OT:Clueless Asda Tesco the Supermarket you can Trust (if you don't want onions)

Local Aldi wasn't too bad yesterday afternoon (I didn't go as I have a recurrence of the atrial fibrillation).

Apparently Aldi's problem is that they have a high absentee rate at the local warehouse. Staff are being offered enhanced pay to work there for a bit, and they are advertising for store shelf fillers as temporary jobs (as are other places).

It's a temporary thing. When the panic buyers have bought, things will go back to normal or even quieter. Give it a couple of weeks.

It's odd. On the news the other day there was a bit about a Chinese medical team visiting Italy to help out. All shot outside a hospital. Everyone, including the TV crews, were wearing masks. Given the Chinese and Italian medics have more experience than us, what do they feel they know that we don't? Or is it just typical British not wanting to appear odd?

That's more your style I imagine. Full blown trolley rage, shouting at the top of your voice and waving your fists at people. Until they call over the security guards and have you removed from the store. Again.

Oh yes it is ! The supermarkets are coining it at the minute in case you hadn't noticed; they're the only big retailers still operating and in addition to selling food, the bigger ones also sell everything from clothes to DIY to TV's

However it seems they've decided to take on more staff so it remains to be seen how this pans out, and if extended hours return.

The fact that you automatically lump the staff along with the senior management as being jointly responsible for this shambles, shows just how little you know about how the real world actually operates,

michael adams

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Rationing would be hard to set up when we don't have a list of who lives where.

You are the one whining about this, not me. So, I repeat my statement that you grow some balls and tackle the panic buyers. But, no, you'd prefer to drip on about it here.

The supermarkets may well be coining it at the moment, but they are merely trying to meet the demand created by people such as yourself. Your frenzy is causing the problem.

See above.

Bollocks. The total amount of sales over a 6 month period is fairly constant. Once enough people have filled their houses lofts and sheds with whatever, then sales WILL tail off and then collapse, but over the whole period the total amount sold will be the same as 2019.

QED The supermarkets will see increased sales and profits for Q1, possibly flat figures for Q2 but a drop in Q3 and Q4 as people munch through their personal stockpiles.

I don't see any evidence of price increases since Christmas other than the ones expected, so they aren't 'coining it in'.

If you actually read what I wrote, you'll see it had absolutely nothing to do with panic buyers. I wrote one post, one, explaining how having checked Asda's own website beforehand, which stated categorically that the Hounslow store opened at 6, I got up at 5 o'clock in the morning and drove miles; only to find out that they'd changed their minds. No signs up. Nothing. Then just to rub it in, they then changed the web page some hours later,

That was it. One post, My post was intended as a warning for others not to trust Asda management. Whereas Tesco, in my experience, at least keep to their advertised opening times.

But, no, you'd

Make your mind up !

One minute I'm apathetic and whingng. The next minute I'm in a frenzy.*

michael adams

• My favourite Hitchock film `as it happens alongside Dial M for Murder. Both set in London as well. Look them up if you need to, you might learn something,

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Do you seiously think people are going to be eating their way through

In addition as the bigger supermarket sheds are now the only remaining source of DIY, clothing, mobile phones TV's etc they stand tri increase their sales in those areas as well.

michael adams

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They are just playing safe mask wise. No one has been silly enough to try going without a mask to see if it makes any difference.

Pretty stupid going to Italy for some video footage.

And surprising that Italy allowed that given their shut down,

The major ones are recruiting- probably only temp staff- which will eat into any short term gains. Plus, of course, while food and general house items are up, other things the supermarkets sell are probably down- even if they are lower turnover areas. (Having said that, a sizeable area of some supermarkets is given over to things that aren?t food, cleaning, etc. Would shops do that if it wasn?t worth it? )

Andrew pretended :

Well, there will be all the extra food the panickers have bought, which will have gone off in their stock piles.

The only extra we have bought, is a couple of emergency pints of UHT milk and frozen an extra loaf. Once those involved in the panic buy have spent up, or filled there ability to store - all will be back to normal.

The sensible ones are doing oldies on Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun and critical workers on the alternate days to keep them apart. They have to do something otherwise the medics and even their own staff will starve.

If you want to maximise your risk of catching corona virus the most effective way is to be a part of the mad scrum when the store opens.

I?ve had a pretty ragged cough for the last week or so and I?ve found that it?s actually quite effective at parting crowds at the supermarkets; I start loudly hacking up phlegm and these scrums melt away from me. It?s really helped reduce the stress from hitting all the local shops to stock up these last few days, I wholeheartedly recommend it.

I might be heading to Glasgow on business next week, mate. I?ll pop by for an eyeball.

I could barely understand the first one she had with me.

My grandmother told me about people like you during WWII. They often had unforeseen accidents that resulted in them not shooting their mouths off any more.

Yes, I should have spoken to her before the offies opened, you?re right.

I heard that. The Supermarkets are doing a good job all in all. Obviously they are learning as they go but those who keep blaming them for the shortages haven?t got a clue.

Indeed.

Fortunately, we normally keep a stock of things in store for other reasons. We did need some Hamster mix ( for the Hamster!) and things like fresh milk but those aren?t proving too bad. While we don?t need, and weren?t trying to buy, tinned stuff, there is nothing on the shelves. Ditto pasta etc.