On 13 Apr, 14:51, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:
On 13/04/13 12:46, alan wrote: On 12/04/2013 19:34, polygonum wrote:

If they want us through faster, handle the tills as quickly as Lidl do.

I like the no nonsense approach of Lidl and Aldi.

its their no quality approach

Rubbish.

MBQ

On 13 Apr, 15:40, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:
On 13/04/13 15:34, stuart noble wrote:







On 13/04/2013 14:51, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 13/04/13 12:46, alan wrote:
On 12/04/2013 19:34, polygonum wrote:

If they want us through faster, handle the tills as quickly as Lidl
do.

I like the no nonsense approach of Lidl and Aldi.

its their no quality approach that leaves me cold.

Her indoors is of the opinion that quality is standard across all the
supermarkets, and prices are determined solely by the number of staff
standing about waiting to be helpful. In that respect I think
Sainsburys have too many chiefs and far too many Indians.

her indoors had to be told that yes, at Waitrose the price per
gram/100g/kilogram/sheet of bog paper is displayed below every item so
you can easily see that 'green' washing up liquid is 3 times as
expensive as green washing up liquid..so I wouln't trust her judgement
on anything.

"Oh look she said "They do instant coffee in bags to refill your jar"
"yes, but its more expensive than in the jar"...sigh.

And she still thinks that 30% off £4 is a bargain, whereas paying £2 is not.

I walked round LIDL and ALDI looking at basic stuff. It was all more
expensive than waitrose.

I know for a fact that you are wrong on quite a number of lines,
having been in both quite recently.

MBQ

On 13 Apr, 15:28, stuart noble wrote:
On 13/04/2013 12:46, alan wrote:

On 12/04/2013 19:34, polygonum wrote:

If they want us through faster, handle the tills as quickly as Lidl do..

I like the no nonsense approach of Lidl and Aldi.

+!
I can see it saving me money

Try B+M, but watch the sell by dates and buy branded goods only.

E.g. (Almost) Identical (the weight is the same) bag of Haribo sweets,
£1.39 in Tesco (and I think even that was an "offer". In B+M they have
a "99p" flash in the corner of the bag but are sold for 89p. Go
figure...

MBQ

On 15/04/2013 13:26, fred wrote:


Never mind B&Q its the bloody talking lifts I cant stand,

Doors Closing
First Floor
Doors Opening etc.etc.

Some day I'll bring a can of expanding foam with me Spray that into the speaker grille should sort it out P.D.Q.

Never mind talking lifts its the talking travelators I can't stand.

Sainsbury here has installed them between the ground floor and the first
and second floor car parks. Between ground and first, there are two
flights, and they are installed as pairs (one up, one down). And the
same between first and second. So a total of eight flights. And at both
ends of every flight there is a voice saying "Prepare to push your
trolley off the walkway" (or whatever it says at the other end). Combine
the ludicrously high volume each is set to, with the enclosed highly
echoic chamber in which they are all enclosed, it would be a wonderful
scene in a film of a dystopian future. I keep getting reminded of Brave
New World, Clockwork Orange, and the like.

To a tinnitus sufferer like me, it seems to inflict especially nasty
torture. However low my tinnitus level when I arrive, by departure it is
at screaming point.

--
Rod

On 12 Apr, 19:13, alan wrote:
On 12/04/2013 17:13, whisky-dave wrote:



A checkout girl in sainsbury asked me to use one of those automated tills and I said that's OK I'd rather to stay in this queue and she asked me why, so I said I don;t want to see you loose your job, and a look of shock came over her face.

Some supermarkets in the UK have adopted the policy of any staff member
doing every job from cleaning floors,shelf stacking and on busy times
operating the tills (including managers/supervisors).

The big supermarkets would probably save 10s millions by simply stopping
silly card and voucher schemes at the tills which add 1 minute for every
customer (or on my recent trips to Tesco - 5 minutes per customer)

At Tesco my clubcard is my credit card so no extra time taken there.

The *real* problem *by far* is the dippy women (it's *always* women)
who are only half finished packing and look surprised when asked for
payment and then slowly finish packing before spending another 5
minutes fumbling in a handbag, stuffed to the gunnels with gawd knows
what, trying to find their purse. They should have their own decated
lane.

MBQ

On 12 Apr, 17:36, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:22:12 +0100, Martin Brown wrote:
M&S clearly have a death wish. The last three stores I have been in had
the new layout designed by someone who must have severe difficulties
comprehending the world around them.

It's impossible for SWMBO to get around our local M&S in her scooter.
Because the had to open a coffee shop, but keep the same stock level, all
the racks are very close. Luckily they are on wheels, so very easy to
move out of the way

However, of late, we've both been disappointed with M&S, a very poor
ranger, and I had a stand up row with a *manager* (not assistant) over
whether a button breaking after 4 days use was fair wear and tear or not.

However, the nearby Primark is always busy.

But the stuff Primark sell is ****e. It used to be OK.

MBQ

On 15/04/2013 13:45, Man at B&Q wrote:
They should have their own decated lane.

MBQ

My eyes, desperately trying to make up for your minor typo, insisted on
reading that as "defecated lane".

I'm sure you all wanted to know that!

--
Rod

On 13 Apr, 18:36, F news@nowhere wrote:
On 13/04/2013 17:51 The Medway Handyman wrote:

Reasons Morrisons is the best;

You're not wrong: started up just a few miles away and Ken used to
frequent the not-very-posh pub/restaurant just down the road. A very
pleasant and approachable man with no airs and graces.

As a kid in the 70s, we used to visit Rellys in Bradford every
fortnight and would shop at a Morrisons. I forget exactly where it was
but I believe it was one of the first really big supermarkets in the
area, if not the country.

MBQ

On 13 Apr, 09:05, The Medway Handyman
wrote:
On 12/04/2013 23:00, Dave Liquorice wrote:

On Fri, 12 Apr 2013 22:24:34 +0100, polygonum wrote:

The local Waitrose has introduced some automated checkouts, last time
I was invited to use one I told them, if I wanted that sort of service
I would be shopping at Tesco.

I think it would sound better if you said "Asda", ...

Or Morrisons.

IMHO Morrisons are much better than poncy, over priced, nancy boy Waitrose.

Waitrose is full of Malcolm & Cressida Wright-Prat types.

That's true round here but only because Waitrose is in a posh market
town (so *all* the shops are full of Tarquins, etc.) whereas Morrisons
is in the much larger county town. Nearest Asda are much more chavvy
but, again, mainly due to the catchment area.

MBQ

On 15/04/2013 14:03, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Sat, 13 Apr 2013 14:00:36 +0100, Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:

On Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:10:46 +0100, The Medway Handyman
wrote:

Landlord deal saves B&Q's Athlone store

B&Q Ireland's Athlone store has been given a reprieve after the company
managed to negotiate a better rent deal with its landlord.

http://www.diyweek.net/news/news.asp?id=16516

Big gripe here is upward-only rent reviews, and recently some of the
larger players have been saying 'no'. The small man with a small unit
doesn't have the financial muscle to tell the landlord to get stuffed.

Which sounds like a recipe for a vicious spiral ...

One mall near to us has over 1 in 4 units empty. Presumably they have to
recover the same money from fewer tenants, so put the rents up for them.
They can't afford and move (or go under).

Rinse and repeat.

Really it's (Kingfisher in Redditch) a microcosm of the country.

Since 2005:

Alders - went bust. Of a 3 storey unit, ground floor (finally) let to
Primark. 1st and basement unlet.
Woolworths - went bust. Unit was empty for 2 years before Superdrug moved
in.

Unlet (presently empty) units
Jessops - gone
Past Times - gone
Millets -gone
Peacocks - gone
T.J. Hughes (2 storey unit) - gone
Julian Graves - gone.
Textiles direct - gone
Clarks - closed that branch

Plus another 6 or 7 units that have been unused for years

All that's left are card shops, and mobile phone shops ....

As far as I know Julian Graves got taken over by Holland & Barrett - and
our one became a body-builders muscle-milk-powder-and-supplement shop
(can't remember branding but think they are subsidiary of H&B).

--
Rod

On 15/04/2013 14:12, Jethro_uk wrote:


We bought a 3lb joint of meat from a local butchers Saturday, then had to
go to Sainsburys. Mrs made a point of looking for a similar cut in the
meat aisle, and it was about 15% dearer ....

Ah Venison. Mmmm.

--
Rod

On 15/04/2013 14:17, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Sat, 13 Apr 2013 16:22:13 +0100, Dave W wrote:

On Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:13:44 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

Obviously good Trade Unionists, who realise that if they use the
self-service tills they are stealing the jobs of other people.

Colin Bignell

If I'm expected to do the cashiers work for them, I would expect some
sort of discount.

The stores argument would be the "discount" is delivered as a cost saving
on the goods.

That could make sense - but if you go to a manned till, they are not
making that saving in order to increase their profits, sorry, reduce prices.

--
Rod

On 15/04/2013 14:53, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:09:00 +0100, polygonum wrote:

On 15/04/2013 14:03, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Sat, 13 Apr 2013 14:00:36 +0100, Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:

On Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:10:46 +0100, The Medway Handyman
wrote:

Landlord deal saves B&Q's Athlone store

B&Q Ireland's Athlone store has been given a reprieve after the
company managed to negotiate a better rent deal with its landlord.

http://www.diyweek.net/news/news.asp?id=16516

Big gripe here is upward-only rent reviews, and recently some of the
larger players have been saying 'no'. The small man with a small unit
doesn't have the financial muscle to tell the landlord to get stuffed.

Which sounds like a recipe for a vicious spiral ...

One mall near to us has over 1 in 4 units empty. Presumably they have
to recover the same money from fewer tenants, so put the rents up for
them. They can't afford and move (or go under).

Rinse and repeat.

Really it's (Kingfisher in Redditch) a microcosm of the country.

Since 2005:

Alders - went bust. Of a 3 storey unit, ground floor (finally) let to
Primark. 1st and basement unlet.
Woolworths - went bust. Unit was empty for 2 years before Superdrug
moved in.

Unlet (presently empty) units
Jessops - gone
Past Times - gone
Millets -gone
Peacocks - gone
T.J. Hughes (2 storey unit) - gone
Julian Graves - gone.
Textiles direct - gone
Clarks - closed that branch

Plus another 6 or 7 units that have been unused for years

All that's left are card shops, and mobile phone shops ....

As far as I know Julian Graves got taken over by Holland & Barrett - and
our one became a body-builders muscle-milk-powder-and-supplement shop
(can't remember branding but think they are subsidiary of H&B).

Ah, well there was already a H&B in the mall.

Of course now Orange and T mobile have merged, do we really need as many
EE shops ?

We've still got the original H&B as well!

I have absolutely lost count of mobile phone shops. Including, as you
say, EE who are next door to EE...

--
Rod

On 15/04/2013 14:54, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:38:12 +0100, polygonum wrote:

On 15/04/2013 14:12, Jethro_uk wrote:

We bought a 3lb joint of meat from a local butchers Saturday, then had
to go to Sainsburys. Mrs made a point of looking for a similar cut in
the meat aisle, and it was about 15% dearer ....

Ah Venison. Mmmm.

No, it was top rump beef (I'm sure I am ignoring some sarcasm
somewhere ).

No sarcasm at all. Just the (very?) obvious pun of it being deerer.... :-(

Apologies.

--
Rod

On 15/04/2013 14:56, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:40:34 +0100, polygonum wrote:

On 15/04/2013 14:17, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Sat, 13 Apr 2013 16:22:13 +0100, Dave W wrote:

On Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:13:44 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

Obviously good Trade Unionists, who realise that if they use the
self-service tills they are stealing the jobs of other people.

Colin Bignell

If I'm expected to do the cashiers work for them, I would expect some
sort of discount.

The stores argument would be the "discount" is delivered as a cost
saving on the goods.

That could make sense - but if you go to a manned till, they are not
making that saving in order to increase their profits, sorry, reduce
prices.

True.

There's also the delicate - probably highly confidential - issue of
shrinkage via the unmanned tills. It would be illuminating to know what
level of theft management considered acceptable when implementing the
self-service system.

If you can save £x by losing some staff, and the loss from theft is a
lower figure ...

One of the reasons I dislike the automatic ones is that responsibility
for mistakes lands on customer. And when you are rushing to get things
scanned, etc., and hating the experience, I feel it is far more likely I
would inadvertently walk out with something not scanned.

--
Rod

In article ,
polygonum wrote:
One of the reasons I dislike the automatic ones is that responsibility
for mistakes lands on customer. And when you are rushing to get things
scanned, etc., and hating the experience, I feel it is far more likely I
would inadvertently walk out with something not scanned.

Not really possible, unless you put the item in your pocket rather than
shopping bag.

--
*60-year-old, one owner - needs parts, make offer

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

On 15/04/2013 16:25, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
polygonum wrote:
One of the reasons I dislike the automatic ones is that responsibility
for mistakes lands on customer. And when you are rushing to get things
scanned, etc., and hating the experience, I feel it is far more likely I
would inadvertently walk out with something not scanned.

Not really possible, unless you put the item in your pocket rather than
shopping bag.

I doubt you have ever watched me use such a till?

It is entirely possible. Maybe I do not use it in the same way you do.

--
Rod

On 15/04/2013 14:56, Jethro_uk wrote:
....
There's also the delicate - probably highly confidential - issue of
shrinkage via the unmanned tills. It would be illuminating to know what
level of theft management considered acceptable when implementing the
self-service system.

If you can save £x by losing some staff, and the loss from theft is a
lower figure ...


Employee theft is a greater source of shrinkage in supermarkets than
shoplifting, so getting rid of staff ought to reduce shrinkage.

Colin Bignell

On 15/04/2013 15:24, Jethro_uk wrote:
....
I had this kinda "candid camera" idea, of calling up the managing agents
for the mall, and enquiring about vacant units, as I am launching a new
kind of store ... a combined discount shoe, card and mobile phone shop.

One of the vacant units has a sign up now ... "Coming soon: Rachels
cupcakes and cafe".

Why is there this recent obsession with cupcakes?

It's next door to a Druckers

I presume that Druckers is in competition with a cupcake shop and cafe.
I've never heard of them.

You have to wonder who pitched *that* business plan.

Either somebody thinks there is business enough for two, or thinks they
can put the other out of business. We have lost a good baker to
competition from Greggs (who stopped offering the things they had
undercut after the baker had gone) and a locally run pizza shop to
competition from Dominoes.

Colin Bignell

In article ,
polygonum wrote:
On 15/04/2013 16:25, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
polygonum wrote:
One of the reasons I dislike the automatic ones is that
responsibility for mistakes lands on customer. And when you are
rushing to get things scanned, etc., and hating the experience, I
feel it is far more likely I would inadvertently walk out with
something not scanned.

Not really possible, unless you put the item in your pocket rather than
shopping bag.

I doubt you have ever watched me use such a till?

No. And I'm not sure I'd like to get stuck behind you. ;-)

It is entirely possible. Maybe I do not use it in the same way you do.

Only way I could see would be not to place every item on the 'output'
shelf.

--
*The modem is the message *

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

On 15/04/2013 15:31, Jethro_uk wrote:


There's definitely some slightly less-than-obvious issues at play with
supermarket queues. My wife tends to plump for checkouts which look like
there's not too much on the belt. Myself, I would rather wait a second
for a crowded belt to become free with only one customer in front, than
have half an empty belt with 3 customers in front. That's because in my
experience, the overhead of queueing is predicated far more on number of
customers than number of items.

I also avoid queuing behind any single older ladies

I don't look at how many items are on the belt, I try to ascertain the
stupidity level of the people in the queue.

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

On 15/04/2013 19:03, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:20:27 +0100, The Medway Handyman wrote:

On 15/04/2013 15:31, Jethro_uk wrote:


There's definitely some slightly less-than-obvious issues at play with
supermarket queues. My wife tends to plump for checkouts which look
like there's not too much on the belt. Myself, I would rather wait a
second for a crowded belt to become free with only one customer in
front, than have half an empty belt with 3 customers in front. That's
because in my experience, the overhead of queueing is predicated far
more on number of customers than number of items.

I also avoid queuing behind any single older ladies

I don't look at how many items are on the belt, I try to ascertain the
stupidity level of the people in the queue.

I agree with the principle. But sometimes you really can't judge a nutter
by the headgear

And sometimes assess who you'd rather stand behind on other grounds.

--
Rod

On 15/04/2013 18:20, The Medway Handyman wrote:
On 15/04/2013 15:31, Jethro_uk wrote:


There's definitely some slightly less-than-obvious issues at play with
supermarket queues. My wife tends to plump for checkouts which look like
there's not too much on the belt. Myself, I would rather wait a second
for a crowded belt to become free with only one customer in front, than
have half an empty belt with 3 customers in front. That's because in my
experience, the overhead of queueing is predicated far more on number of
customers than number of items.

I also avoid queuing behind any single older ladies

I don't look at how many items are on the belt, I try to ascertain the
stupidity level of the people in the queue.


Perhaps your phone has an app for that?

On 15/04/2013 15:31, Jethro_uk wrote:
.....
There's definitely some slightly less-than-obvious issues at play with
supermarket queues. My wife tends to plump for checkouts which look like
there's not too much on the belt. Myself, I would rather wait a second
for a crowded belt to become free with only one customer in front, than
have half an empty belt with 3 customers in front. That's because in my
experience, the overhead of queueing is predicated far more on number of
customers than number of items.

I also avoid queuing behind any single older ladies

I go for the checkout operators I know to be efficient.

Colin Bignell

On Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:26:01 -0700 (PDT), fred wrote:

Never mind B&Q its the bloody talking lifts I cant stand,

Doors Closing
First Floor
Doors Opening etc.etc.

Oh I don't mind the talking but it's the timing of the talking that gest
me:

"Doors Closing" 1 ms later clang doors shut.

If you are going to issue a warning at least issue it at the right fing
time... Have the warning finish then the doors start to move.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 15/04/2013 19:02, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:54:28 +0100, Nightjar wrote:

On 15/04/2013 15:24, Jethro_uk wrote: ...
I had this kinda "candid camera" idea, of calling up the managing
agents for the mall, and enquiring about vacant units, as I am
launching a new kind of store ... a combined discount shoe, card and
mobile phone shop.

One of the vacant units has a sign up now ... "Coming soon: Rachels
cupcakes and cafe".

Why is there this recent obsession with cupcakes?

It's next door to a Druckers

I presume that Druckers is in competition with a cupcake shop and cafe.
I've never heard of them.

Druckers is a chain of "pattisseries" ... tries to convey a more upmarket
vibe


You have to wonder who pitched *that* business plan.

Either somebody thinks there is business enough for two, or thinks they
can put the other out of business.

Well given a fight between a multi store chain, and a local independent,
where would *your* money be ? Especially as there's a Costa, Cafe Nero,
Esquires, Muffin Break, and a coffee house whose name I can't recall
within 50 m.

I would not necessarily bet against the independent, but the independent
would have to have a good USP, plenty of experience of business and,
probably, not be in catering.

We have lost a good baker to
competition from Greggs (who stopped offering the things they had
undercut after the baker had gone) and a locally run pizza shop to
competition from Dominoes.

I wouldn't call Greggs a bakers - they are a pie and pasty shop with an
extremely limited range of unfilled baguettes and rolls.

That is rather my point. It is what we have now. When they arrived, they
offered a wide range of cakes, morning goods and bread, all of which
disappeared from their shelves after the bakers closed down.

Colin Bignell

On 15/04/2013 13:26 fred wrote:

Never mind B&Q its the bloody talking lifts I cant stand,

Doors Closing
First Floor
Doors Opening etc.etc.

Perhaps Brian might have a different perspective on this?

--
F

On Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:45:53 -0700 (PDT), Man at B&Q wrote:

The *real* problem *by far* is the dippy women (it's *always* women)
who are only half finished packing and look surprised when asked for
payment and then slowly finish packing before spending another 5
minutes fumbling in a handbag, stuffed to the gunnels with gawd knows
what, trying to find their purse.

Then, as these are normally reasonably "well to do" types, spend another
5 minutes trying to find the right credit card to use in equally crammed
to gunnels purse, oh don't forget the loyalty card, but they always do.
This is, of course, after having stood either in the queue waiting for
the belt to have a bit of clear space or next to empty trolly/full belt
*doing nothing*. WTF can't the dippy ****s get their cards sorted out
then?

The little old lady isn't normally a problem, they don't buy much and
generally pay by cash. They have been shopping for donkeys years and they
know the drill, more to the point I will be slow one day, possibly not
that far off. Having seen that report today I think I'll get a badge
made.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:45:47 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

On 15/04/2013 15:31, Jethro_uk wrote:
....
There's definitely some slightly less-than-obvious issues at play with
supermarket queues. My wife tends to plump for checkouts which look like
there's not too much on the belt. Myself, I would rather wait a second
for a crowded belt to become free with only one customer in front, than
have half an empty belt with 3 customers in front. That's because in my
experience, the overhead of queueing is predicated far more on number of
customers than number of items.

I also avoid queuing behind any single older ladies

I go for the checkout operators I know to be efficient.

9 times out of 10 the fastest seem to be either Chinese or Indian. Avoid fat
ones, old ones, blokes, schoolgirl types, the disabled. Avoid queues with
mothers with kids, oaps, fat people, alcoholics.

I dread ever visiting Sainsbury's, besides the rank veg (mainly mushrooms and
broccoli) they are always understaffed and sometimes with fewer checkouts
staffed than Lidl. Asda are light years ahead with the till staffing and
somehow understand that a customer quickly and efficiently processed through the
checkout will make the shop and the carpark less crowded.

Fortunately I don't shop at any supermarket on a regular basis


--

On Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:06:03 GMT, Jethro_uk
wrote:

On Sat, 13 Apr 2013 15:59:26 +0100, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

I was right that you never do the shopping. Pretty well all supermarkets
display a price per gram or whatever to allow you to compare actual
cost.

Not universally. Occasionally I have seen price per *Kg* for one item
against price per gram. Now to you and I it's a trivial issue. But given
the average standard of public mental arithmetic ...

Not as bad as price per Kg against price per litre.

On 16/04/2013 00:04, The Other Mike wrote:
On Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:45:47 +0100, Nightjar
wrote:

On 15/04/2013 15:31, Jethro_uk wrote:
....
There's definitely some slightly less-than-obvious issues at play with
supermarket queues. My wife tends to plump for checkouts which look like
there's not too much on the belt. Myself, I would rather wait a second
for a crowded belt to become free with only one customer in front, than
have half an empty belt with 3 customers in front. That's because in my
experience, the overhead of queueing is predicated far more on number of
customers than number of items.

I also avoid queuing behind any single older ladies

I go for the checkout operators I know to be efficient.

9 times out of 10 the fastest seem to be either Chinese or Indian.

Not many of either around here and what there are seem either to be
running their own shops or restaurants.

Avoid fat
ones, old ones,blokes,

You've just ruled out all the operators in one supermarket I use.

schoolgirl types, the disabled.

and, by including those, at least one other.

Avoid queues with
mothers with kids, oaps, fat people, alcoholics.

You won't be behind me then.

....
Fortunately I don't shop at any supermarket on a regular basis

I use several, as none stocks everything I like.

Colin Bignell

On Mon, 15 Apr 2013 23:49:01 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

On Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:45:53 -0700 (PDT), Man at B&Q wrote:

The *real* problem *by far* is the dippy women (it's *always* women)
who are only half finished packing and look surprised when asked for
payment and then slowly finish packing before spending another 5
minutes fumbling in a handbag, stuffed to the gunnels with gawd knows
what, trying to find their purse.

Then, as these are normally reasonably "well to do" types, spend another
5 minutes trying to find the right credit card to use in equally crammed
to gunnels purse, oh don't forget the loyalty card, but they always do.
This is, of course, after having stood either in the queue waiting for
the belt to have a bit of clear space or next to empty trolly/full belt
*doing nothing*. WTF can't the dippy ****s get their cards sorted out
then?

Worst are those, mainly women (it has to be said) who pile stuff high
on the conveyor belt, so that it all falls about on the floor when
said belt moves.

I try to spread my purchases along the conveyor to make it easy for
the operator to pick up the items for processing, to the chagrin of
people behind me who are determined to get their goods on to the belt
ASAP.

Then of course you get the person in front of you who starts chatting
to the till operator about the weather or some argument about special
offers.

Beware people in front of you buying clothing items - there's ALWAYS
discussion about these, as well as loads of time scanning and folding
them, to go into numerous oran^H^H^H^H carrier bags

The little old lady isn't normally a problem, they don't buy much and
generally pay by cash. They have been shopping for donkeys years and they
know the drill, more to the point I will be slow one day, possibly not
that far off.

I'm sure I am a bit older than the norm, but like to think that I try
a bit harder than some much younger people.

--
Frank Erskine
Sunderland

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

I was right that you never do the shopping. Pretty well all supermarkets
display a price per gram or whatever to allow you to compare actual cost.

The greatest lack of comparative pricing is with fresh fruit and
veg. The pre-packs are generally priced per package, no weight
specified, whilst the loose ones are priced per kg. Usually (but,
crucially, not always) the pre-packs are significantly more
expensive.

Back when Sainsbury's used to have scales that allowed you to
print a price label for bags of loose items, you could put a
pre-pack on to get a comparison, which was instructive.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Plant amazing Acers.

On 16/04/2013 07:29, Chris J Dixon wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

I was right that you never do the shopping. Pretty well all supermarkets
display a price per gram or whatever to allow you to compare actual cost.

The greatest lack of comparative pricing is with fresh fruit and
veg. The pre-packs are generally priced per package, no weight
specified, whilst the loose ones are priced per kg. Usually (but,
crucially, not always) the pre-packs are significantly more
expensive.

Back when Sainsbury's used to have scales that allowed you to
print a price label for bags of loose items, you could put a
pre-pack on to get a comparison, which was instructive.

Chris

Our JS has label printing scales. I use them. The fact that labels get
wasted is annoying.

I also have a pocket electronic "spring balance".

--
Rod

On 16/04/2013 00:04, The Other Mike wrote:
I dread ever visiting Sainsbury's, besides the rank veg (mainly mushrooms and
broccoli) they are always understaffed and sometimes with fewer checkouts
staffed than Lidl. Asda are light years ahead with the till staffing and
somehow understand that a customer quickly and efficiently processed through the
checkout will make the shop and the carpark less crowded.

JS here has a huge store. If the staffed till at this end has a queue,
the one at the other end might not have. But it is so far away, it is
perfectly possible for several other people to join it as you walk along
the row of checkouts. Wish they would open adjacent, or near adjacent,
checkouts.

JS cause much annoyance by have a till open for people who use their
self-scan, sitting there doing absolutely nothing, while there are
queues at every other till.

JS also manage to be the absolute worst offenders in the "till conveyor
divider" stakes. Many tills only having one. Which you can't reach
because other people are in the way and no-one thinks to pass one back
to you. Most of them don't have enough. Again, Lidl is at the top of the
pile - enough to fill the channel they slide in on every till. (A few
sometimes get knocked into the special offers by the till, but even then
there are more than anywhere else.)

JS manages the poorest range of apples. Often hardly any available
despite the best part of a greengrocery aisle dedicated to them. Agree
their veg is nothing special.

Asda do also actively help people to get to the best till - a bit
US-style and somewhat patronising - but it is better than JS.

Not surprisingly, JS have gone from being our main supermarket to
somewhere we get a few things only they sell. Ironically almost entirely
since they opened their huge new store.

--
Rod

On 15/04/2013 23:49, Dave Liquorice wrote:
This is, of course, after having stood either in the queue waiting for
the belt to have a bit of clear space or next to empty trolly/full belt
*doing nothing*.

The ones doing nothing are sometimes outnumbered by the ones having
phone conversations. Often for the entire time they are at the till.

And you have entirely missed the ones who suddenly decide they want
something else and disappear somewhere to pick up that other product.

--
Rod

On 16/04/2013 07:29, Chris J Dixon wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

I was right that you never do the shopping. Pretty well all supermarkets
display a price per gram or whatever to allow you to compare actual cost.

The greatest lack of comparative pricing is with fresh fruit and
veg. The pre-packs are generally priced per package, no weight
specified, whilst the loose ones are priced per kg. Usually (but,
crucially, not always) the pre-packs are significantly more
expensive...

I am surprised that people ever have to buy fruit and veg in a
supermarket. I have a choice of three greengrocers, a fourth who turns
up at three different local markets and a farm shop that, perversely,
usually offers the best value for money. The last also has the
entertainment value of a small dog that likes to eat raw potatoes.

Colin Bignell

On 16/04/2013 08:48, Nightjar wrote:
On 16/04/2013 07:29, Chris J Dixon wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

I was right that you never do the shopping. Pretty well all supermarkets
display a price per gram or whatever to allow you to compare actual
cost.

The greatest lack of comparative pricing is with fresh fruit and
veg. The pre-packs are generally priced per package, no weight
specified, whilst the loose ones are priced per kg. Usually (but,
crucially, not always) the pre-packs are significantly more
expensive...

I am surprised that people ever have to buy fruit and veg in a
supermarket. I have a choice of three greengrocers, a fourth who turns
up at three different local markets and a farm shop that, perversely,
usually offers the best value for money. The last also has the
entertainment value of a small dog that likes to eat raw potatoes.

Colin Bignell

We have a market some days - but they simply sell what they can get from
their wholesalers. Often doesn't seem any better, or cheaper, than
supermarkets and a pain to get to.

We have a farm shop which seems to have nothing to do with any farm. Not
worth going out of our way to and often a poor range.

We also have some farm shops and a farmers market - all miles away - and
not worth going to given things like cost of fuel. And once a month is
not frequent enough for veg!

--
Rod

On Tue, 16 Apr 2013 07:29:14 +0100, Chris J Dixon wrote:

The greatest lack of comparative pricing is with fresh fruit and
veg. The pre-packs are generally priced per package, no weight
specified, ...

Varies, prepack apples probably won't have a weight but will have a size
range and a quantity, most people buy apples by the size and number
rather than weight. Prepack Green beans, carrots, parsnip etc etc are
weight marked.

Back when Sainsbury's used to have scales that allowed you to
print a price label for bags of loose items,

I think there is a legal requirement for there to be scales available for
use where ever there is anything loose sold by weight. Might not be a
label printing device and there may only be one which you have to hunt
for. Try looking in the fruit and veg section where everything is
pre-packed and as far from any loose stuff as possible.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 16/04/2013 08:57, polygonum wrote:
On 16/04/2013 08:48, Nightjar wrote:
On 16/04/2013 07:29, Chris J Dixon wrote:
....
I am surprised that people ever have to buy fruit and veg in a
supermarket. I have a choice of three greengrocers, a fourth who turns
up at three different local markets and a farm shop that, perversely,
usually offers the best value for money. The last also has the
entertainment value of a small dog that likes to eat raw potatoes.

Colin Bignell

We have a market some days - but they simply sell what they can get from
their wholesalers. Often doesn't seem any better, or cheaper, than
supermarkets and a pain to get to.

The market trader always sells good, fresh and cheap produce. It is
rarely worth the bother of going specially for him, as I have the other
options. However, if I am in one of the towns on market day, the stall
is well worth a visit.

We have a farm shop which seems to have nothing to do with any farm. Not
worth going out of our way to and often a poor range.

True of many of them, especially those associated with garden centres.

Colin Bignell