Absolute rip-off crude oil derivatives

[Adrian]

If I need a tomato, I need a tomato, and I don't want one that tastes of bollock all. I want a cherry tomato for a salad, and I want a bigger tomato if it's being roasted.

Actually, I think that you've just about summed their target market up: People who really don't give much of a toss about the actual food, and don't look much beyond perceptions of price. And that's how we got to the horsemeat scandal - which wasn't about the fact it was horsemeat (I like horsemeat), but about the fact that price-driven corner-cutting had totally broken all traceability. If we couldn't even be sure what species the meat was, what chance that we'd know it was fit for human consumption or had been farmed with any modicum of ethics or standards?

[meow2222]

IME poundland's 0.8Ah AA cells have performed very well, taking 1hr charging and giving excellent cycle count. 0.8Ah for 50p is a fair deal imho, and fine for some apps.

NT

[alan_m]

And you get tomatos with taste from the main supermarkets?

You misjudge the target market in much the same way as the main supermarkets have done.

If you want a cherry tomato or a large tomato you will find both on sale in Aldi/Lidl 99% of the time. If you want a pack of three different types of cherry tomatoes that actually taste of something go to Lidl. (Strangly, they are also selling tubs of the same as 'kids fun size')

What you may not find is some type of fruit/vegetables on sale 365 days of the year. The discounters may not stock fruit/vegetables when they are 'out of season' and more expensive.

[alan_m]

That's happening everywhere, not just in pound shops. A well known brand name has been purchased by a investor/holding company and is being used as a badge on no-name items. These are not necessarily cheap items.

[Capitol]

That simply means more profit for the shopkeeper. Lidl etc don't have customer financed checkouts and still manage lower prices. If I wanted a job as a checkout person, I'd apply and expect to get paid for it.

[polygonum]

Lidl currently have strawberries. And pineapple, mango, passion fruit - quite a decent selection.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes - although you're generally in a queue for several self checkouts rather than stuck behind that person in one.

At the moment non of the Lidl branches I use offer self checkout. And yes

- their staff are extremely fast. It's some of the customers which are the problem.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Precisely - you're one of the types who just abandon the trolley anywhere. No surprise there.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Rather difficult to suss out in a busy supermarket where you have to choose a queue to join...

You were earlier talking about a basket?

Most of the supermarkets round here only offer self checkout for baskets (or a limited number of articles) anyway.

[Huge]

This ^^^^

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You'll never, ever, train the likes of Wodney. You have to provide an incentive to return the trolley to somewhere where it doesn't interfere with parking for others. Or more likely a penalty if they simply don't care about others. Hence the coin in slot.

It never was here. Why would you use a self service supermarket then demand high levels of 'service'? Especially these days where you can order via the net and have things delivered. Or phone a grocer and have things delivered as once was the case. Provided you don't mind paying more.

I want low prices and convenience. Convenience generally includes the total speed of the operation. There will inevitably be some trade off between the two.

[Ian Jackson]

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

I expect he's also one of those who take absolutely no notice of the one-way arrows in the carpark.

[tim.....]

I'd love to know where you source these

a trip to Spain each time I want a tasty tomato seems a step too far

tim

[290jkl]

No it does not.

Buy carrying a much smaller range of products.

No reason why they couldn?t slash their staff costs as well and be able to offer even lower prices.

And when the operation chooses to have self checkouts, many would prefer to supervise some self checkouts instead of having to work much harder running a manned checkout.

[Vir Campestris]

Growbag in the garden. Now we finally have one big enough, and the neighbours don't have so many cats to pee on them.

And our own supply is not the only reason we've bought fewer shop tomatoes this year. /She/ finally knows what they should be like!

Andy

[alan_m]

The problem with a lot of supermarket fruit and vegetables is that the varieties have been breed for looks and shelf longevity rather than taste.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

In the UK Lidl are doing very well while most of the older supermarkets not.

Lidl don't employ 'apes' to move trolleys around - they use the coin in slot method to make sure most are returned to the trolley sheds.

QED. No matter how much you bleat on.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Right. You do things you think pointless. Figures.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Thank gawd for that. The idea of sharing a supermarket with you makes Walmart seem attractive.

[charles]

The 2 Lidl branches near me have quite small car parks and are quite small inside. The don't need to move large quantities of trolleys across enormous car parks. The nearest Sainsburys also uses coins to release the trolleys, but the car park is so large that they have a number of deposit points. That's why the "apes" are needed.