a month without supermarket - new challenge for 2011 starts at post 1013

Psykicpup

http://www.milkdeliveries.co.uk/doorstep/
not sure if this is the same link as posted above but I notice the do a lot more than just milk - I get my cat & dog food delivered but wasnt impresed by the veg box

kscour

stilernin wrote:

I can understand what you are saying but unfortunately, as far as I understand it, the supermarkets 'persuade' the manufacturers to sell to them at a reduced price for the BOGOF offer. So they won't lose out much I'm sure!!

I know but "every little helps":D

Actually it really cheeses me off that manufacturers use supermarkets for their marketing ploys and do relatively little to help small shops.

And I've been thinking alot about this since I found this thread. We live in a rural area and every nearby town is around 8 - 20 miles away, largest substantial town is just over 30 miles away and they are all in different directions so you can't really hop from one to another. The supermarkets seem to be a necessity but perhaps with a bit of careful planning (i hate unnecessary trips in the car) I could avoid them.

Sorry thats a rambling on way of saying stuff you Mr T I'm joining in (if thats ok!)

So first major problem - Boddingtons!

Cazzdevil

lil_me wrote:

Just been listening to the news about the 'Say no to Tesco' campaign

?
What's that?

COOLTRIKERCHICK

with the supermarkets 'offers' its the manufacturer or the producer that takes the loss not the supermarket....

so if the supermarket decides that cauliflower is going to be on offer then the farmer/grower not no choice in the matter and he has got to take the price cut...

tescos as the like... make a deal for x amount of let say lettuce..... the supermarket will tell the farmer.. they have to be this size... this amount... and grown to what ever spec they say...... then when the farmer has all these lettuce growing.... and just about when they are ready to be shipped to the supermarket..... the supermarket.. then revises its price..... or says i dont want so many now..... and the farmer can not do a thing about it.......

i think we are in a vicious circle........ as supermakets are gving us low prices to be competitive..... we get used to it.. .and expect it.......the poor farmer/supplier is just getting his money cut for the product...... and just cant make ends meet unless they cut corners..... and intensively farm etc...... the bemand gets greater because of the low price....... so then the supermakrets import the product cheaper from aborad... which as inferior quality and not raised to the same standard....

so aintaining the cheaper price... and then putting more pressure again on our producers....

i know this is not going to be easy..... and as alot of us are saying its the basic store cupboard things that is going to be the problem......

which will prob kick in with me begining of next week....

and thats when the dilema will begin...... i have now run out of frozen peas.....:eek: and soon high juice for the kids :eek:

the only shops that i have within walking distance is the post office..... the bakers......and the co-op....which is still a supermarket..... if worst comes to worse.. at least its got some ethical principles......

COOLTRIKERCHICK

kscour wrote:

I know but "every little helps":D

Actually it really cheeses me off that manufacturers use supermarkets for their marketing ploys and do relatively little to help small shops

the big supermarkets are so powerfull these days that they have manufactuer's by the whatsits...... the vast majority of food products are bought in supermarkets......

i think i'm correct in saying that for every £3 spend on groceries a £1 of that is spend in tescos......

so only a fraction is spend in local independant stores... so from a business point of view..... the manufacturer's are going to run with supermarkets every time.... as their product is on show to a vast amount of prospective buyers.. than the little corner shops.....

i must admit i am braking out in a cold sweat.. thinking about all those tescos loyalty points i am and will miss out one...... and from tescos point of view thats what they want.....i read some where... that you shop by habbit... and when new tescos stores open they give you more incentives in the first 6 weeks of the store opening... double points.... cheap petrol..... etc.... and certain mail shops.. with money off offers with are weekly.... for a period of about 6 weeks....

so my thinking is that if i can break the habbit of buying things ..or the vast majority of my shopping in tescos over a 4 - 6 week period.... hopefully i would have made NEW shopping habbits........thats my theory anyway....#

as for costs..........my weekly budgets spends go from thurdsay to wednesday........ so this week i will be able to compare shopping bills..... but i also feel ...by shopping this way.....even though i might be spending slightly more... and getting less for my money i am hopeing that the quality will be far better...... plus not helping tescos profit funds....

but we will see over the next few weeks.......

the_optimist

with the supermarkets 'offers' its the manufacturer or the producer that takes the loss not the supermarket....

so if the supermarket decides that cauliflower is going to be on offer then the farmer/grower not no choice in the matter and he has got to take the price cut...

tescos as the like... make a deal for x amount of let say lettuce..... the supermarket will tell the farmer.. they have to be this size... this amount... and grown to what ever spec they say...... then when the farmer has all these lettuce growing.... and just about when they are ready to be shipped to the supermarket..... the supermarket.. then revises its price..... or says i dont want so many now..... and the farmer can not do a thing about it.......

OH lost his home and job because of this. He grew up on a farm and was supposed to take over.... now he's in a job he doesn't like.
It's been quite an eye opener talking to him about Mr T and the likes and I am changing my shopping habits, but it's not easy.

Btw, will you be changing your signature soon,CTC? I mean soon you won't be a Tesco tart anymore

kscour

Not worth it for just buying 1 pack of frozen peas but for a larger order would http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk be of any use to you? If your order is over £35 there will just be a £3 p&p charge, over £90 no charge. I use them to buy my washing powder in bulk & their biodegradable freezer bags but haven't ordered anything frozen from them.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

the_optimist wrote:

OH lost his home and job because of this. He grew up on a farm and was supposed to take over.... now he's in a job he doesn't like.
It's been quite an eye opener talking to him about Mr T and the likes and I am changing my shopping habits, but it's not easy.

Btw, will you be changing your signature soon,CTC? I mean soon you won't be a Tesco tart anymore

oh....ye.. thanks for reminding me......i'm so used to my sig.....i forgot....

any suggestions.......

i really feel for your hubby...... as all i ever wanted was a farm/smallholding...... and to work in a place that you hate...is no joke.....

i really do wish the government could step in the unethical wasy that they treat their suppliers.... tescos and such like have got sooo powerfull even local authorities... are afraid to say no to them....

[Deleted User]

you have got me thinking here and I think I have been doing this subconsciously. I always take a list although I buy bogofs when it is what I use ie ground coffee, pg tips special edition tea. I bought 12 coffee and 24 boxes of tea so I get a lot of satisfaction because I feel as though I have used mr T and mrT has not used me.

It is very difficult where I live but we eat organic so get all the fruit and veg in a box every week, also some eggs and milk. I make absolutely everything so don`t have to think about biscuits etc. A lot of the store cupboard stuff comes from goodnessdirect. Meat from craig farm organics, fish from martins seafresh. Flour delivered from shipton mill or bacheldre watermill. Whole spices from a net spice seller and I grind what I need

Unfortunately I still have to use mr T now and then because there are certain items I cannot get anywhere else eg moo organic skimmed milk and I buy that because I can keep it in a cupboard. I have only been there once in the last three weeks when I used to go 4 times a week

T extra looks as though it is coming to a village on my right and there is a massive outcry from the local spar and other small independent supermarket but what`ll happen is what happened to the village on the left when T extra came and that is that the 2 small independent supermarkets really smartened themselves up and they`re now always busy whereas previously it was just passing trade. The ones in the village on the right are shabby and not very clean so mr T can have a good affect sometimes. Shopping locally is a two way thing and I for one will not shop somewhere that is mucky

Roll on the aims of the thread

GeordieBird

You could use regular markets too, not "super" or "farm" - they're a bargain!

GB