Re: Result!

[Andy Burns]

Using both hands at once works wonders, and where required, simply typing in codes on a keypad rather than following a trail of photos on a touch screen.

[Andy Hall]

Well organised and appealing to the customer as opposed to the typical shop in a garage or motorway service station.

Good packaging, smartly presented staff, reasonable prices.

Of course.

It will be interesting to see what happens to those considering the demise of Spar and the rest.

[Andy Hall]

Just one failure following another.....

[Lozzo]

This steve Firth? :

"Steve Firth bully and troll who runs a pseudo respectable front at

whilst living in Italy on state benefits (must let social security know about that one)"

At this address? :

Gisberto The Old Granary Brockwood Hampshire United Kingdom SO24 0LQ

or this one? :

FIRTH CONSULTING LIMITED BLAKE'S SCHOOL HOUSE PETERSFIELD ROAD HINTON AMPNER, ALRESFORD HAMPSHIRE SO24 0JT

(taken from one result of a quick google search)

[Andy Hall]

That depends

Wrong. I don't need shiny packaging. I do need good display. That means proper presentation of the goods so that they can be seen properly and selected. It doesn't mean having them piled on a pallet

So do I. Good presentation does not imply excessive packaging

Karstadt is reasonable, I agree.

There is a segment of the market where people just want any old crap as long as it's cheap.

[Andy Hall]

Do you consider abuse based on sexuality to be acceptable?

It doesn't really bother me....

[doetnietcomputeren]

Whilst I am in California, that does't mean that all the produce sold here is. The photos in question are not from one of the large supermarket chains, but a small (15 stores) independant chain dealing with high quality product which it sources from all over the world. They have a better cheese selection than most UK supermarkets, including a plethora of French cheeses.

Your average supermarket round here does seem to stock mostly California grown product that doesn't taste as a Brit might expect, although we've had a lot of rain so far this year (one particular Sunday yielded more rain than all of 2007 did) which has helped considerably (along with last years poor season thanks to the bitter cold spell early in the year).

Some of the Oxnard strawberries coming up now are pretty good - slightly al denté (which I prefer to a ball of mush) but slightly sweet and definitely tasting like a strawberry.

As always, experimentation and choosing wisely is the way to go.

[Steve Firth]

You seem to be reading something into my post that was not said.

[Steve Firth]

Oh there. At least half an hour away (20 miles), longer if I take the direct route. About two hours by PT. Fortunately. Haven't seen or heard anything about the said f****it welder in a long time. I wonder if it was jail or the grim reaper?

[SteveH]

Ahhh, yes, the Firth that lives around 20 miles from Pompey.

But apparently, that's not close at all.

[Humbug]

I see more pallets on the floor at the Brent Park Tesco than in the Lidl which is within walking distance of my house.

[Lozzo]

So if he can't do that 20 odd miles in less than an hour, he's not the driver he tries to make out he is either.

Surprise surprise.

[Humbug]

I shouldn't reply to this post. You're obviously so much better than I am.

[Andy Hall]

I explained why as well.

Yes and no. I make my decisions based on stores that I visit within a 15km radius. I don't have the time or interest to travel further to identify whether Morrisons in one place is better than the other. Within that radius I can find ample non-supermarket food suppliers anyway,.

Incorrect. I explained my criteria for choice. I then make my selection on the reasonably accessible stores. I'm not going to waste my time traveling 30km to a different branch of Sainsbury because it might be better.

No it didn't. For me it would make the difference between whether I shopped at your company's stores in the future. If the displays are not done properly, it indicates a lack of consideration for the customer and may alos indicate poor stock rotation. I should be able to see the quality of the product at a glance, its nutritional content and any date codes.

Efficiency for who? The store? The efficiency needs to be for me, the customer.

a look at the Freshness and quality picture. Crates if ever I saw them.

The last time I went into one, the goods were not of quality, were piled in boxes and there was nobody at the checkout despite a queue. I won't be returning in the foreseeable future.

"Value added" being what in this context? I guess that you mean things like chicken with tandoori sauce added?

I seldom buy that kind of product.

Waitrose does, as you agreed.

That depends entirely on how they handle the situation. For example, on one occasion I wanted to buy a shirt from M&S and called their local store to find out if they had the style and size that I wanted. They confirmed that they had and would put it to one side so I went there - about a 30 min drive each way. When I arrived, they didn't have the item. I made the point that I had made a special trip and with no further discussion they paid for my diesel and gave me a store voucher.

On a different occasion, John Lewis did the same in connection with a similar issue.

On another, a Virgin music shop, when it supplied a defective CD, paid for my fuel, replaced the CD and gave me vouchers for three more.

On yet another, B&Q refunded my money for a faulty product, paid for my fuel and gave me a store voucher.

On the other hand, Morrisons took a don't care attitude to bits of sharp plastic in some food purchased from them. I took it home, froze it and then raised the matter with Trading Standards. I believe they were fined £2000.

I'm sure. There's nothing wrong with having problems as a supplier. The acid test is what you do about them

[Andy Hall]

Not at all. In general I try to avoid buying prepackaged generic products so i doesn't matter.

[Andy Hall]

Wrong again.

I actually cook pretty well. The point is that I like to spend my time in the way that I choose to do so, not in the way that a grocery supplier would like. I don't accept that low price is a justification for wasting my time with poor product presentation and poor payment arrangements.

[Andy Bonwick]

I'm not overly keen on the shit served up in Subway.

[Andy Hall]

I suppose that you say that about anybody who doesn't want to buy in the way that you think they should? A very narrow minded attitude.

[Andy Hall]

I suppose that it would be a fairly natural migration for them.

[Andy Hall]

So he goes somewhere else. Big deal.