Be cautious with value lines

Edwardia

maman wrote: »

Today I only needed a small shop and as I'd not been well I decided to do it all in Sainsbury's instead of shopping around as I'd normally do. Just two examples: SS milk £1.29 for 4 pints, bread £1.50. I know that Iceland has the self same bread and probably the self same milk for £1 each so that's 79p ripped off on just two items. That's before I even think about comparing veg prices with Aldi. Fortunately, my ailments are temporary but it just shows how vulnerable people are who can't shop around....unless you're George Osborne of course, I've never seen him in Iceland!:rotfl:

I live within walking distance of Iceland, so I could buy milk there if they carried organic. My mother would have to pay parking charges in her nearest town centre to get to Iceland which would be more than the 79p so for her it wouldn't be worth doing when she can park for free at Sainsbury's.

A._Badger

stephen77 wrote: »

M&S and waitrose normally hold the key to price rises.
JS want to be cheaper than waitrose and M&S. thus JS do not increase there price rise until Waitrose & M&S have.
Tesco, Morrison & asda do not want to cost more than JS. So they have to wait for JS to increase there prices.
Thats is top line summary of how it works.

The smaller retailers will vary depending on who they see as there main competitor.

I can quote an example that strongly suggests you are wrong. Twice in the past year, own brand vodka prices have been increased significantly - not as a consequence of VAT or duty increases.

On both occasions the rises were triggered by Tesco and within a week the others (Sainsbury's first) had followed suit.

Tesco is the benchmark they work against. If Tesco thinks it can get away with an increase, the rest will follow.

Edwardia

This is why I think Tesco has too much control over prices.

HappyMJ

A._Badger wrote: »

I can quote an example that strongly suggests you are wrong. Twice in the past year, own brand vodka prices have been increased significantly - not as a consequence of VAT or duty increases.

On both occasions the rises were triggered by Tesco and within a week the others (Sainsbury's first) had followed suit.

Tesco is the benchmark they work against. If Tesco thinks it can get away with an increase, the rest will follow.

Tesco Value Vodka @ £9.85 is a product that I will not purchase. Single distilled...no chance. It got a -174 on hotukdeals as an extremely bad product similar to paint stripper.

The triple distilled Tesco Vodka 700ml @ £11.20 is a much better product...but for only 7% more I can pick up Smirnoff Vodka @ £12.00 I'll be picking Smirnoff based on today's pricing.

LittleMax

stephen77 wrote: »

M&S and waitrose normally hold the key to price rises.
JS want to be cheaper than waitrose and M&S. thus JS do not increase there price rise until Waitrose & M&S have.
Tesco, Morrison & asda do not want to cost more than JS. So they have to wait for JS to increase there prices.
Thats is top line summary of how it works.

The smaller retailers will vary depending on who they see as there main competitor.

Completely @r$e about face!

Tesco hold the power, because of the volumes they buy, they put pressure on the suppliers to reduce prices. Tesco then offer cheaper prices, and others have to follow. Asda and Morrisons first as their customers are generally more price sensitive and are more likely to shop around. JS customers are traditionally a little more loyal, but will eventually shift and so then they have to come down too, and finally M&S and Waitrose don't have to react quite as quickly, but gone are the days when they could sit back complacent knowing that their shoppers would pay over the odds for perceived better service!

MrsBartolozzi

Enterprise_1701C wrote: »

I saw this with "value" grapes earlier in the year. Can't quite remember when, but was buying them regularly for 99p for a 500g pack. They then went up to £1.25 so I did not buy them, they then went up to £1.50, and last week they were £1.75. I think this was within the space of about 2 months.

I personally do not buy fruit and veg in any of the big 4 now, I have a Lidl and an Aldi just down the road and their fresh produce is far better anyway. Only ever go to a big supermarket for things I can't get in either of those two now.

You've got to remember that fruit and veg has its season. Nowhere in the northern hemisphere has grapes in season right now so they are probably flown in from Chile or some other south American country. It does not surprise me that these would cost more than some trucked in from France or Spain in the summer.
The price of all fruit and veg will fluctuate as the season's output grows making it cheaper, then more expensive as there's less left, but more demand. I expect it will happen again this year too. I tend to only buy grapes in August and September when they are cheapest, because they are in season in Europe.

iris

MrsBartolozzi wrote: »

You've got to remember that fruit and veg has its season. Nowhere in the northern hemisphere has grapes in season right now so they are probably flown in from Chile or some other south American country. It does not surprise me that these would cost more than some trucked in from France or Spain in the summer.
The price of all fruit and veg will fluctuate as the season's output grows making it cheaper, then more expensive as there's less left, but more demand. I expect it will happen again this year too. I tend to only buy grapes in August and September when they are cheapest, because they are in season in Europe.

I have also been buying these value grapes at 98p for 500g, and noticed the price rises.

I also noticed that when buying at the lower price that some of the grapes came from both Chile and America. Therefore, I too don't understand the price rise.

stephen77

A._Badger wrote: »

I can quote an example that strongly suggests you are wrong. Twice in the past year, own brand vodka prices have been increased significantly - not as a consequence of VAT or duty increases.

On both occasions the rises were triggered by Tesco and within a week the others (Sainsbury's first) had followed suit.

Tesco is the benchmark they work against. If Tesco thinks it can get away with an increase, the rest will follow.

read the part where I said "top line".
There will be individual cases of products changing price.

Plus will vary a little on the manufacturer. If eg js and tesco use the same manufacturer, it may depend on that companies ability to source the raw material. If they are using other suppliers to each other with eg on in the UK and other in Euro zone, it may be down to exchange rate movements. Thus one will have to move sooner.
But generally the top line is the order I mentioned above.

stephen77

LittleMax wrote: »

Completely @r$e about face!

Tesco hold the power, because of the volumes they buy, they put pressure on the suppliers to reduce prices. Tesco then offer cheaper prices, and others have to follow. Asda and Morrisons first as their customers are generally more price sensitive and are more likely to shop around. JS customers are traditionally a little more loyal, but will eventually shift and so then they have to come down too, and finally M&S and Waitrose don't have to react quite as quickly, but gone are the days when they could sit back complacent knowing that their shoppers would pay over the odds for perceived better service!

I think your @rse about face are the wrong way round.
This is about price rises. Not prices decreases.

If this was not the cases. Why have meeting outcomes about prices rises when food inflation was running high.
The results of the meeting being, we are waiting for M&S/waitrose to put there prices up before we can increase our prices to maintain our margins.

gailey_2

Edwardia I know you strict to organic principles I commend that but the

customer who buys value is generally not same customer base as those who buy value.

A lot of people I know who buy organic are fickle and will trade down to non organic alternative.

There is a bit about buying certain fruits in season.
Im keen forager and have small veg patch but due to poor weather uk in 2012 most of what I buy has to be imported.

I do find organic in reduced sections.
when my eldest was little she had nothing non organic pre age 2 and food bill went up. Been bit more relaxed with other 2.

But saying that got reduced milk other day in co-op 89p for 4pinter.
I used to find my milkman had most competative price on organic milk and firms like able and cole and waitrose/ocado often have deals on organics.


Check out local farm shops shops sometimes they have offers.

Im guessing organics not that im farming expert is more labour intensive and higher failure rate than no organic crops I say that as find controlling slugs on veg patch hard.

Iceland were sadly the forefront of gm and tried organics yet it failed as dident appeal to their customer base.

I only but free range /freedom poultry and free range eggs but get all these reduced.

My butcher loves to tell me he has organic cows he finds my principles amusing.

I would like to be greener in 2013 if budget allows.

A lot as we mentioned really is down to

time
distance and expense of shopping around.

Noticed most deprived areas of city here have 2retailers

iceland-frozen ready meals not cheapest way to feed family granted they have some useful stuff milk, bread, frozen veg but much of its junk and prepackaged. I l worked in some very deprived areas where many never seem to cook from scratch or know ho to reduce shopping bill.
The healthy start vouchers can be used to buy fruit and veg as ell as milk but in reality few did.

With regards to bread cant say recently but used to be from allied and same size 400g loaf as other big 4kingsmill and was on multibuy 2 for £2 last time I checked. Reason they do this is deal with supplier not sure if they reduced size of loaf, farmfoods does similar with hovis which is british bakeries. the reatiler could for example get exclusive size packs from the supplier iceland often did from warbertons and youngs amongst others.

co-op-not cheap ok for deals and reductions.

Geographically certain chains dominate here I would say Sainsburys has most branches and Tesco has the biggest stores followed by Asda. Others are darted around spaced out some dont really have full city coverage -we have 2farm foods not exactly close to me but I make the trip but factor in petrol to get there.

poundshops becoming easier as more open but most concentrated city centre and buses/parking expensive.I have to be going to town for other stuff to justify it.

There was programme about poundshops a month ago c4 I think being bad value but not all items are i still find them competative for oxo and other basic stuff herbs just not so great for crisps/cereals.Like anywhere its being selective.

I do think supermarkets reguarly check each others prices.
Also cutomers reporting prices probably logged.
so yes to some degree all value baby wipes are 46p is a fix.
I cant get wetwipes cheaper even at £1 shop.
now i trade up to own brand as diffence is not huge and quality is better.

I find £1 shop cleaning items better value in trems of quality than buying supermarket value washing up liquid when £1 shop sells huge morning fresh 1litre with extra free.

I used to like sainsburys value foil 30p but cant seem to find it anymore.

The toilet roll changed from 4small value rolls to 6jumbo rolls.

There are shops usually at payday where i may buy in bulk or buy multibuy to get good value.

But there is the dreaded week before payday when i have £10 or less in purse and have to stretch that money to buy everythiing we need its then i miss the 4pack value toiliet roll think was something like 50p and sainsbury value washing powder bigger box £1.50possiby higher havent checked in a while when i just want older sized small box which was £1 possibly less.

I go co-op to get squash as the smaller bottle of double concentrate value squash is 34 p and sees us though for few days.

See its those days when really short that value comes into its own.The fact its smaller and less value insignificant then all im bothered about is getting max amount of groceries for whatever money I have.