Buying local - I'm puzzled

Bogof_Babe

Have often read on here about how much cheaper it is to patronise your local butcher, greengrocer etc.

Apart from the fact that we don't really have any , I am puzzled as to how these small traders can charge less than the multiple supermarkets with their huge price negotiating power.

I don't doubt that local produce is better quality, but as regards money saving....???

competitionscafe

Because the supermarkets have to add on enough to make their billions in annual profit to keep their shareholders happy? And because even if the produce comes from a local producer it has to be trucked halfway across the county (fuel prices=££) then sorted, wrapped, priced and sent all the way back again?

Dunno really, but those would be 2 of my guesses... Local isn't always cheaper - depends where you go - my corner shop isn't cheaper than Tesco for basics like Curry powder, but the corner shop a bit further away sells Covent Garden soups for less than Tesco (except when Tesco has bogof which the manufacturer usually pays for apparently), my local butcher is cheaper than Tesco for some things and not for others (but at least I can ask my butcher where the meat comes from, how to cook it, etc) and the quality is better - you get what you pay for, organic fruit and veg is cheaper from my box scheme than it is at Tesco, but then it does come straight from the farm...

I think supermarkets sell some things cheap (like milk or baked beans as 'loss leaders') because most people will 'know' what the price is but other things they will sell with a big profit margin as you don't know how much that product 'usually' is? They also make big profits from so called added value products like bagged salads, chopped carrots, etc...

jezman_g

One word, babe - PROFITEERING. Undoubtedly, the supermarkets have huge price negotiating power, and they have the ability to screw the producers to obtain lower prices than local small traders. You make the widespread false assumption that they pass the savings on to the customer. Newsflash! They don't!

I find it hard to believe that you don't have any small local traders in Hereford. I challenge you: go out of your way to find your butcher, greengrocer, etc (they may be in a market) - take a pen and a pad. Write down a selection of prices of items that you usually buy. Then go to your supermarket and compare. Checking which is cheaper is as simple as that!

I feel passionately about this. Our most powerful weapon as individuals is our money. Where we choose to spend it will determine the future shape of shopping. It's pointless to blame the government and the supermarkets for the loss of small shops if you don't support them yourself.

Rant over. Enjoy eating better, and knowing the man that runs the shop.

Bogof_Babe

Phew! Well welcome to the boards Jezman, and thank you for your articulate reply.

Have to be honest - we do have a few local traders, but I have yet to find one that can match the prices of Sainsbury, Tesco or Morrisons for fresh produce.

I spent my working life at Bulmers the Hereford cider makers (now sadly bought out by a major brewing co.) and I know that all the supermarket bogofs etc. are actually paid for by suppliers, but that is incidental to my original point.

I think we are going to get on great . Do keep posting and try out the other boards too.

competitionscafe

jezman_g wrote:

I challenge you: go out of your way to find your butcher, greengrocer, etc (they may be in a market) - take a pen and a pad. Write down a selection of prices of items that you usually buy. Then go to your supermarket and compare. Checking which is cheaper is as simple as that!

Even simpler - check local prices then compare by logging onto Sainsburystoyou or Tesco.com, etc - you might be pleasantly surprised.

jezman_g wrote:

Enjoy eating better, and knowing the man that runs the shop.

Or woman, I enjoy having a little chat with local shopkeepers, they will also tell me what's good, what's coming in next week, they know what I like, will place special orders for me, etc, etc - try getting any of that in your local Tesco. And the last few times I have been in they keep steering me towards the self service machine (because I don't buy meat, fish or veg from there any more so only have a small basket) - so I don't even get to speak to a human being any more. I tried having a chat with the self service machine, but it was more along the lines of "why won't you scan the **&^ tin of flageolot beans you stupid *(&^% machine!"

jezman_g wrote:

I feel passionately about this. Our most powerful weapon as individuals is our money. Where we choose to spend it will determine the future shape of shopping. It's pointless to blame the government and the supermarkets for the loss of small shops if you don't support them yourself.

Well said! (and welcome to the forum)

Trow

Supermarkets regularly inflate the prices of the most popular lines - which include bread, chicken and potatoes. I think the price of potatoes in supermarkets is shocking - but as these are among the most popular lines they can increase the price and still sell as much of the time customers buy without looking at price tags.

Well - unless you are an old styler or MSE'r of course

competitionscafe

Trow wrote:

Supermarkets regularly inflate the prices of the most popular lines

I had a look at apples to see how they compared with a similar quantity of my organic box ones - I noticed Tesco had bags of organic apples on offer at 'half price' - reduced to 99p from £1.99 (for 5 apples!), then the offer ended - but the price stayed at 99p! (?) So the offer price wasn't that special as it is now the standard price and the previous higher price was double that!? What's that all about?

By the way, for comparison my bag of 5 apples in my organic box scheme works out at about £1 - but they are British (Tesco ones were New Zealand gala), taste nicer and are far more food miles friendly + no plastic packaging.

Bogof_Babe

I was put off earlier this year, when I asked a local butcher (with an excellent reputation) several days in advance, to arrange for me a couple of lbs of best casserolling lamb, cubed and fat trimmed, for a family celebration I was cooking for my mum's 90th birthday. My mum loves lamb and I wanted to treat her.

I went down on the day I'd said I would collect it, and the assistant waved vaguely at the mound of lamb in the front of shop chiller cabinet, from where another assistant weighed out the quantity I'd asked for (it was in their order book, 'cos I saw him check).

Anyway it was extremely fatty, with such tough skin that I hurt my hand trimming it, which took ages, and I was left with about two thirds of the weight I'd paid for. It wasn't very special when I'd cooked it either.

If I'd chosen a couple of packs from Sainsburys at least I would have been able to pick the least gristly ones.

paul_h

Living in the middle of nowhere (nearest supermarket is 10 miles away), we're lucky enough to have a fantastic mobile butcher who comes round in a van on Thursdays.

The meat he sells is similarly priced to the supermarkets, however the difference is that all of stuff he sells is produced locally - he can tell you exactly which farm anything has come from. The quality of the meat is far superior to anything we used to buy from any of the supermarkets, and there is absolutely no way we would go back to them to save a few pennies.

His processed meat products such as sausages, steak pies, real pork pies, etc, compare in price with the most expensive supermarket products. However, the difference in these is amazing - they're like you would make yourself. Quite frankly some of the cheap supermarket ones are only fit to feed to the dog...

Ask your butcher where the meat comes from - he should be able to tell you. Some of the high street butchers are now buying factory farmed meat from cheapest wholesaler they can find in order to compete with the supermarkets.

Every week, I always have a shopping list of stuff to purchase for other family members who live miles away, they're also hooked...

Spendless

I live in a town with a large market on 3 times a week. I stopped buying meat many years ago from the supermarket. I regularly buy 3 joints for £10 (last ones were 2 beef and 1 large pork), on occassions this has included a joint of English Lamb. I find the butchers knowledgable and friendly and happy to offer advice.

Vegetables have been fine too from our market. Fruit I've had more of a problem with and I now avoid a particular stall as I've had rotten fruit on more than one occassion.

powie69

bogof-babe - I know what you mean, as I live in hereford to and find it hard to just get all my shopping from one butcher, greengrocer etc. I find that the butchers behind Boots (Bewell Square) do very nice pork chops which are value for money, and also the farmers market which is in Hereford on the third Thursday and first Saturday of the month do some nice stuff too.
Otherwise I have to get my shopping from Tescos or Morrisons as I cannot afford to shop in small overpriced places all of the time.