TESCO ARE UPPING PRICES BY AT LEAST 10% - not good - i left my trolley

foreign_correspondent

Halloway wrote: »

Yes but where do you imagine that lettuce was grown? We are so spoilt these days. We expect everything to be available all year round and this costs money. Either the produce has to be forced in greenhouses (pricey) or imported (similarly pricey.)

wherever it comes from the supermarkets take such a big cut that most of the smaller growers can no longer survive - trust me I know the business well.

Tesco will always make sure they do ok.

webtalk

This is terribly confusing. People complain like mad when prices go up, but don't complain like made when they come down or when there are bargains or when prices are cut dramatically because businesses are going bust.

Prices going up is the other side of the coin to all the bargains out there.

It was inevitable that this was going to happen. In a year's time people are going to find today's non-sale prices relatively cheap.

Sorry to be such a killjoy.

Nex0

webtalk wrote: »

This is terribly confusing. People complain like mad when prices go up, but don't complain like made when they come down or when there are bargains or when prices are cut dramatically because businesses are going bust.

Why would you complain about price cuts?

webtalk

Nex0 wrote: »

Why would you complain about price cuts?

At the moment, it is my opinion that the inevitable other side of the price cuts 'coin' is prices increases.

We're going to be paying for this sale 'boom' for a long time to come.

Price cuts are good if they're reasonable and the result of over-pricing. But there are times when complaining about price increases is like complaining about the sun rising in the morning. Price increases after dramatic price cuts are as inevitable as day following night. If you want one, you end up with the other - possibly a case of 'beware what you wish for'?

And, of course, don't forget, there is a good chance that a proportions our pensions is invested in the likes of Tesco. So it is in our interest that profits are good and shares don't plummet.

rhiwfield

So today I notice that Tesco's strong white bread flour has gone up from 48p to 75p. Asda will no doubt copy in next day or so (was 48p last week, today not on shelves) and I expect Lidl to follow, though they still have some in stock at 48p (and I've just stocked up to last a month or two). Strange that they were all priced the same before Tesco's hike!

Its what I expected after the base range of flours shot up in price and it joins the price increases on all those other basics/value items that many people rely upon. Same thing happened to canned toms which increased at all the above stores to 33p a few weeks back.

FWIW I've used the shoppers thoughts surveys to feed back my concerns to Tesco on the price increases on basic commodities but I honestly cant tell if the increases are justified by increases in world food prices or whether this is rip off Britain especially aimed at the less well off shopper. I've lost track of the rate of price inflation on basic foodstuffs in the stores but its got to be at least 20% over the last year and possibly more

My resolution of a few months back to actively shop around took a knock when I realised how similar basic food prices at the large chains are so now I do my main shop at Tesco but use internet to check whether there are special offers that would justify the extra petrol cost of shopping elsewhere

The_MoneySavingKid

What shocks me,and made me reply is how people think that a company exists for the sole reason of satisfying your total needs...when it's not really,it's to make money.Go ahead and complain and vent your anger,but thats what companies do (and designed to do) and it won't change because of the time of year or current situation,they have to weather the situations out as much as people do too.

Charis

milliemonster wrote: »

they want to buy


As for shopping locally, the reason this has died a death is not just because the rise of the supermarkets have closed down a lot of local independent food suppliers, but also our lifestyles have changed so we don't have as much free time available now for shopping. Women years ago didn't work so would go their local shops daily to buy food, we don't have the time to do that now, and where there are local shops, parking/public transport is a problem, this is easy and free at supermarkets

This is true. The poster who mentioned that local shops don't always sell the freshest produce was also right - I have bought pears and other fruit from our greengrocer that had to be eaten right away as it was already overripe. Our local butchers are 'specialists' which means the meat is much more expensive. We have a wonderful little deli but it is very pricey.

My biggest problem is keeping track of what I have spent. In the supermarket you get a till slip. In a local shop you get a grand total for what is in your basket, no way to check that you are even charged the correct price per pound items which are weighed. The change is worked out by the salesperson and is not always accurate, although it can work both ways. I always feel obliged to give back an overpayment but feel mean about pointing out a small shortfall, even though they mount up. I also feel a little strange writing down each total before I leave the shop but failed attempts to remember how much I spent in each mean that my grocery records are hit and miss. I wouldn't even know if, say, broccoli had increased by 50% this week.

I have found that Spar and OneStop have some reasonably priced goods but of course they are not big enough for a bulk shop.

Charis

rhiwfield wrote: »

So today I notice that Tesco's strong white bread flour has gone up from 48p to 75p. Asda will no doubt copy in next day or so (was 48p last week, today not on shelves) and I expect Lidl to follow, though they still have some in stock at 48p (and I've just stocked up to last a month or two). Strange that they were all priced the same before Tesco's hike!

This price rise, 48p to 75p, also happened last summer, when a number of us on one of these threads were attempting to assemble a pantry with enough supplies to survive in the event of delivery problems at supermarkets. It was when a few tanker drivers had a strike and everyone started panic buying petrol. (Our local garage, nowhere near the strike area had none for five days).

Once the petrol panic was over the price went back down to 48p - I bought four bags at that price a couple of weeks ago. Maybe every time there is a public panic the supermarkets cash in on it by upping the price of 'basics', knowing that many people will be stockpiling. Later they can advertise the same item as greatly reduced.

Charis

Don't forget this thread http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/cheap-supermarket-shopping
Lots of good advice from Martin and there's a link to shopbots to check prices.

fifi63

I know you are going to say I'm a killjoy but in real terms the percentage of our income that is spent on food has halfed in the past 40 years. I think the era of really cheap food in any supermarket has come to an end.
I don't find it pays to shop around that much although I will say that I still find Aldi and Lidl offer the best value for basics and the quality is better that most other supermarkets budget ranges.