Sainsbury's new 'Nectar Prices' scheme

kfsimpson

You’re clearly all more seasoned Sainsbury’s shoppers than I am. Thanks for all your explanations and suggestions. I usually buy only one product there, and go in once every month or so and buy multiples of it. On this occasion the app offered me this reduction on an item I had previously purchased when it was on standard offer. I had six items in total, don’t use a bag or basket and carry my items in my hand, hence why I don’t want to carry and use the gun. I can see the claimed benefits if you’re using a trolley, or even carrying a basket/bag and buying multiple items, but it just doesn’t work for me. I think the answer will be to select my items, take them to the self serve, leave them there while I go to collect the gun and come back to use the gun. While I was talking to the supervisor the duty manager also came over and was trying to persuade me of the merits of ‘Smart shop’, and she did say that I don’t have to register my card with them and can just use it on the day.

I agree, soon all of what used to be in store offers and reductions will be going to loyalty card only prices. All the supermarkets are making the life of the shopper more difficult and trying!

stewartwilliams

I used my card by default anyway, so nothing really bothers me.
Always scan the card in my app.
Not bothered about data collection,  Everywhere we go on the net, scan anything etc. gives companies our data.
If they're interested in my avocado buying habits, let them enjoy knowing it!

Got a couple of Sainsbury near me in Manchester that don't have the guns (Sale and Denton for example).

Nice stocking up on Pringles for £1.25, or 39 Ariel or Fairy tablets for £5 though.  10 boxes and that's a year's worth of daily washes + a few extra for £50.  Saves £50+ and every little helps as Tesco used to say.

90% of the items don't interest me.  The 1kg boxes of Crunchy Nut don't fit in my cupboards, and my cereal containers aren't big enough anyway.  Might benefit families though.
I tend to buy own brand cereals that can be 1/2 the price of Kelloggs.  A lot of the time, no real difference.
  
Some stores have clear sections showing all the products on the Nectar price offer, whereas with some, it's a case of looking for the small shelf edge labels.

Nectar points are useful to me and I tend to convert them weekly to BA Avios.  That said, a lot of offers aren't worth it for what you get.

i.e.

60 points on a 2 pack of Avocados.  £1.60 a packet or 50p each at present.
Sainsbury mature cheese slices (went up from £2.75 to £3.15 in a week).  90 points (and £2.74 as a My Nectar price).  Better buying another brand at that price to be honest.
(occasionally things do overlap so I might have 60 points one week, and next Friday when my new offers come in, have another 60 points for the same item.  If I buy that item on the Friday, I get 2 x 60 points or 60 points and a price discount).
 
Do notice prices on the app are creeping up.  Was £1.64 for 2l of Cravendale milk last week on my mother's app, now £1.94 (2 for £4 at Tesco, so a 12p difference).
That said, prices do vary person to person as I've had the same item at 10p less than her offers.

I've got a Sainsbury Cheese and Onion quiche on my Nectar price offers at £2.51.
They're £2.50 on the shelf.
You're suppose to get the price difference as a voucher, but haven't had one in months, although not quibbling over 1p.


If any points etc. don't go on, I just complain on the Nectar chat and they get rectified that day or soon after.

Brie

I'm still annoyed that Sainsburys won't send me Nectar vouchers at all.  They send them to my OH who never uses them.  I've asked repeatedly that they be sent to me instead, am told it's all been sorted and then OH gets vouchers.   I'm at the point that I only go to them for 2 things - petrol when it's cheaper than Tesco and cherry airwaves gum as no one else seems to sell it.  

maman

Brie said:

I'm still annoyed that Sainsburys won't send me Nectar vouchers at all.  They send them to my OH who never uses them.  I've asked repeatedly that they be sent to me instead, am told it's all been sorted and then OH gets vouchers.   I'm at the point that I only go to them for 2 things - petrol when it's cheaper than Tesco and cherry airwaves gum as no one else seems to sell it.  

That's interesting @Brie. Exactly the he same thing here. DH and I have linked cards but they have different numbers. I really couldn't be bothered to queue at the fags/lottery/customer service desk to ask if I could use 'his' vouchers so I just borrow DH's card instead and scan that.

I like the smart shop as I can pack shopping as I go but how quickly you can get out depends on whether there is a staff member around to approve any wine purchases or to input the voucher manually as invariably it won't scan! 🤣

stewartwilliams

I use my mother's vouchers / till spits many times without any issues.  Not sure if it's due to the same surname or address the cards are registered at?

Have found random ones lying about that aren't accepted, although sometimes some 16yo staff member on the self service tills just overrides it.

angela110660

Always Smartshop at my local store and have for years. Can't stand having to unload trolley onto conveyor belt/reload bags when the system is not running for some reason. Such a faff.  Great shopping time saver too - can be in and out in nearly half the time. 

Sarahspangles

I fell out with Sainsbury's when they cancelled the Nectar points Double Up.  I can tell when I last used my Nectar card because  the offers are for things that I only buy at Christmas - thinking back DS did decide to stay a few more days which would explain why I was actually pushing a trolley in a physical store.  The Nectar algorithm can't be that smart if after four months it's still offering stuff I have demonstrated I don't want to buy.

I shop at Ocado - where it's possible to sort by 'price per' and then look at review scores to validate whether the cheaper product is edible or not.  It's as close as I'm going to get to shopping in an actual market where I can look at price and quality.