Supermarket rip off????

Confused_Jo

I'm sorry if this is on the wrong board fee free to move it.
After a lots of discussion and investigation my OH and I decided that Morrisons was the cheapest and mos convienient way to shop.

He went shopping last night and picked up the ususal things on the list plus one or two things like washing liquid and fabric softener. He is much better at avoiding the two for one on things we don't need.

To my horror the shopping bill was £25 more than we budget for and on inspectionon the bill, things like basic orange juice have jumped from 35p to 59p!!!!
Ecover liquid has gone from £3.84 to £4.30
Coffee has gone up by 30p a bag.
These are what we class as luxury items and will quite happily survive on homecooked bulk cooked items with the odd nicety chucked in.

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed this steath in price rises. I would hate to shop at tescos as they push out the little man.
I am I doomed to spend time going to three places. Lidl, famers market and Morrisons to get the best bargains?

Thanks
Jo

cheerfulcat

Confused_Jo wrote:

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed this steath in price rises.

It's called inflation...

oldwiring

Could it be also caused by the weather. I think I read that it had an adverse effect this year on yileds. And thre is also global warming and fuel costs to think about. All will have an effect on costs at the checkout.

Hereward

Confused_Jo wrote:

After a lots of discussion and investigation my OH and I decided that Morrisons was the cheapest and mos convienient way to shop... I would hate to shop at tescos as they push out the little man.
I am I doomed to spend time going to three places. Lidl, famers market and Morrisons to get the best bargains?

Its interesting that you won't shop at Tesco's for your shopping "as they push out the little man", but are quite happy to shop at Morrisons who employ the same tactics and complain that you need to shop at three different places to get the best bargains, one of which is the "little man".p>

Confused_Jo

If any one can recommend a more ethical way of shopping please let me know.

Hereward- the best example of pushing out the little man I have seen is that Tescos are marketing their version of Ecover, which was teh same price, but hey presto now it is £1 a bottle dearer.
I am all fro market forces but this beggars belief.

Might as well let them take in the GP surgeries and dentists, as they would like. Thought I'm not sure how well Tesco Value Hip replacements would go down.!! Only kidding but it does make you think! I haven't heard of Morrisons doing this yet.

I don't purposely drive to each site. I can vary the way I drive home with no added milage.I am trying my best, honest.

I try my best to eat only seasonal food, unpackaged food that is only grown in Britain This week was the first time I have had an apple for ages as they are all grown in China or Brazil. I try the farm shop but I have to go to a supermarket to buy some things.

My main issue was that some of the prices have hiked that much in a month but using the orange juice 35- to 59 p is a much more than inflation.
Maybe it is just me?

rh41

The things is no supermarket is perfect. Morrisons are reasonable as they have the same price in any of there supermarket in the country, 90% of there own brand meat is packed by there own factories.
If you want ethical shopping try the co-op. they are the largest commercial farmer in the UK so pay fair prices to there tenants.
te comment about OJ, is the fact that all the hurricanes in florida has caused a massive increase in the wholesale price of concetrated OJ>

oldwiring

The trouble with any inflation index is that it is a weighted average and within it the variables can be very large and it is historical. It tells what has happened not what is. That any of your purchases have gone up well beyond inflation by itself is not a true indication of what the situation is at Morrisons either. One would need to look at the mix of increases and reductions, weighted, to get a true picture. Add in the factors Imentioned previously and the value of your obdervtions becomes problematical.

The consumers' only weapon is to seek best value, price,quality, ethics from whomever supplies it. IMO no commercial enterprise is likely to come up trumps in any of those requirements. Sometimes they may be top at one or two. Shopping around aslo has to be set against time and, for frivers, fuel issues.

Like it or not most of us have to exist in an imperfect world, so, if one wants ethics above all it has to be self- sufficiency or subsistence, and failing that starvation.

BTW I heard an item about Zimbabwe on Today. We moan about inflation; there a lot of us would be screaming or suicidal, or dead. What about some blessing counting, eh?

cheerfulcat

My main issue was that some of the prices have hiked that much in a month but using the orange juice 35- to 59 p is a much more than inflation.

Orange juice and coffee prices, like those of other soft commodities, can fluctuate wildly. Don't confuse the measure of inflation with the cause of it! Especially when the measure is faulty...the Ecover thing is a separate issue, I think; are you saying that Ecover prices went up generally, or only in Tesco due to their introduction of an own brand version?

Confused_Jo

Thank you all for your comments.
The Ecover things may be conincidence but the price rise was around the time of Tesocs marketing their ecofriendly products. Thats probably the cynic in me

Thank you RH41 I will try the Coop. I'll my OH to call in there on the way home instead.We may pay the same prices but at least I will feel that I am trying my best. All I can ask really.

I realise that no option will be perfect but I am trying to balance budget and ethics for a winning combo. Don't get me wrong It doesn't all have to be absolutely 100 % fair trade, ethical etc, but I work on the ethos that if everyone changes something small then something big will happen.
Its frustrating when the changes you have made suddenly are beyond your financial constraints.

Thanks again
Jo

black-saturn

I always go round with a calculator so that I know I'm not going over budget.

Confused_Jo

Thanmsk for the info. I don't take a calculator because we usually buy the same things so we know roughly how muchit should be. Say that I will do that on my next trip.
Thanks again