What universal pricing ?

Edwardia

Recently, Sainsbury's had 24 organic Weetabix online for 2.48, in my nearest Sainsbury's they were 2.69 Today, ASDA had organic tinned tomatoes 400g 75p on the website, in my local store yesterday they were 79p. Neither were offer prices.

It seems to me that far from experiencing universal pricing supermarkets signed up to (not sure ASDA did in the end?) sometimes the prices we see on the websites are inaccurate and misleading.

OK, maybe in the furthest reaches of Scottish islands prices are justified in being higher because of the journey, but should there be a 21p difference between website and local store in the South East ?

A tin of beans is a tin of beans. In my opinion, the price shouldn't be what the supermarket thinks it can get away with charging, nor should we pay the transport costs which they can write off against tax as a legitimate business expense.

Anyone know of any more examples of food that differs in price between stores or store and website ?

Trading Standards says that companies CAN charge different prices in different stores but to me, that's morally unfair.

Have you experienced this ?

HappyMJ

When browsing the Sainsburys and Asda websites did you register and let them know your local store so the pricing was accurate.

Yes I do see different pricing in different Sainsburys...the reason in my case is the store size big Sainsburys is cheap and small Sainsburys is a little more expensive on some items.

Who buys organic weetabix anyway? It's not fortified with vitamins and minerals. Niacin, Iron, Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Folic Acid.

stephen77

Edwardia wrote: »

It seems to me that far from experiencing universal pricing supermarkets signed up to (not sure ASDA did in the end?) sometimes the prices we see on the websites are inaccurate and misleading.

OK, maybe in the furthest reaches of Scottish islands prices are justified in being higher because of the journey, but should there be a 21p difference between website and local store in the South East ?

A tin of beans is a tin of beans. In my opinion, the price shouldn't be what the supermarket thinks it can get away with charging, nor should we pay the transport costs which they can write off against tax as a legitimate business expense.

Anyone know of any more examples of food that differs in price between stores or store and website ?

Trading Standards says that companies CAN charge different prices in different stores but to me, that's morally unfair.

Have you experienced this ?

Small local shops, motorway services stations, garage stores often charge more than the large stores.

Wether selling in far reaches of scotland or central london the price for product x sold in a metro store will be the same.
There will be fixed amounts for distribtion. It will be to complex to price every product individually. The big supermarkets will have distribtion centres in scotland and quite a lot of food is made up north anwyay. So some products will cost more in distribtion to send to London than scotland.

With out reading the universal pricing. WIll there be clauses based on store size.
The large supermarkets stores main competitors will be the other big supermarkets.
While the small stores main competitors will be londis, budgens who typically charge more than the big supermarkets. Thus priced accordingly.

stephen77

HappyMJ wrote: »

Who buys organic weetabix anyway? It's not fortified with vitamins and minerals. Niacin, Iron, Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Folic Acid.

Some one who choose organic over non-organic.
Edwardia diet may be quite high in those vitamin as I think she has quite a bit of meat and veggies in her diet.

Edwardia

Yes am registered with ASDA, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose mysupermarket is showing the ASDA tomatoes at 75p too

Organic Weetabix isn't 'fortified' with vitamins because additives aren't allowed in organic food. Organic Weetabix is 95% organic wholegrain wheat with organic malted barley extract, organic sugar and salt. Nothing else. I don't eat cereals myself but husband loves Weetabix and prefers the organic.

Since discovering that the plain pork loin chops husband bought in Tesco in March contained sodium acetate, glucose syrup and 11% added water, with nothing on the front of the pack to indicate this, husband and I have gone totally organic/additive free.

As stephen77 says I eat a lot of veggies as well as eggs, dairy, meat, fish, poultry, game - all of it either organic or wild where possible or at least additive free if not.

Edwardia

I haven't found anything that specifies what this universal pricing will mean in detail and I think it's only voluntary at the moment.

stephen77

Edwardia wrote: »

Since discovering that the plain pork loin chops husband bought in Tesco in March contained sodium acetate, glucose syrup and 11% added water, with nothing on the front of the pack to indicate this, husband and I have gone totally organic/additive free.
.

Did it say on back / inside of pack it contained sodium acetate glucose sryup etc?

HappyMJ

stephen77 wrote: »

Did it say on back / inside of pack it contained sodium acetate glucose sryup etc?

Yes...

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=268052470

Pork (89%),Water ,Dried Glucose Syrup ,Salt ,Preservative (Sodium Acetate) ,Antioxidant (Sodium Citrate, Sodium Ascorbate)

stephen77

HappyMJ wrote: »

Yes...

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=268052470

Pork (89%),Water ,Dried Glucose Syrup ,Salt ,Preservative (Sodium Acetate) ,Antioxidant (Sodium Citrate, Sodium Ascorbate)

I would say fair enough if its on the back of pack and website.
Personall i do not want to much info on front of the pack.

Save ingredients decs for back of pack.

Edwardia

I guess I was naive in thinking if it said pork loin steak on the front that it IS 100% pork loin steak not 89% It's plain meat after all not chicken McNuggets (45% chicken).

Added water for succulence is complete rubbish, it just means more profit for Tesco. I checked the Sainsbury's, ASDA and Waitrose equivalents and called them and none of them add all those additives or water to pork.

If other supermarkets ARE giving 100% pork no additives no water for non-organic pork then Tesco should be able to do it too.

Just convinced me that whatever it says, Tesco is more interested in profit than being upfront about things. How many people bother to read the back packaging before buying ?

Also, as someone with diabetes I don't assume that plain pork will contain glucose syrup because it doesn't naturally and look at all the sodiums on the front of the chemicals.

frugal_shopper_2

Organic food does not always mean additive free Sodium Acetate is the only ingredient mentioned in the pork chops which could not be added to organic foods although a 100% organic diet would almost certainly contain numerous foods with natural forms of it.
Organic glucose syrup is a commonly used ingredient as are salt & water. Sodium Citrate & Sodium Ascorbate are both amongst the permitted additives for organic foods. The full list of permitted additives can be found here:
http://www.faia.org.uk/food-choices/organic-food/