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

greenbee

Somewhere I have this month's Ethical Consumer, which has a report on supermarkets in it. I'll have a look at let you know how M&S fares (I assume that due to copyright issues I can't put the ranking up in full).

If you're concerned about ethical issues, look at ethical consumer/ethiscore for guidance. Quite a few of the older reports are free, others you have to subscribe for, but its well worth it (not expensive compared to most magazines).

I'm another one who rarely uses supermarkets - I can generally manage with the farm shop, village shop, health food shop and online ethical stores. When I do go back to the supermarket I remember why I generally avoid them!

Caterina

Greenbee, I used to subscribe to Ethical Consumer but after a couple of years I gave it up because I was feeling totally guilty for everything I was buying!

Now I am just a bit more careful about what I buy and where I buy it, and occasionally consult the Ethiscore etc. but no longer feel that I have to save the world single-handedly and buy everything totally ethical (which I found impossible).

I shall be very interested in finding out how M&S score as a supermarket, as once discussing money issues with an IFA he told me that M&S scores very ethical when it comes to savings and investments.

I know that Waitrose are also fairly good - but they are still supermarkets and as such they destroy the local community by default. So in a way these are only the best of a bad bunch!

competitionscafe

This is from June 2007: Tesco was lowest and M&S highest, followed by Co-op and then Waitrose. Would be interesting to know what changes there are (if any):

"Sainsbury's scores only 1 out of 20, Asda 0.5, and Tesco gets a zero rating."

"Among home-grown retailers, Ethical Consumer recommends Marks & Spencer (6.5), the Co-op (6) and Waitrose (4)"

Source: http://www.talkingretail.com/news/green-retail-news/5343-whole-foods-market-the-most-ethical-supermarket.html

COOLTRIKERCHICK

competitionscafe wrote: »

This is from June 2007: Tesco was lowest and M&S highest, followed by Co-op and then Waitrose. Would be interesting to know what changes there are (if any):

"Sainsbury's scores only 1 out of 20, Asda 0.5, and Tesco gets a zero rating."

"Among home-grown retailers, Ethical Consumer recommends Marks & Spencer (6.5), the Co-op (6) and Waitrose (4)"

Source: http://www.talkingretail.com/news/green-retail-news/5343-whole-foods-market-the-most-ethical-supermarket.html

so if those marks are out of 20 there is still a fair way to go for even the leaders to go before they hit a certain standard.

mophead

Hi, not been on for a while as i'm trying to cut down my internet usage i was wasting way to much time on it last year. Well the last time i went to the supermarket was 28th of december, have'nt had any withdrawal symtoms as yet but i did have a full pantry.I went to my local butchers this morning and the greengrocers and spent £60 i have enough meat and veg for 10days thats for 2 adults and 2 teenagers and 2 little ones. It only took me 20mins to do my shopping today, when i go to tesco it normally takes up half my day.

studentgirl_2

I must say I have loved reading this thread, and have spend a great deal of time chatting with my mates about avoiding the supermarkets, but I simply dont have the time. I read a really good book called ' confessions of an eco-shopper@ written by kate Lock and it was really good. Very real to normal life, and had me thinking about this thread.

As I said that I could not avoid the big four becase of time ( full time student nurse with 2kids) but I have made a pact with my self to only by fruit and veg form my local market, meat from the butcher and cheese/ham from the deli. I hate the way that the supermarkets make us feel that we need to buy all the stuff they want to sell us. I am very proud that becase of this my cleaning cupboard is now reduced to only a few products rather than full of goods that do the same stuff. Saved me loads of money too. thanks guys.

Sorry Iv rablled on now:D

KittyBoo_2

I've only just noticed this but I would like to join.
I've not ben anywhere since the Christmas shopping and think I can do this.
I buy my meat from a little butchers in Mansfield when I visit my mate.
I have a sack of potatoes in the pantry and I get fresh eggs each day from my 2 hens (most days anyway!)
I am lucky to live within walking distance of a market town which has fruit and veg stalls 6 days a week and I can get loo rolls etc from there too.
Milk from the local shop is £1.39 for 4 pints and I bake my own bread.
I'll see how it goes and look forward to reading this thread.
Great idea.

competitionscafe

Another good reason to use a local butcher or farm shop, this is a quote from a farmer who used to supply lamb to supermarkets:

"'Supplying supermarkets was a soul-destroying enterprise,' he says. 'There was never any feedback. No one seemed to care about quality. We were given rock-bottom prices for lamb, for example, which meant we had to cram as many sheep as we could into fields to get maximum yield.

Overstocking meant sheep were poorer quality. It was also bad for the environment, because the land was overgrazed. "
From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1104255/The-real-good-life-Lambs-kitchen-glorious-natural-grub--TV-Meet-family-beat-rat-race.html

(Found the link when I read the article on Britain's meanest man in the other thread)

I have read the Kate Lock book too, really enjoyed it.

She did a price comparison on her blog between supermarkets, box scheme, local greengrocer and local fruit and veg market (which York is lucky enough to have) and only the local market (non organic) was cheaper than the local box scheme, the supermarkets were all more expensive even when buying non-organic fuit and veg vs the organic fruit and veg in the box scheme: http://blog.klockworks.co.uk/blog/_archives/2008/9/7/3872286.html

"Cutting out supermarkets altogether can deliver even better value, according to some studies. Author Kate Lock found that her £16 organic box was between 23 and 64 per cent cheaper than equivalent produce at Tesco and Sainsbury in her home city of York this summer. Only non-organic produce at market stalls was cheaper, by up to 10 per cent. A survey in 2006 by the New Economics Foundation found that food at Queens Market in east London was 53 per cent cheaper than the local Asda."
From: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/the-big-question-what-do-supermarkets-claimed-price-cuts-really-amount-to-934138.html

greenbee

Caterina wrote: »

Greenbee, I used to subscribe to Ethical Consumer but after a couple of years I gave it up because I was feeling totally guilty for everything I was buying!

... I know the feeling ...

looby-loo_2

I mostly shop at the shops in the market, village and at a farm shop. Cheaper 'cos I just get what I need