Local green grocer.

DPJames

Has anyone else, like me, tried using their local green grocer or fruiterer, and found that they were much more expensive and that the quality was deplorable?

Bananas for example. 68p a Kilo in most supermarkets, but an astronomical £1.86 in the fruiterer, and they were all about to go black!
Those big, crunchy red apples (my kids call them
'Snow White apples'), they work out about 60p each in the supermarket, but 80p in the little shop.
And as for stuff like melons and pineapples, OMG!

I really do want to use the little shops. But when they're prices are on another planet, never mind the same playing field, well, it's hard isn't it?

geordie_joe

DPJames wrote: »

Has anyone else, like me, tried using their local green grocer or fruiterer, and found that they were much more expensive and that the quality was deplorable?

Yes, my local Morrisons has an independent green grocer opposite, which I pass four times a day most days. It is more expensive than the supermarkets and the quality is not as good. They have also started selling a lot of stuff in bowls for £1. But when I look at them, then go into Morrisons I find £1 will get me a lot more in Morrisons.

A girl I currently work with used to work in that green grocers and she said she would never buy anything in there because they buy 2nd class stuff and sell it for 1st class prices.

DPJames

Sounds about right Joe. Manky lettuce, soggy cucumber, soft tomatoes. Horrible stuff. No thanks. I throw better stuff out at home!

meg72

My nearest fruit and veg shop is a 45 min bus ride away so I don't often go but when I can I like to support them reasonable prices and good quality. if they were nearer I would use them in preference to the supermarket.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

the problem independents have, they need people to buy off them to keep the fruit/veg/produce turning over to keep fresh..


obviously they haven't got the buying power of the big supermarkets..


Its a hard balance....for the customer AND the independent seller

DPJames

I take your point Chick. But to me it's easy. If the green grocer was cheaper, and the quality just as good or better, then I, and no doubt many others, would go there.
But while the product is only fit for the bin, and it costs a lot more, I'll continue going to the supermarket.

Strange how the butcher seems to do alright though. Price is roughly the same, little bit more, little bit less sometimes. And the quality is tip top! So I often use them.

gs1647

My local market stall is much cheaper than supermarkets and for the most part fresher and better quality for fruit and veg in season.

PlutoinCapricorn

gs1647 wrote: »

My local market stall is much cheaper than supermarkets and for the most part fresher and better quality for fruit and veg in season.

I agree: I try to avoid supermarkets myself. Farmers' markets and street markets are a very good alternative.

BakerBoy

Indys are usually a lot cheaper when it comes to seasonal British produce. There is no way they can compete on imported stuff like pineapples, bananas etc as supermarkets buy them by the container. I only buy seasonal veg from a farm shop (which doesn't sell just its own produce) as supermarkets are almost always more expensive.

Meat is a bit different - if your meat is British then the labour cost will be British. Butchers can compete on price, but so many choose to sell decent meat as it gives them a point of difference. Supermarket suppliers cut corners (literally choose not to take certain meat from a carcass as the labour cost outweighs the profitability of selling the meat) and I'm not comfortable with that kind of waste. So I only buy from a butcher.

Fredula

Last week I spent £2.25 on a punnet of white and black grapes in Sbury's (they had about 3 days to them). On saturday I popped in the greengrocers and spent £2.80something on a punnet of white and black grapes, 1 braeburn and 3 bananas. The green grapes are a but mushy inside, but the black grapes are fine. The bananas are still very yellow and look good, and so does the apple. I'll definitely be shopping there again.