Increased food wastage at Co-op!!

Feral_Moon

I usually pop down my local Co-op around this time of evening to bag a few bargains in the reduced produce section. Usually pick up bread for 10p a loaf, veggies/salad for 20p a pack and meat/fish/pies etc for 30p.

Well, the last few evenings I've gone in and reductions have been just 20p-30p off the original price despite being on their last use-by date an hour before the shop closes. I put it down to lazy staff at first and walked away as I wasn't prepared to pay almost full price for items at the end of their shelf life.

Anyway, tonight it was the same again. The fridge was packed with all manner of fresh food dated today (9th Jan) yet still hadn't had a second reduction to clear them at end of day. I asked the checkout guy what time they were doing second reduction and he told me there wasn't going to be one!

Apparently, it's new policy (not sure whether store specific or nationwide) not to make huge reductions and staff aren't allowed to override the gun price. So, huge piles of edible food are now ending up in the bins every night as no one is buying the higher price reductions.

I'm absolutely disgusted at this, especially in light of Hugh's War On Waste campaign!

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/shopping/2015/11/guest-comment-hugh-fearnley-whittingstalls-war-on-waste

Has anyone else experienced the same at their local Co-op or is just my local store's manager being a complete (text removed by MSE Forum Team)?

tomtontom

Maybe they're sick of the same old people turning up to raid the reductions? You're not profitable to the store so they wish to discourage your business. It wouldn't be the first retailer to take this step.

Personally I would rather see the food go to a homeless shelter than be sold off at rock bottom prices, but that isn't always practical.

Feral_Moon

tomtontom wrote: »

Maybe they're sick of the same old people turning up to raid the reductions? You're not profitable to the store so they wish to discourage your business. It wouldn't be the first retailer to take this step.

Personally I would rather see the food go to a homeless shelter than be sold off at rock bottom prices, but that isn't always practical.

Oh I'm extremely profitable to the store as I spend around £50 a week in there, but like everyone else, I also like to bag a bargain to even things out. I don't just go in there for the reduced price stuff but maybe now I just won't bother going in at all.

And I wouldn't mind if the food was going to a homeless shelter but it's not, it gets binned at the end of day, or first thing the following morning to prevent bin raiders taking it.

paddyrg

By setting an expectation that the goods will be reduced to pennies, they actually prevent you from purchasing at the less reduced price earlier in the day. Seems a good way to re educate customers not to wait until it's closing time

DCFC79

Do you actually know the food is binned rather than recycled eg used as bio waste like what Sainsburies do.

Feral_Moon

paddyrg wrote: »

By setting an expectation that the goods will be reduced to pennies, they actually prevent you from purchasing at the less reduced price earlier in the day. Seems a good way to re educate customers not to wait until it's closing time

But the items they reduce don't currently sell at full price during the day because they're overpriced. Hence why the reduced section was rammed full of stuff today. Nobody will pay full price, and now we won't pay the higher reduced price. So it ends up in landfill.

Reduced profits all round. I won't bother shopping there again now I know what they're up to. As I said before, if the food was going to a good cause I'd be fully supportive. The guy at checkout tonight is equally disgusted. He's refused to fear the shelves and leave it for the manager to do in the morning.

Feral_Moon

DCFC79 wrote: »

Do you actually know the food is binned rather than recycled eg used as bio waste like what Sainsburies do.

Yes, I know the staff personally. Rather than bin waste at night (when bin raiders can rescue edible food) they do it the following morning so it gets buried beneath packaging.

DCFC79

Email the co op and tell them your views.

The Co Op have signed an agreement to send any food waste to Fareshare, so either someone isn't actioning this or the staff you have asked aren't in the know that the waste goes to Fareshare.

If your entirely sure it is just binned then email the Co Op as I say.

Feral_Moon

DCFC79 wrote: »

Email the co op and tell them your views.

I've already contemplated this but I wanted to investigate whether it's a nationwide practice or down to the store manager. The fact staff can't override the prices given out on their guns makes me think this isn't store specific.

I might check out the stores in neighbouring villages first and ask what their policy is. But I won't be letting this rest. Not because I can no longer get cheap food but because loads of edible food is unnecessarily ending up in landfill.

I HATE WASTE!! :mad:

Takeaway_Addict

Feral_Moon wrote: »

I've already contemplated this but I wanted to investigate whether it's a nationwide practice or down to the store manager. The fact staff can't override the prices given out on their guns makes me think this isn't store specific.

I might check out the stores in neighbouring villages first and ask what their policy is. But I won't be letting this rest. Not because I can no longer get cheap food but because loads of edible food is unnecessarily ending up in landfill.

I HATE WASTE!! :mad:

You obviously have nothing better to do in life, as mentioned a simple email to HO would action it quicker for less hassle.

Feral_Moon

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

You obviously have nothing better to do in life, as mentioned a simple email to HO would action it quicker for less hassle.

Nothing better to do in life??? :rotfl:

It's hardly a chore to visit stores I pass daily. I'd rather check with other local stores first before making a fuss at HO as to whether this is an isolated case or nationwide policy. Hence why I posted here, hoping others might share their experience too.

Do you shop at the Co-op? If so, what is your store's policy on reduction and waste?