Supermarket Domination

[saint-spoon]

Sadsa are selling 18 free range eggs for £2-00, bananas are 50p per kg and bread is cheap as well. It’s another supermarket price war. I can’t help but think that it’s the producers that will suffer not the shareholders. I doubt that the folk cutting the bananas will get a pay rise out of it all or the free range farmer will get any more for their eggs.
I can’t help but think that the major supermarkets plan these things so as to wipe out the small business competition; even our local book shop has closed after the thing with the wizard book being sold at a loss. I’m scared of becoming reliant on these companies for everything; it screams at me that we are facing commercial fascism.

At least it’s good that the eggs are free range and not the intensive stuff that pest-co are still insisting of peddling to consumers.

[Effie]

even our local book shop has closed after the thing with the wizard book being sold at a loss.

Last year we were camping in Asburton, Devon ( if I die and I'm a good girl I'm might go there forever ) and I made a point of paying £15 in the local bookshop for the wizard book.

But I was on holiday with time to spare when, as a family, we make a point of spending time visiting local shops, especially farm shops and independant retailers.

Now so many families have two working parents, it's no wonder the shopping is done once a week at a supermarket. Houses are not built within walking distance of small shops, the small shops aren't serviced by adequate/free parking, they aren't open after office hours in the week. All this against them before they even start to try to compete on price!

Which came first? Modern living styles or the convenience offered by supermarkets?

I remember the first Sunday my Pestco was openend to the public(against Sunday trading laws at the time) The store was deserted, I spent all shift cleaning fridges. Now (15 years on) Sunday is the second busiest day of the week.

Big businesses won't invest in a program, eg Sunday trading, non-food sales, book launches, cheap broiler chickens, etc. unless they believe there is a market for them. With the power of the very skilled advertisers against them, the general public can slip into new shopping patterns without even realising it. It actually takes much more effort to stick to the old ways than to succumb to the temptaions of cheap convenience.

It's not really surprising that we have ended up with the current situation.

Oh dear, I appear to have gone off on one, so sorry Wish I knew how to fix it - the commerical fascism, not the ranting

Effie

[saint-spoon]

Nice Rantette though.

[seahorse]

The whole idea of it scares me. Will we be held to ransome by these giants when all the other shops and competition have been squashed under their heavy boots?

[wendy]

Someone said on my forum tonight that ADSA was selling eggs for 50p a half dozen. No need to guess where they are coming from then !
Wendy

[Richard]

It would be interesting to see what people actually buy the 50p eggs

Maybe just hanging around and watching !

I'm taking my camera into three of them shortly to take sneaky photo's of the displays. Must remember not to have the automatic flash on

I feel a getting banned again coming on !

[wendy]

That would be interesting.
I rarely go to T**co. But a few weeks back. I stood and watched there were 12 people at the egg place. Only two bought caged eggs. I was pleasantly pleased.
It may have changed now with the economic climate the way it is.
Don't get banned, I couldn't live with the shame. I already have one friend banned from the local one.
Wendy

[Richard]

Problem is I can't afford to buy Shares !!

What else is in their basket is a good one. I often do at the Checkouts (any Shop).
It's like some are Microwave minded, some not healthy, some mixed, some posh !

It's not for me to tell people what they should be buying etc., but sometimes when you see Caged Hen Eggs in amongst 12 cans of Lager, three magazines and an assortment of Cakes - it's tempting !

But on topic, I just can't see it changing - but the more people growing their own and having Chickens may persuade the Supermarkets they are not always supplying on demand.
Then you'd have a problem of price increases !

[saint-spoon]

What folk have in their trollies (not trousers for those with gutter minds) at supermarket checkouts has long amused and occasionally somewhat saddened me. There’s the old folk who like their tinned ham and often have a sweet tooth, probably remembering the shortages during the war. The health fanatics with a basket full of fruits and vegetables but normally with a pork pie or chocolate cake guiltily secreted amongst the radishes and new season celery. At the other extreme folk with piles of frozen ready meals, gateaux and packets of high calorie comfort foods (yum) and a pack packet pre-washed veg (already the subject of several threads) proudly displayed on top. Rather sadly the other day a saw a lady with the cheapy own brand, salt and sugar saturated cans of beans and breakfast cereal for her family (good and frugal) but buying the top brand dog food (Mr fussy); I couldn’t help but wonder were her priorities lie. By all means buy expensive dog food if you must but not at the expense of your family’s healthy eating. I don’t need to mention what chicken she had either. My favourite is the service persons renting a house, easy to spot by the trolly full of lager topped with a single pizza, loaf of saver bread and box of asprin.

[mellonia]

I like to look as well, we have a waitrose near us and the stuff in there is fantastic, its never full though, I was a secretary at the local hospital and popped in on new years eve as i was passing just to get a few things and low and behold saw 3 plastic surgeons in there as well, they have the cash to splash. I dont do a big shop from there just get a few reduced items and whatever is on offer, but if i won the lottery i would shop there all the time.

I think with regard to A*da and te*co the monopolies commission should look into some of the underhand tactics they use, and i think that they probably don't pay there suppliers a far wage i.e some of the dairy farmers and pig farmers, devaluing the pig. Its not fair how can we expect them to have exceptional welfare standards as this cost money. But then as comsumers we should all try to buy free range. It must be hard for families on benefit though, i am not sticking up for anyone, if i was on benefit i would probably keep my own chickens, (i do anyway) and build a basic house and stuff. Or recycle an old rabbit hutch for a house.

Sorry for the ranette ( love that word) i also love mishog if my other half is in a mood i say he is mishog.

Mellonia