On 2008-05-10 07:20:28 +0100, Mike Tomlinson said:

In article , The Medway
Handyman writes

The 'hard discounters' like Aldi, Lidl & Netto have just over 20% of the
European grocery market, but less than 4% of the UK market. Snobbery rules
OK.

I don't think it's snobbery, it's more a matter of deliberate market
positioning. Aldi/Lidl in Germany are seen very much as we would view
the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury's. My German friends are somewhat
bemused when I tell them that Aldi/Lidl are viewed as cheap and nasty
stores in this country.

I do have a look around the local Aldi and Lidl from time to time, but
my over-riding impression is that they are no cheaper than anywhere
else. What really irritates me, though is the tills - you can't pack
your goods at the till, you're expected to take them to the tables near
the exit.

I agree. That's unacceptable. They should be providing staff to do
the packing of the bags followed by taking them to the car and loading
them if requested.


Let's not mention Netto. On my one and only trip to a Netto store I was
do overwhelmed by the sheer awfulness of the experience that I abandoned
the trolley, including the £1 coin I had used to release it, and haven't
been back since.

I went into one on one occasion and the smell made me feel physcially
sick. Never again.

On 2008-05-10 07:20:28 +0100, Mike Tomlinson said:

In article , The Medway
Handyman writes

The 'hard discounters' like Aldi, Lidl & Netto have just over 20% of the
European grocery market, but less than 4% of the UK market. Snobbery rules
OK.

I don't think it's snobbery, it's more a matter of deliberate market
positioning. Aldi/Lidl in Germany are seen very much as we would view
the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury's. My German friends are somewhat
bemused when I tell them that Aldi/Lidl are viewed as cheap and nasty
stores in this country.

I do have a look around the local Aldi and Lidl from time to time, but
my over-riding impression is that they are no cheaper than anywhere
else. What really irritates me, though is the tills - you can't pack
your goods at the till, you're expected to take them to the tables near
the exit.

I agree. That's unacceptable. They should be providing staff to do
the packing of the bags followed by taking them to the car and loading
them if requested.


Let's not mention Netto. On my one and only trip to a Netto store I was
do overwhelmed by the sheer awfulness of the experience that I abandoned
the trolley, including the £1 coin I had used to release it, and haven't
been back since.

I went into one on one occasion and the smell made me feel physcially
sick. Never again.

On Sat, 10 May 2008 11:13:09 -0700 (PDT), Andy Dingley
wrote:

On 9 May, 21:21, Andy Hall wrote:
Certainly is, I bought one last time they were in, brilliant for the money.

I'm always concerned when the qualifier "for the money" is added.
Either a product does the job or it doesn't.

It also changes which jobs it's suitable for.

I bought one of these a year or two back. It's not precise enough for
most things involving metalwork, but it was just the job for making
halved-joints in slate slab to make cremation urns. A molten lead or
sulphur "glue" across the joint hides imperfections.

Nice little urner then.

DG

On 2008-05-10 07:20:28 +0100, Mike Tomlinson said:

In article , The Medway
Handyman writes

The 'hard discounters' like Aldi, Lidl & Netto have just over 20% of the
European grocery market, but less than 4% of the UK market. Snobbery rules
OK.

I don't think it's snobbery, it's more a matter of deliberate market
positioning. Aldi/Lidl in Germany are seen very much as we would view
the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury's. My German friends are somewhat
bemused when I tell them that Aldi/Lidl are viewed as cheap and nasty
stores in this country.

I do have a look around the local Aldi and Lidl from time to time, but
my over-riding impression is that they are no cheaper than anywhere
else. What really irritates me, though is the tills - you can't pack
your goods at the till, you're expected to take them to the tables near
the exit.

I agree. That's unacceptable. They should be providing staff to do
the packing of the bags followed by taking them to the car and loading
them if requested.


Let's not mention Netto. On my one and only trip to a Netto store I was
do overwhelmed by the sheer awfulness of the experience that I abandoned
the trolley, including the £1 coin I had used to release it, and haven't
been back since.

I went into one on one occasion and the smell made me feel physcially
sick. Never again.

On 2008-05-10 09:42:09 +0100, Alan said:

In message , Mike Tomlinson
wrote

What really irritates me, though is the tills - you can't pack
your goods at the till, you're expected to take them to the tables near
the exit.

I wish a lot more shops would do this.

I don't.

It may come as a culture shock to those who waste other peoples time
packing bags at the till but it is a sensible approach to quick
customer service.

The correct approach is for the store to supply staff to do the
packing. That is the way to avoid wasting of peoples' time.



The staff at my local Aldi can get 5 trolley loads of goods through the
till faster than the local Tesco can get five customers through the 10
items or less line!

Those are worthless in any store. The correct solution for that is
to run several checkouts of this type in parallel with a single, very
short queue



The staff don't waste time at the tills spend servicing those 'club'
vouchers and giving out those 'crap for schools worth 0.001p' vouchers.

Loyalty schemes of any kind in a supermarket are a waste.



They also collect empty boxes and hide them very quickly so
you can't use them as an alternative to the plastic carrier bags, which
are charged for at 9p a time.

Another culture change required.

The required culture change is to improve service not reduce it.

The store should be supplying packing and the people to do the work.

On Sat, 10 May 2008 16:25:58 +0100, Alan wrote:

My bags are not branded - I think they are sold as laundry bags and are
made of a material similar to that used in thinner tarpaulin sheets.

Sold where as laundry bags? Can't say I've noticed laundry bags but then
I've not been looking I shall next shopping trip though. Thanks for the
tip.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Sat, 10 May 2008 16:42:19 +0100, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

I object to the heavy branding on a bag I have bought. If the shop
wants me to carry an durable advert for them they ought to be paying
me... I don't mind a small logo but not the name emblazoned on all 4
sides.

Aw c'mon Dave, you should be used to product placement given the shows
you work on.

There isn't any product placement on Football First... Background
advertsiing and sponsers is a little different.

On Emm quite a bit of time is used moving some of the product placement
out of shot, like the sound Land Rover... Any way the supplier is "paying"
for that product placement by providing the product rather than the
production having to pay a supplier for it. Blatant PP is normally picked
up by the PA and how something is picked up "adjusted" to reduce or even
eliminate it.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 2008-05-10 08:57:43 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
said:

In article 48253953@qaanaaq,
Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-09 23:54:07 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
said:

In article 4824b24c@qaanaaq,
Andy Hall wrote:
The price has no bearing on either. Either something works or it
doesn't. Something that doesn;t work that cost 50p is no better tan
something that doesn't work that cost a pound.

But something that does work at 50p is better than one which does the
same at a pound?

*if* it does in *all* respects, including acquisition costs.

Well, I'd suggest you get straight down to Lidl and buy the angle grinder
stand in question - then do a full test of it and telling us just why it
isn't any good as you seem so sure about. I'll happily pay for it - if
only to shut you up. ;-)

Yes, but then I'd have to go into a Lidl store. After previous
experiences, that's something I would have difficulty bringing myself
to do.

On 2008-05-10 10:25:20 +0100, stuart noble said:

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-09 23:54:07 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
said:

In article 4824b24c@qaanaaq,
Andy Hall wrote:
The price has no bearing on either. Either something works or it
doesn't. Something that doesn;t work that cost 50p is no better tan
something that doesn't work that cost a pound.

But something that does work at 50p is better than one which does the same
at a pound?

*if* it does in *all* respects, including acquisition costs.



Here is a good example of how your simplistic view of the market
doesn't really stack up.

it isn't simplistic at all. As I said, I was taking into account all
of the factors and not just the price tag.


Poundland are apparently selling glyphospahate weedkiller for a
fraction of the price (per litre) you can get it anywhere else.
Unbranded rubbish? Well, no, it's Bayer actually, who are no slouches
when it comes to chemicals. So, how come the top brand ends up in the
Pound Shop? I imagine Bayer might have got sick of middle men, with
their brand images and helplines, inflating the price of basic
chemicals.

They would only care about that if they were losing market share, not
growing revenues in the way that they would like, or were encountering
unacceptable channel conflict that meant that their premium channels
switched to other manufacturers.

That is the common rule of distribution. If they can sell product at
an acceptable margin through non-prime channels without damaging their
main ones, then it's a simple enough business decision.

On 2008-05-10 08:59:33 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
said:

In article 48253b35@qaanaaq,
Andy Hall wrote:
If I find something that is deficient in one of these categories, it
doesn't work, as far as I am concerned. Otherwise, it's like saying
that a car without windscreen wipers "works". Well, it's still a car,
but it doesn't work in the UK environment because it can't be used for
part of the time.

The correct analogy would be surely that the wipers do work - but
something like the intermittent operation isn't as good as you'd like?

A better one would be wipers that work well enough to keep the
windscreen clear and don't require the driver to stop and get out every
100 metres to wipe the screen, thus getting wet and running the risk of
being run over.

On Sat, 10 May 2008 21:53:54 +0100, Andy Hall wrote:

The correct approach is for the store to supply staff to do the
packing. That is the way to avoid wasting of peoples' time.

Only if said packers can pack neatly and sensibly not just bung the
nearest bit of produce into a bag until it's full then dump it in the
trolly. So things that a squishable, like bread, doesn't end up at the
bottom of the trolly under a bag full of tins. All the chilled/dairy stuff
is in it's bag, fruit & veg (correctly ordered squishables on top) in
another etc. Bottles tins, stood/stacked within a bag.

This is how I pack and unless the checkout person is really zapping the
stuff through I'm not keeping others waiting. Even then I have my payment
card ready and the time the card takes to authorise allows me to catch up.

It's the ones that wait until there is a good stack of goods waiting for
bagging before starting to pack and then can't open the freebie bag and
then have to find their purse/wallet to find payment after the checkout
operator has told them the total, with 50% of the good still unpacked that
get my goat.

Loyalty schemes of any kind in a supermarket are a waste.

I quite like the £10 to £15 I get back every so often. Vouchers are rarely
used as they tend to be things we don't buy and wouldn't.

--
Cheers
Dave.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Dave Plowman (News)"
saying something like:

Not at any of the Lidl I've visited. But I quite approve of the idea -
waiting in a queue while someone in front faffs about packing is plain
stupid. At Lidl I put everything straight back in the trolley and pack at
the car.

I make it easier than that. I take two banana boxes, one just the right
size to fit inside the other, and place them in the bottom of the
trolley. Come checkout time the unloaded trolley is wheeled to the top,
the banana boxes seperated and then loaded sequentially inside the
trolley, one for freezer stuff, one for non-freezer. The bulk of the
stuff fits into the two boxes and is much handier for loading into the
car and unloading at home. No farrfing around with legions of carrier
bags. I do keep a stock of bags in the car boot as needed, just in case.
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a

"It's a moron working with power tools.
How much more suspenseful can you get?"
- House

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Andy Hall
saying something like:

I went into one on one occasion and the smell made me feel physcially
sick. Never again.

Three times?
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a

"It's a moron working with power tools.
How much more suspenseful can you get?"
- House

On 2008-05-10 22:27:44 +0100, "Dave Liquorice"
said:

On Sat, 10 May 2008 21:53:54 +0100, Andy Hall wrote:

The correct approach is for the store to supply staff to do the
packing. That is the way to avoid wasting of peoples' time.

Only if said packers can pack neatly and sensibly not just bung the
nearest bit of produce into a bag until it's full then dump it in the
trolly. So things that a squishable, like bread, doesn't end up at the
bottom of the trolly under a bag full of tins. All the chilled/dairy stu
ff
is in it's bag, fruit & veg (correctly ordered squishables on top) in
another etc. Bottles tins, stood/stacked within a bag.

Somebody doing the job of packing at the till should know these things.
I've never had a problem when I've asked Waitrose and others to do
it.



This is how I pack and unless the checkout person is really zapping the

stuff through I'm not keeping others waiting. Even then I have my paymen
t
card ready and the time the card takes to authorise allows me to catch u
p.

All of which is why the store should be providing packers. They can
do that job while the customer pays.




It's the ones that wait until there is a good stack of goods waiting for

bagging before starting to pack and then can't open the freebie bag and

then have to find their purse/wallet to find payment after the checkout

operator has told them the total, with 50% of the good still unpacked th
at
get my goat.

Again completely avoidable by the store doing the packing.

In article 48260b62@qaanaaq, Andy Hall writes

The correct approach is for the store to supply staff to do the
packing. That is the way to avoid wasting of peoples' time.

They do this occasionally in my local Somerfield. On balance, I prefer
to pack myself, since I can separate freezer and non-freezer goods, and
put things like bread, biscuits, eggs, etc. into the bags last so they
won't be crushed.

--
(\__/) Bunny says NO to Windows Vista!
(='.'=) http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut00...ista_cost.html
(")_(") http://www.cypherpunks.to/~peter/vista.pdf

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
dennis@home wrote:
I have. Toolstation and screwfix do free coffee, the first steps into
food retailing or being a cafe. You had better not shop there.

Given the time I had to wait at the Croydon branch of Screwfix last
time I'd rather they spent the money on improving the service.
Perhaps online ordering for immediate collection at the store - or
user terminals as in Argos.

They must vary a lot, I've never waited more than a few minutes in the
Gillingham one.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-10 07:20:28 +0100, Mike Tomlinson
said:
In article , The Medway
Handyman writes

The 'hard discounters' like Aldi, Lidl & Netto have just over 20%
of the European grocery market, but less than 4% of the UK market.
Snobbery rules OK.

I don't think it's snobbery, it's more a matter of deliberate market
positioning. Aldi/Lidl in Germany are seen very much as we would
view the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury's. My German friends are
somewhat bemused when I tell them that Aldi/Lidl are viewed as cheap
and nasty stores in this country.

I do have a look around the local Aldi and Lidl from time to time,
but my over-riding impression is that they are no cheaper than
anywhere else. What really irritates me, though is the tills - you
can't pack your goods at the till, you're expected to take them to
the tables near the exit.

I agree. That's unacceptable. They should be providing staff to do
the packing of the bags followed by taking them to the car and loading
them if requested.

That would destroy the 'hard discounter' concept entirely - extra staff cost
money & increase the overhead. If you want that service shop at Waitrose &
pay their prices.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

In article ,
The Medway Handyman wrote:
Given the time I had to wait at the Croydon branch of Screwfix last
time I'd rather they spent the money on improving the service.
Perhaps online ordering for immediate collection at the store - or
user terminals as in Argos.

They must vary a lot, I've never waited more than a few minutes in the
Gillingham one.

It serves a pretty big area, the Croydon one. Other thing is the parking
isn't adequate. I'm hoping they'll open a closer one given their expansion
rate.

--
*I got a sweater for Christmas. I really wanted a screamer or a moaner*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
The Medway Handyman wrote:
Given the time I had to wait at the Croydon branch of Screwfix last
time I'd rather they spent the money on improving the service.
Perhaps online ordering for immediate collection at the store - or
user terminals as in Argos.

They must vary a lot, I've never waited more than a few minutes in
the Gillingham one.

It serves a pretty big area, the Croydon one. Other thing is the
parking isn't adequate. I'm hoping they'll open a closer one given
their expansion rate.

The Gillingham one serves the 260,000 population of the Medway Towns & is on
a huge business park, so parking is no problemo. Right behind a giant B&Q
so handy for me in that way, but a pain because its at the other end of the
town across the river. Wish they would open one on the business park this
side.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
. ..


Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
dennis@home wrote:
I have. Toolstation and screwfix do free coffee, the first steps into
food retailing or being a cafe. You had better not shop there.

Given the time I had to wait at the Croydon branch of Screwfix last
time I'd rather they spent the money on improving the service.
Perhaps online ordering for immediate collection at the store - or
user terminals as in Argos.

They must vary a lot, I've never waited more than a few minutes in the
Gillingham one.

I'm toolstation's best customer where I am.
They know me by name, pull up my account, etc.
The only thing I have had to wait for is when they were filling the coffee
machine.
I don't even need receipts to take stuff back, they just pull up the account
and do it.
Not bad for a DIY type who is not in the trade.
They might notice the drop in trade now I have finished the bedroom/bathroom
conversion.

In article ,
The Medway Handyman wrote:
It serves a pretty big area, the Croydon one. Other thing is the
parking isn't adequate. I'm hoping they'll open a closer one given
their expansion rate.

The Gillingham one serves the 260,000 population of the Medway Towns &
is on a huge business park, so parking is no problemo. Right behind a
giant B&Q so handy for me in that way, but a pain because its at the
other end of the town across the river. Wish they would open one on
the business park this side.

For some reason Screwfix chose a very small industrial estate for the
Croydon one. Only perhaps a dozen companies on it with narrow roads, etc.
It's fairly close to the massive Ikea shopping area where there is the
largest B&Q warehouse locally and parking is easy - but perhaps rents
there are too high. And rather too far to walk between.

--
*My designated driver drove me to drink

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

The Medway Handyman wrote:
Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-10 07:20:28 +0100, Mike Tomlinson
said:
In article , The Medway
Handyman writes

The 'hard discounters' like Aldi, Lidl & Netto have just over 20%
of the European grocery market, but less than 4% of the UK market.
Snobbery rules OK.
I don't think it's snobbery, it's more a matter of deliberate market
positioning. Aldi/Lidl in Germany are seen very much as we would
view the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury's. My German friends are
somewhat bemused when I tell them that Aldi/Lidl are viewed as cheap
and nasty stores in this country.

I do have a look around the local Aldi and Lidl from time to time,
but my over-riding impression is that they are no cheaper than
anywhere else. What really irritates me, though is the tills - you
can't pack your goods at the till, you're expected to take them to
the tables near the exit.
I agree. That's unacceptable. They should be providing staff to do
the packing of the bags followed by taking them to the car and loading
them if requested.

That would destroy the 'hard discounter' concept entirely - extra staff cost
money & increase the overhead. If you want that service shop at Waitrose &
pay their prices.



And don't kid yourself the food's any better

Andy Hall wrote:

Let's not mention Netto. On my one and only trip to a Netto store I was
do overwhelmed by the sheer awfulness of the experience that I abandoned
the trolley, including the £1 coin I had used to release it, and haven't
been back since.

I went into one on one occasion and the smell made me feel physcially
sick. Never again.

You're obviously a delicate flower.

In article 48268792@qaanaaq,
Andy Hall wrote:
Somebody doing the job of packing at the till should know these things.
I've never had a problem when I've asked Waitrose and others to do
it.

Why do you want someone to pack for you in a self service store? Different
in a department store or 'traditional' shop but the idea of self service
is to give the customers better value for money goods wise by cutting down
on staff.

--
*Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice?"

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 2008-05-11 15:51:16 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
said:

In article 48268792@qaanaaq,
Andy Hall wrote:
Somebody doing the job of packing at the till should know these things.
I've never had a problem when I've asked Waitrose and others to do
it.

Why do you want someone to pack for you in a self service store? Different
in a department store or 'traditional' shop but the idea of self service
is to give the customers better value for money goods wise by cutting down
on staff.

Self service is from the shelves. This doesn't preclude the store
from packing the goods.

If one considers the amount of revenue and margin that goes through a
supermarket till per hour, minimum wage is a small proportion.

I am not convinced that cutting down on staff does give customers
better value for money anyway.

On 2008-05-11 15:51:16 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
said:

In article 48268792@qaanaaq,
Andy Hall wrote:
Somebody doing the job of packing at the till should know these things.
I've never had a problem when I've asked Waitrose and others to do
it.

Why do you want someone to pack for you in a self service store? Different
in a department store or 'traditional' shop but the idea of self service
is to give the customers better value for money goods wise by cutting down
on staff.

Self service is from the shelves. This doesn't preclude the store
from packing the goods.

If one considers the amount of revenue and margin that goes through a
supermarket till per hour, minimum wage is a small proportion.

I am not convinced that cutting down on staff does give customers
better value for money anyway.

On 2008-05-11 09:08:06 +0100, "The Medway Handyman"
said:



Andy Hall wrote:

I agree. That's unacceptable. They should be providing staff to do
the packing of the bags followed by taking them to the car and loading
them if requested.

That would destroy the 'hard discounter' concept entirely - extra staff cost
money & increase the overhead.

As do quality goods.



If you want that service shop at Waitrose &
pay their prices.

For some things that's what I do.

On 2008-05-11 15:16:03 +0100, stuart noble said:

Andy Hall wrote:

Let's not mention Netto. On my one and only trip to a Netto store I was
do overwhelmed by the sheer awfulness of the experience that I abandoned
the trolley, including the £1 coin I had used to release it, and haven't
been back since.

I went into one on one occasion and the smell made me feel physcially
sick. Never again.

You're obviously a delicate flower.

Hardly, but there are limits.....

On 2008-05-11 07:44:53 +0100, Owain said:

Andy Hall wrote:
The correct approach is for the store to supply staff to do the
packing. That is the way to avoid wasting of peoples' time.

I'd rather the store didn't supply staff (which adds to the prices and
deducts from the dividends) but let volunteers from community groups do
it for donations to charity. The Scouts sometimes do this, but only
about once in a blue moon.

Those are worthless in any store. The correct solution for that is
to run several checkouts of this type in parallel with a single, very
short queue

My "local" Lidl run all their checkouts in parallel, with a single
(sometimes very long, but it moves quickly) queue and one of those
"cashier number six please" thingies.

Owain

That's a good solution. Now all that they need is somebody to pack
the goods and they would have one element of service.

In article 48270c46@qaanaaq,
Andy Hall wrote:
Why do you want someone to pack for you in a self service store?
Different in a department store or 'traditional' shop but the idea of
self service is to give the customers better value for money goods
wise by cutting down on staff.

Self service is from the shelves. This doesn't preclude the store
from packing the goods.

Doesn't preclude it, but if you don't like all that goes with self service
why use it?

If one considers the amount of revenue and margin that goes through a
supermarket till per hour, minimum wage is a small proportion.

Mony a mickle maks a muckle...

I am not convinced that cutting down on staff does give customers
better value for money anyway.

Do you remember food prices from before the days of supermarkets?

--
*Sticks and stones may break my bones but whips and chains excite me*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In message 48271129@qaanaaq, Andy Hall wrote
On 2008-05-11 15:16:03 +0100, stuart noble said:

Andy Hall wrote:

Let's not mention Netto. On my one and only trip to a Netto store
I was
do overwhelmed by the sheer awfulness of the experience that I abandoned
the trolley, including the £1 coin I had used to release it, and haven't
been back since.
I went into one on one occasion and the smell made me feel
physcially sick. Never again.
You're obviously a delicate flower.

Hardly, but there are limits.....

That awful smell of new baked bread piped to the entrance exceed those
limits

--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

In message et, Dave
Liquorice wrote
On Sat, 10 May 2008 16:25:58 +0100, Alan wrote:

My bags are not branded - I think they are sold as laundry bags and are
made of a material similar to that used in thinner tarpaulin sheets.

Sold where as laundry bags? Can't say I've noticed laundry bags but then
I've not been looking I shall next shopping trip though. Thanks for the
tip.



Some sellers on Ebay have them
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-LARGE-MULT...RAGE-LAUNDRY-B
AG_W0QQitemZ180239837263QQihZ008QQcategoryZ43516QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQ
cmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Large-Size-Lau...age-Sack_W0QQi
temZ360050753999QQihZ023QQcategoryZ43516QQssPageNa meZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZView
Item

However, they come in at least 3 sizes and it's the smaller two sizes
that are ideal for shopping. The smallest size is about the same size as
a carrier bag but holds around 2x/3x as much because it opens into a
rectangular box shape. The Ebay prices seem high when you include
postage. I've never paid more than £1 for these bags and the smaller
size is cheaper.

It's the kind of item you find at discount stores or pound shops and
someone always seems to be selling them at the larger boot fairs/sales.
--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

On 2008-05-11 19:04:27 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
said:

In article 48270c46@qaanaaq,
Andy Hall wrote:
Why do you want someone to pack for you in a self service store?
Different in a department store or 'traditional' shop but the idea of
self service is to give the customers better value for money goods
wise by cutting down on staff.

Self service is from the shelves. This doesn't preclude the store
from packing the goods.

Doesn't preclude it, but if you don't like all that goes with self service
why use it?

There has always been self service. Even today, at specialist
retailers, the customer chooses and often tastes what he is intending
to buy before doing so. That is self service in that the customer
rather than the retailer makes the decision, as should be.

The other parts consist of packaging the goods and collecting the
money, but are only part of the service.




If one considers the amount of revenue and margin that goes through a
supermarket till per hour, minimum wage is a small proportion.

Mony a mickle maks a muckle...

Hmm....



I am not convinced that cutting down on staff does give customers
better value for money anyway.

Do you remember food prices from before the days of supermarkets?

Not particularly, but I don't buy food on price. Product quality and
service are far more important to me.

On 2008-05-11 19:55:52 +0100, Alan said:

In message 48271129@qaanaaq, Andy Hall wrote
On 2008-05-11 15:16:03 +0100, stuart noble said:

Andy Hall wrote:

Let's not mention Netto. On my one and only trip to a Netto store I was
do overwhelmed by the sheer awfulness of the experience that I abandoned
the trolley, including the £1 coin I had used to release it, and haven't
been back since.
I went into one on one occasion and the smell made me feel physcially
sick. Never again.
You're obviously a delicate flower.

Hardly, but there are limits.....

That awful smell of new baked bread piped to the entrance exceed those limits

Comes in cans....

On May 9, 8:55 pm, Andy Hall wrote:


It amuses me greatly that as soon as somebody places a post mentioning
that there is some great offer in one of these places that within
millseconds there are 50 messages on the thread,


.... and then posts ... something like 30 messages in the self-same
thread.

J^n

On Sun, 11 May 2008 20:11:12 +0100, Alan wrote:

The Ebay prices seem high when you include postage. I've never paid more
than £1 for these bags and the smaller size is cheaper.

It's the kind of item you find at discount stores or pound shops and
someone always seems to be selling them at the larger boot fairs/sales..

High postage is relative and is making the assumption that discount
stores/pound shops or larger boot fairs/sales are less than 20 miles
away... I do have to go to near Kendal this week so could stop in Penrith
and see what they have in the discount store there, I don't think there is
a Pound Shop or Pound Stretcher in Penrith, there is in Hexham but that's
20 miles in the other direction...


--
Cheers
Dave.

I do like a puzzle,got the stand today and its bored the hell outta me
putting it together.
So why didn't it come assembled?

On 13/05/2008 21:08, George wrote:

I do like a puzzle,got the stand today and its bored the hell outta me
putting it together.
So why didn't it come assembled?

Your labour doesn't cost the manufacturer ...

"George" wrote:

I do like a puzzle,got the stand today and its bored the hell outta me
putting it together.
So why didn't it come assembled?



What do you expect for £7.99?

On 2008-05-13 21:08:17 +0100, "George" said:

I do like a puzzle,got the stand today and its bored the hell outta me
putting it together.
So why didn't it come assembled?

It would quadruple the cost