Can I complain when cheaper lines are sold out?

recovering_spendaholic

do you have an Aldi near you? Their flour is only 52p and is IMO nicer than the supermarket value stuff, and I have never known it to be anywhere near sold out. Their dried fruit is also much cheaper than the branded or own brand non-value stuff and again is nicer. Their caster sugar is £1.10 as opposed to £1.97 in Tesco and Sainsburys.

In my Tesco the value baking things are nearly always out of stock - I got fed up looking for them in the end. In my Tesco also the stuff on offer is never in stock - and sometimes when it is in stock they don't mark it as special offer - the Cravendale was not marked three for two today, and the Vanish was still marked full price instead of £3. I think they want to discourage people from buying the value or offer stuff as they probably don't make any profit on it!

miggy

Alas, no Aldi - and now we've lost our Netto too, though I do like the Asda that's come in its place. Every now and then I can get to Aldi though so I must look out for the flour and the other things - they'd all store well.

Interesting what you say about the Tesco offers not being marked. I know they did a big price crash promotion some months ago and for a while it seemed like a good thing for the consumer but since then I've noticed some big price increases (ratatoille went from 49p to 69p and stayed there) and some see-sawing prices - particularly the cheapest tinned tomatoes.

I'll look out for Aldi, Lidl and Farmfoods too - there must be some around but just not here (country town).

tiff

99p stores have sugar, brown or white for 65p for 750g. I think it is finer than usual granulated sugar so I have used it for baking and its fine. I have posted this on several different threads lately so sorry if you all know this lol

miggy

tiff wrote: »

99p stores have sugar, brown or white for 65p for 750g. I think it is finer than usual granulated sugar so I have used it for baking and its fine. I have posted this on several different threads lately so sorry if you all know this lol

Ah, I love brown sugar in baking! Thanks.

Middy

miggy wrote: »

Well, it's not a huge department and the gaps were quite large - so I would have liked to have seen a member of staff taking notice, whereas there were actually three of the staff restocking the biscuits - literally shoulder to shoulder and chattering away so that annoyed me, but of course from what I've already written no one could be expected to know that.

I think the price difference was what annoyed me more, though. It wasn't just an extra 5p or so.

It could be the case of there is no work for the home baking section to put out. Or the home baking section delivery will happen later on in the day.

You can ask someone on customer services to find out the next delivery date of the products you need or if there is an actual supply issue.

At Sainsburys, the out of stocks are highlighted on the rollers and pallets that are delivered. So as soon as they are put into the warehouse, one of the grocery lads, sifts through them and picks out the OOSs and puts them out first. As well as customers wanting them, we get checked about once a fortnight with a mystery customer doing a mystery shopping list.

StuartMacpherson

miggy wrote: »

Tiff - that's a good price for Naans, thanks you! Will keep an eye open for them now we have an Asd@ in reach.

If you have a quality save/Home bargins near you they sell them for 59p as well. Also sell part baked rolls and stuff for similar price.

miggy

StuartMacpherson wrote: »

If you have a quality save/Home bargins near you they sell them for 59p as well. Also sell part baked rolls and stuff for similar price.

I looked up HB recently because a friend on these boards mentioned it. I've yet to find one in reach, sadly. You can be sure I'll swoop if ever I come within range of one! Quality Save is new to me but i take it that it's similar?

Middy wrote: »

It could be the case of there is no work for the home baking section to put out. Or the home baking section delivery will happen later on in the day.

You can ask someone on customer services to find out the next delivery date of the products you need or if there is an actual supply issue.

At Sainsburys, the out of stocks are highlighted on the rollers and pallets that are delivered. So as soon as they are put into the warehouse, one of the grocery lads, sifts through them and picks out the OOSs and puts them out first. As well as customers wanting them, we get checked about once a fortnight with a mystery customer doing a mystery shopping list.

Thanks Middy - a very practical way to deal with it. I don't know if our Tesco runs a similar scheme or not.

By the way - your signature is amazing - well done! :T:T:T

StuartMacpherson

miggy wrote: »

I looked up HB recently because a friend on these boards mentioned it. I've yet to find one in reach, sadly. You can be sure I'll swoop if ever I come within range of one! Quality Save is new to me but i take it that it's similar?

They're exactly the same store just 2 diff names... I think Home Bargins just has more home stuff, but the same amount of food...

miggy

StuartMacpherson wrote: »

They're exactly the same store just 2 diff names... I think Home Bargins just has more home stuff, but the same amount of food...

Ah! (Penny drops). Thanks.

miggy

Just to round this thread off: I was in the supermarket this morning and the lines I wanted were fully stocked again. There were still three gaps in the shelves but not for the items I wanted yesterday.

Later I had a phone call from Mr T, checking they had understood my complaint rightly, asking if there was often a shortage of 'value' items in that shop (there isn't - though I don't know what value lines they might do that I've not seen, IYSWIM), and suggesting that they contact the branch to suggest they look at keeping that area better stocked.

All in all quite fair I thought.