your wages set by Morrisons and also how do they select their employees?

larmy16

Both myself and my son were turned down for filling shelves in Waitrose. It made me feel quite inadequate for a while as I have worked in offices and shops and am bright and hardworking. It does not do the ego much good to be turned down for a job like that!!! (Not that there is anything wrong with shelf filling - you just wonder why you aren't considered "right" or good enough????

ti1980

Larmy16, it might just have depended when you applied for a job. In a place that I worked, whenever there was a vacancy most of the time it was purely down to luck and not skills/qualifications that would depend who got a job.

One time there were 2 vacancies and quite a few people applied but there were only 2 people that could actually do the hours needed as the hours were set and there was no flexibility in them so the 2 people that could work the hours got the job.
Another time there was 1 vacancy and again a few people applied and they ended up with 4/5 people that could do the job and had experience previously, so they basically got the 1st person on the list, interviewed them and they got the job.
So please don't think that you weren't 'good enough', it could have been anything, you could have missed a phone call from them or anything.

Kimberley

larmy16 wrote:

Both myself and my son were turned down for filling shelves in Waitrose. It made me feel quite inadequate for a while as I have worked in offices and shops and am bright and hardworking. It does not do the ego much good to be turned down for a job like that!!! (Not that there is anything wrong with shelf filling - you just wonder why you aren't considered "right" or good enough????

Larmy, did you ask them for feedback on why you were turned down? If i am turned down i'd be more inclined to ask why and isn't common sense more important then qualifications

larmy16

Kimberley wrote:

Larmy, did you ask them for feedback on why you were turned down? If i am turned down i'd be more inclined to ask why and isn't common sense more important then qualifications

Kimberley it was probably about 10 years ago and no I did not ask why at the time, as I was offered a job somewhere else and just put it to the back of my mind. (ouch but my ego was a little deflated)

More recently though, my son applied and they never even granted him an interview, despite needing staff at the time. I did ring up to speak to the recruitment lady, but she was on holiday at the time and then of course life carried me on and I forgot about it, but I still smart about it when it comes into my mind!!!! I would have liked to know why they decided on his application form only?

Once though I overheard one of the Managers speaking to a newish (I presume) member of staff, and they were saying to them "Well you took approximately 3 minutes and 50 seconds to carry out that task" - they were filling shelves and I can remember thinking oooh - I think that would not have suited me one bit, to be timed over everything - so they may well have been right not to employ me!!!!

Now I am self employed and would not even entertain the idea of being in a supermarket, mainly because I have become used to being my own boss and I love the freedom of being able to arrange my own time. So it all worked out

Kimberley

"Well you took approximately 3 minutes and 50 seconds to carry out that task" - they were filling shelves and I can remember thinking oooh - I think that would not have suited me one bit, to be timed over everything

I would have told him to try do it in that time :rolleyes: Rushing it would give you messy shelves

I'll give it a go anyway :j