sadietoo Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 My dad is rather frail these days and asks me to get his shopping for him. Not a problem, but he likes the stuff from Tesco, and not other supermarkets (Bizarre I know but there we are). I dislike the Tesco shopping experience, the overly stuffed aisles with loads of stuff I don't want to buy, and often the other shoppers are at best ill-mannered and at worst downright rude... But it's Tesco's pricing policy which offends me most, (not only their gut turning offers for fresh chicken...I don't even want to begin to think what sort of life a chicken has had if it's being sold so cheaply and Tesco are still making a profit) and I have moaned on here before about the way they do unfair price comparisons...eg so much for 6 apples compared with 100g of another apples...you know the type of thing. Today's bug bear was PG tips. My dad had asked me to buy 80. Now fortunately I am tall, so I could spot that the packs of 40 PG Tips Tea Bags on the very topmost shelf were priced at 93p, whilst the packs of 80 which were well below knee level were £2.12...but worst of all were the completely in my face packs of 100 all over the middle shelves at the bargain price of £2.99. Never enter Tesco without the chant "Caveat Emptor" going through your heads over and over again Omleteers...they don't make all that profit without knowing a trick or two....... Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Tesco's grrrrr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 That's appalling! I almost never go to Tesco, I didn't realise they had that sort of policy - I'd always assumed it was 'pile it high, sell it cheap'. I can understand that your dad likes to stick to what he knows, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 I was only thinking the other day that I'd seen a lot of that recently - buying two smaller sizes was the same volume but cheaper than buying the large pack And not just in Tesco. I always double check prices these days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 I go shopping with my Dad quite often and I drive him nuts because I stand there for ages working out the cheapest way to buy things - Sainsburys do it too, my nearest Tescos is quite a drive thankfully but much as I hate all these monopolists and ethically bankrupt stores, if you DO take the time to work stuff out Tescos is still a lot cheaper than Sainsburys. It pains me to shop in them but I can't afford local shops, vicious circle BeckyBoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emily95 Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Our local supermarket is Somerfield, and we often go in there for "essentials". We find that they put the special offer labels infront of the products that aren't on special offer! So you dont notice until you get to the till and the price doesnt add up. Very naughty! Em xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 You have to be REALLY careful with Tesco pricing. For example the smaller hot chocolates are often cheaper than the big tubs and the big packets of crackers are often only slightly more than a packet half the size. We only go shopping there once every three to four weeks on essentials, like canned tomatoes, cheese, cereal etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 I dislike the Tesco shopping experience, the overly stuffed aisles with loads of stuff I don't want to buy, and often the other shoppers are at best ill-mannered and at worst downright rude... I agree, there is nearly always someone abusing their children, swearing or shoplifting whenever I go (which is rare). Last time I was there we saw some young girls pile themselves high with sweets and then walk out Then all of the security guards were sent out to chase after someone who had stolen something else. It is not just Tescos who play games with the pricing though. I bought some 'essentials' onions from Waitrose only to find that they were significantly more expensive than the standard ones. I emailed them only to be fobbed off with some nonesense - still rather go there or Sainsburys than Tescos though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 I hardly go to Te$co's now - but they are now doing five apples in a bag instead of 6 here. I've noticed a lot of things shrinking and not just the Te$co stuff either - named brands like Walkers (yuk resent buying that but requests by the rest of the family) and Trebor do bags of softmints that are now half the size - well I'm not having them anymore. I haven't bought meat from them or Saisbury's, preferring Waitrose if necessary, but mainly from the farm that we like. Can't really trust the big shops when it comes to meat. Our Tesco has empty spaces on the shelves, but you can trip over the trolleys and find the staff yapping to each other blocking up the pokey little space left. I agree there is plenty of rubbish that I don't want - and now I have to order some things direct from manufacturers because they don't stock what I do want anymore. And luckily I don't get pestered in the car park at Waitrose to "Vash Carrrr?" Does my car look dirty, no it's clean it doesn't need a vash! Leave me alone! And then someone else says "Vash Carrr?" Arghhhh! Sometimes I get accosted 3 times before I get inside the shop. I look to see where they aren't and park there only to see the guys running towards me, then mum and I leg it as fast as she can! Oh I do hate shopping nowadays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted October 3, 2009 Author Share Posted October 3, 2009 Don't get me started on the child abuse.....regularly heard in our local branch "Do you want a smack?" and also swearing that would certainly be banned from the playground Don't get me wrong I'm not a prude...I just hate to hear children abused that way...especially when they are only three or four years old....and I have to grip my trolley very tightly and tell myself to keep my big mouth shut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 I do remember some time ago in Sainsbury's in Chertsey one evening, a child screaming non-stop. The dad then announced "who would like a naughty little girl - free to good home with ear plugs". Everyone laughed and the little girl realised that everyone was laughing at her and promptly stopped - she must have been about 5 or 6 - bet she didn't do it again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 In Tesco, & in most supermarkets I think,if you look at the price tag on the front of the shelf,it tells you the price per unit - ie in this case the pricer per tea bag, so its really easy to find the cheapeast or best value pack option Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 I have to shop at Tescos as the nearest other supermarket is miles away. I price everything up carefully on line before I set foot inside the place, it saves me a bit of time instore. I try to pick non-peak shopping times to venture into the place (the joys of working shifts). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaches Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 I rarely go to Tesco either these days. Mostly use Co-op, our town's own shop, or a store in Leyburn. I found it a very depressing and aggressive place to go. Everyone seemed frazzled. Then I read Paul Kingsnorth's book Real England and realized if I didn't patronize local shops, they would eventually die away. Then there will be no competition and stores like Tesco can do what they like. Was furious with Tesco ages ago when I ordered birthday flowers and they delivered them at 6 pm in the evening - needless to say, my complaints got me no-where. Fiona Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted October 4, 2009 Author Share Posted October 4, 2009 Mmm Cinnamon...I agree that is what you would expect to find and tbh I didn't check the labels yesterday...but my ongoing complaint with tescos is that in that sort of situation, one label will be priced with price per tea bag, and the other will show price per 100g so you need a calculator (or a fantastic maths brain which I don't have) to do the sums Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Shouldn't be - if its the same product it should be per item on the shelf front ticket - it is in my local branches anyhow I use this all the time to price check & you would be amazed at how often there are glaring discrepancies like you mention in your initial post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 I found a similar thing in Asda recently with dishwasher tablets. They're ridiculously expensive anyway but after comparing the prices I realised it was better value to buy two small packets rather than a big one Sainsburys have annoyed me greatly recently by reducing their packets of ham from eight slices to seven yet still charging the same amount Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhotchick Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Mmm Cinnamon...I agree that is what you would expect to find and tbh I didn't check the labels yesterday...but my ongoing complaint with tescos is that in that sort of situation, one label will be priced with price per tea bag, and the other will show price per 100g so you need a calculator (or a fantastic maths brain which I don't have) to do the sums I was going to say the same thing. I check prices and find this is often the case! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saronne Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Okay, I know I'm going against the grain here, but Tesco's home deliveries of large items is very good and, in my experience, they phoned promptly to give me a time slot, etc. and they stuck to it. Their returns system is good, too, and in my local branch, they bend over backwards to be helpful. I know that just addresses only one or two of the issues, and of course I don't buy their cheap chickens, meat, or stuff that has too many airmiles when it could be sourced locally, etc. however, I also heard on Radio 4 that for all the criticism of Tesco, they actually are working towards the biggest cut in carbon footprint in their stores (5.3%) of all the big supermarkets...and that's not because they had the most to cut, either. A few other allegedly more 'ethical' supermarkets would not disclose what their proposed cuts would be. Apparently Waitrose was one who would not, and others have proposed a smaller percentage of proposed cuts. To be honest, there is little between them and all the major supermarkets are lying if they claimed they wouldn't sell their grannies to be as successful as Tesco... And, no, I don't work for Tesco Saronne x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I just don't want to shop at Tescos as I loathe the fact that they hold all of your lifestyle information on their clubcard database. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted October 5, 2009 Author Share Posted October 5, 2009 Saronne, I absolutely agree that they are all as bad as each other (perhaps with the exception of the Co-op..but they are hardly big league players these days). I know everyone thinks that Waitrose are squeaky clean, but if you worked in their supply chain you would know that they are not....although I have to concede it is a far more relaxed shopping experience in their shops (but who can afford to use Waitrose for everything). As far as cutting their carbon footprint, all supermarkets would do better if they didn't have centralised delivery depots forcing, for example, products from the South Coast to travel up to Hertfordshire to come back down to the South Coast on their own trucks for distribution to their shops, and of course if we didn't all have to drive to get to them because they are all out of town that would help too. We should have regulated the supermarkets better we have all but lost all our small retailers (and hence all competition) and will soon have no choice about where we shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fur 'n' Feathers Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I was only thinking the other day that I'd seen a lot of that recently - buying two smaller sizes was the same volume but cheaper than buying the large pack And not just in Tesco. I always double check prices these days We do the same as several small packs can often be cheaper than larger equivalent quantities. You have to be so careful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrensWorld Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Look folks, tesco are not the only supermarket that does this. They all do, if you want the cheapest option look at the top and bottom shelf, if you stay at eye level you'll get all the most expensive items. What appears to be a special offer at the end of the aisle, might make you think you're getting a bargain, but 'Caveat emptor'........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Same with Sainsbury's - their apple and blackcurrant juice was cheaper to purchase 2 small bottles than one big one - with an offer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 I can's stand Sainsb'y. They're more expensive and often worse quality. I bought some bread there a couple weeks ago, and it was mouldy when I opened the (sealed) packet. Within the sell-by date by a couple of days, so should have bene fine. I took it back, and was polite and nice about it (it isn't the shop assistants fault after all) and was treated like a thief.... They're all cheeky with the pricing of stuff - though I tend to feel v smug when I spot the smaller packet-is-cheaper-per-same-amount so at least that cheers me up! I know, I'm a sad individual who needs to get out more.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saronne Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 Look folks, tesco are not the only supermarket that does this. They all do, if you want the cheapest option look at the top and bottom shelf, if you stay at eye level you'll get all the most expensive items. What appears to be a special offer at the end of the aisle, might make you think you're getting a bargain, but 'Caveat emptor'........ What's eye level? I'm 5' 1" so hopefully I'm seeing all the bargains! Sadietoo, I agree, we should have regulated the supermarkets better - and I agree we should buy from smaller shops to ensure they don't go bust. I've made big strides in buying locally produced meat and cheese (there are lots of farms near us who will sell to the public), but have to admit some of it is more expensive than Tesco. Nonetheless, I fork out because I feel I'm doing the right thing. When my allotment's not producing, then I often buy fruit and veg from Leicester market on a Saturday... however, there are some things I still need to go to Tesco for, e.g. non-food items, tinned goods, cereal, toiletries, etc. I guess it's all about being a thoughtful shopper. Saronne x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
