Sainsbury Local high prices

cisko65

Hi
I currently shop at Sainsbury Locals as I can walk there. I usually don't go because prices are much higher than the big stores or because I order online. I guess the Locals have higher expenses, but I find paying much more for basic stuff, such as bread, milk and vegetable, is not fair at this moment in time. (Same thing with local corner shops but that is always like that). Any suggestions for complaining about this?
Thanks

sliphi

cisko65 said:

Hi
I currently shop at Sainsbury Locals as I can walk there. I usually don't go because prices are much higher than the big stores or because I order online. I guess the Locals have higher expenses, but I find paying much more for basic stuff, such as bread, milk and vegetable, is not fair at this moment in time. (Same thing with local corner shops but that is always like that). Any suggestions for complaining about this?
Thanks

Demonstrate your dissatisfaction by not giving patronage to those stores you are not prepared to pay the prices they are asking.

mattyprice4004

Smaller stores have a higher percentage of overheads, more staff per £ generated and these both need to be supported by higher prices.

If you don't like, venture to a bigger supermarket or have a home delivery arranged - you can't force a business to make a loss because you don't like their pricing. 
It's like smaller petrol stations charge more for the same reasons - try going in there and arguing that Asda does fuel for 10p a litre cheaper; you won't get far! 

neilmcl

cisko65 said:

Hi
I currently shop at Sainsbury Locals as I can walk there. I usually don't go because prices are much higher than the big stores or because I order online. I guess the Locals have higher expenses, but I find paying much more for basic stuff, such as bread, milk and vegetable, is not fair at this moment in time. (Same thing with local corner shops but that is always like that). Any suggestions for complaining about this?
Thanks

Sainsbury's Locals have always had slightly higher prices form some things than their main stores. As mentioned, if you want to do something then vote with your feet, maybe try a local, independent convenience store instead.

yksi

It's called Economy of Scale. They still have to have 3 staff members on the premises even when there are no shoppers to pay their wages. This rarely happens in the big stores, so items can be sold cheaper. It's called a convenience store for a reason, it's there for your convenience, not there to save you money. If you want the big-store bargains then go to the big store.

Complaining is pointless and also very selfish, I can assure you that every manager and every call centre staff member is up to their eyeballs with useless customer feedback right now when they are already under terrible pressure with all the chaos going on, when half their colleagues are self-isolating and they still have to come to work to answer complaints like this, scared that they will catch it and worried for their kids and relatives at home. I have worked 13 out of the past 14 days and we still have to smile when the 20th person today is asking if we have eggs. As a shopper, all you see is hand gel, arrows on the floor and signs everywhere to leave 2m spaces, but believe me, every person from the cleaner up to the general manager is under tremendous stress right now, so if you can find it in your heart to be kind right now, then don't make the complaint.

Undervalued

cisko65 said:

Hi
I currently shop at Sainsbury Locals as I can walk there. I usually don't go because prices are much higher than the big stores or because I order online. I guess the Locals have higher expenses, but I find paying much more for basic stuff, such as bread, milk and vegetable, is not fair at this moment in time. (Same thing with local corner shops but that is always like that). Any suggestions for complaining about this?
Thanks

No!

It is called a convenience store. You pay for the convenience or put up with the inconvenience of going further afield and get cheaper prices!

Tesco Express tend to do it a little by mainly stocking more brand names rather than own brand. So Heinz baked beans for quite a bit more than you could have bought Tesco baked beans at a bigger shop.

cisko65

Thanks to all the replies.  
''I currently shop at Sainsbury Locals as I can walk there. I usually don't go because prices are much higher than the big stores or because I order online.'' What I meant was I currently cannot get to bigger Sainsbury because I do not want to get public transport and it's too far to walk there. And at this time it is not possible to order online. And convenience shops charges too much for full shopping.
I rest my case.

LilElvis

cisko65 said:

Thanks to all the replies.  
''I currently shop at Sainsbury Locals as I can walk there. I usually don't go because prices are much higher than the big stores or because I order online.'' What I meant was I currently cannot get to bigger Sainsbury because I do not want to get public transport and it's too far to walk there. And at this time it is not possible to order online. And convenience shops charges too much for full shopping.
I rest my case.

You could get to your, cheaper, bigger branch of Sainsburys - you are just choosing not to, and that comes at a price. I am choosing to do all of my food shopping at Marks and Spencer because it is well stocked and there are no queues and I accept that this comes at a greater cost than going to the local Tesco Extra where I would be queuing for ages and then jostling with the masses now treating food shopping as the equivalent of a "family day out". I won't go near our Tesco Express unless it's absolutely essential - not because of the prices but the fact that they're queuing round the block. It's hardly as if the food retailers are profiteering as I've seen no increase in prices and I think they are to be applauded for the measures they have put in place to safeguard both their customers and staff. We should be applauding the supermarket staff - they're under huge pressure and are still serving, still smiling even though they are putting themselves at far greater risk than those of us who are safely at home for the majority of the time or are able to work with far less personal contact.

cisko65

I am choosing not to go to the bigger stores because they are 2-3 miles away and I am not too keen on using public transport at the moment. I don't expect to get bargains in smaller Sainsbury/Tesco etc. but at this very difficult time I cannot afford their extra cost. People are working very hard in the stores, fair enough, but supermarkets are also experiencing the biggest ever period of growth. That's why I do not find asking for better prices absurd and selfish.

LilElvis

cisko65 said:

I am choosing not to go to the bigger stores because they are 2-3 miles away and I am not too keen on using public transport at the moment. I don't expect to get bargains in smaller Sainsbury/Tesco etc. but at this very difficult time I cannot afford their extra cost. People are working very hard in the stores, fair enough, but supermarkets are also experiencing the biggest ever period of growth. That's why I do not find asking for better prices absurd and selfish.

I very much doubt they are experiencing huge growth. They had a few weeks when everyone went mad and filled their fridges/ freezers and cupboards but they're all full now, so people are just replenishing/ supplementing now. The queues now are purely as a result of social distancing measures and the limiting of the number of shoppers allowed into store at any given time. Extra staff (at a cost) are supervising these measures and yet more resources are being put into a massive increase in the demand for online ordering - costs which far exceed the delivery charge they levy. Your disinclination to travel clearly outweighs the additional costs that is the result - you can hardly gripe about something wholly within your control.

diggingdude

cisko65 said:

I am choosing not to go to the bigger stores because they are 2-3 miles away and I am not too keen on using public transport at the moment. I don't expect to get bargains in smaller Sainsbury/Tesco etc. but at this very difficult time I cannot afford their extra cost. People are working very hard in the stores, fair enough, but supermarkets are also experiencing the biggest ever period of growth. That's why I do not find asking for better prices absurd and selfish.

Get a bike then and go somewhere cheaper