Morrisons

Yeah, I've heard that one of the Scilly Isles is being renamed Lidl

its easier to steal from lidl as security is not their main concern

Aldi trumps them all - the food is generally good if you know what you're buying 

lack of choice on certain lines is still a bug bear ,and a few but not all  of the 'substitute' labels can be pretty dire eg Bramwells v Hellmans mayonaisse -  specially select is the one to go fore ,this line of food is better than anything MandS can muster -it is the very best imo

I found myself in the Tooting Lidl this weekend and I have to say, the hordes of middle-class luvvies I'd been led to expect had singularly failed to make an appearance, it was more akin to World War Z. I've never been amongst more rude, self-absorbed and, well, smelly fackers anywhere (and I've spent a lot of time in Paris (also Asda)). Grim, utterly grim. And the queues were immense, so I gave up and ran away crying.

Mitch
Used to shop at the Store in Girlington;I think it was one of the first....
is it still there?

The middle class go to Aldi. 51% of them.

Yes Girlington is still there Tambers.

not sure about the Store.  I never go to Girlington.

Chickington?

The company was founded by William Morrison in 1899 who started the business as an egg and butter merchant in Rawson Market, Bradford, England, operating under the name of Wm Morrison Limited.[8]

His son Ken Morrison took over the company in 1952, aged 21. In 1958 it opened a small shop in the city centre.[8] It was the first self-service store in Bradford and the first store to have prices on its products, and it had three checkouts. The company opened its first supermarket, "Victoria", in the Girlington district of Bradford in 1961.[8]

No I prefer Broadlington guinness.

Still there Tambers I think as I've remembered someone who shops in Girlington.

Sainsbury's, never appear to be very busy at all. And yet we're actually doing alright, because we have a good number of very loyal customers who come and spend a lot, hundreds of pounds, very often. That's basically off the back of excellent customer service, I think. Our product range supply is decent but not amazing, our prices are OK, but not dirt cheap, but we do work really hard to look after people, be it showing them where a product is, finding out if we've got something that isn't on the shelf yet, serving people quickly, or listening to someone who...just wants a bit of social interaction. They also look after their staff really well, which makes them want to do their best for the customers.

I've been very poorly this year, and have had far more support from a company that has on many occasions paid me when I've been unable to work, than from the health service I've paid into for 28 years.

Well according to this article they're all struggling, sparky. Sainsburys is a far classier store than Morrisons, and you're right about customer service. A good few of Morrison's staff in my local store can be quite surly.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/sep/29/how-aldi-price-plan-shook-up-tesco-morrisons-asda-sainsburys

The Aldi adverts compare Aldi brands with big name brands and yes they are cheaper.
They don't compare them with Tesco, Sainsburys or Morrissons own brands. I wonder why?
Are we being duped?

Hope you're on the mend now Sparky.

Good point Foinavon.

Surely though, as 95% of Aldi stock is own brand, it must be cheaper than the big4's own brand stock, otherwise why would people go to Aldi?

Thanks Kenny. I do buy some things from Lidl and Aldi and they are good quality but I also shop at other outlets. Tesco dried milk and own brand rolled oats are the cheapest you can find anywhere.
Where the discounters do score is on fruit and veg which is usually excellent value.

Perhaps we should do a survey Kenny, you may be right.

all betfairs big hitters are walking an extra few mile to save 5p on a tins of beans it seems

Good article, Foinavon

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/sep/29/how-aldi-price-plan-shook-up-tesco-morrisons-asda-sainsburys

A penny saved is 1.2p earned Chaser (if you pay tax).

Don't know how many big-hitters they might be on Chit chat

It all adds up Chaser. Not that I've ever been to Aldi or Lidl.

but lidl charge for bags so there goes the 1.2 saved

Thanks for the article kenny. It makes a case for 15% minimum cheaper basket but doesn't say it compares like with like.
They have only 600 stores but there are 3 Aldi within walking distance of my home (2 miles). Also 1 Lidl within that radius. I feel that I've been targeted by them.

ha ha.You're welcome, Foinavon. It's not 15% yet, that's their initail target.

I think it HAS to be like for like. People are not that silly that they'd compare the price of Birds Eye with Lidl own brand I would think.

Mind you Birds Eye is nowhere near as good quality as it once was.

Don't know about Birds Eye prices. Would think that Iceland and farmfoods would give them a run for their money on frozen food. I think I'll jot down a few prices of own brand basics like tinned tomatoes, baked beans etc. just to compare over the next few days.

Our local Tesco is as busy as ever. Felt a right mug recently. The Tesco Psychological Warfare department has for some time labelled up bags of bananas and stuck a £1 label on them. In my tiny mind I'd fallen for it a few times thinking they'd just bagged up a quid's worth of nanas. To add to the deception they were lumped in with loose nanas. When I weighed a £1 bag it came up as 59p.
I was seething but thought well they had me there.
Now I'll have to come up with new and more innovative ways of fiddling the feckers with the self scanning module just to make up the difference.

Aldi specially select would have to be compared with


Taste the difference
Extra Special
the finest
and the Morrisons special version

Aldi's is cheaper than all 4 and far better quality

Aldi is very good for good food but very poor for cheap basic own label /substitute brands items -if i was shopping for basic lines food i would get the basics range  as it's cheaper and better quality

basics is Sainsburys btw

Are you sure they were the same variety of bananas? Morrisons have quite a few brands. Ffyffes (who I used to box for) are the best imo although I like to buy Fairtrade as well.

they were the same bananas yes kenny. 59p for the bananas and 41p for the packing and supposed convenience.

LOL re the boxing joke btw

I found out today that Morrisons have discontinued the "Kitchen" range of vegetarian foods, Coach, which did not please me. Still, if they're not selling you can't blame them.

Thanks Sultan. Told in reverse.

HH they do the same with onions. Grab 3 big onions in a bag for a quid but if you bag them yourself they are about half the price. Fell for it myself numerous time as well.

Tesco red onions.

Tesco Red Onions
(3 per pack - 385g)
£1.00
(£2.60/Kg)
Add to basket

Tesco Red Onions Loose (Approx 210g)
Tesco Red Onions Loose
(Approx 210g)
17.9p
(85p/Kg)

Kenny - just the veggie options ?

those are the ones I'm referring to Coach'. Didn't know they did non veggie in Kitchen.

ahh i see ,sorry mate -hardly ever go there as  my nearest Morrissons is 5 miles across town -  Aldi ,Sains and Waitrose are the nearest with a mini Sainsburys walking distance

Any decent veg curry ready meals that you've come across Coach'?

i make from scratch Canny and add some Scotch Bonnets for heat with the curry spices  ,although when i go to the sains supermarket i get the Deli curries and samosas /bahjis   - they're lovely and spicy


you love your curries

oh I do mate, but have never made my own. I might have a trip to Sainsburys although on the 2 most recent occasions I tried samosas, a good few years ago I ended up with food poisoning although they weren't veggie. Better stay clear of those to be safe.

I think Sainsbury's basic range, offers the best option on the cheap range when compared, with Morrison's or Tesco's products.  Farmfoods are the cheapest I've found for branded produce.

thing is cheapest is not always best ,whats in it ? where are the products sourced ? if its from an animal how and where are they reared ,under what regulations ect ?

a cheap chicken reared in UK will prob be dearer than one raised in Eastern Europe .

cheap is not always best ,value can be had in better products as well but you cant always compare .

likewise certain parts of the world can produce food much cheaper due to regulations and limitations on what can and cant be done
all the time consumers are being kept out the loop and encouraged to shop on price but its not like for like .

cheap crap has got dearer and the value is at the mid to top atm imo ,not at the bottom

All Aldi meat and chicken is reared in the UK so it should have had a reasonable life hopefully.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-22816362

That's 16 months old. This is a week.

In the past 10 years, the range of fresh fruit and vegetables has gone from just 10 items to 100. A focus on British sourcing has seen sales of fresh meat rise 60% a year in the last three years despite Aldi being one of the big names involved in the horse meat scandal in 2013, with two of its readymeals found to have been severely tainted. All the beef and chicken in Aldi’s British ready meals now comes from the UK.

ah, ready meals. Read that wrongly first time.

The big four tend to have three 'classes' of own brand product. The posh one, the standard one, and the cheapo one. The cheapo one is generally cheaper than Aldi, Lidl produce, and often every bit as good, but people are put off by the social stigma. Incidentally, an awful lot of own brand products are actually the same thing in different supermarkets, just with a different label. People tend to assume that own brand means the supermarket themselves make it.

Ethically, I don't think Sainsers can be beaten in terms of animal welfare, fair trade and (conversely) buying British.

That's interesting. I assumed own brand was made by Morrisons, where I usually shop. I might try some of that cheapo stuff which I never have so far. Thanks for the tip.

Aldi and Lidl carry a lot of branded goods now though and almost always they are cheaper than the big 4. Things like Pringles, Doritos, Kingsmill, Heinz sauces, beans, soups, branded Tuna and Salmon, fizzy drinks are almost always cheaper when they do have them in stock and the price is generally consistent unless they have a slight reduction or increase. They don't seem to partake in the increase the price by 40% one week just so they can have a half price promotion next week.

I use to shop in Morrisons and that use to happen all the time. Princes or John West pack of Tuna would vary in price from 3.50 to 7 pounds sometimes based on when you went all so they could stick it up one week and having no one buy it only so they could advertise it as half price or 2 pound off the next week.

well I read that Aldi only have one sixteenth the stock of the big 4, and 95% is own label so I don't see how they can carry a load of branded goods. Not saying you're wrong, mind.

That's probably true based on everything they sell in store although I'm not sure how much supermarkets do for comparison. I.e fruit and veg, meat, bakery goods, milk, cheese, fish, cooked meats, wine must make up up well over half their products and I have never seen them have any branded goods for those but I'd imagine most supermarkets are similar for some or most of these lines. If you were looking for a specific branded product then their stock changes depending on what prices they can get it for I suspect. However every time I've been in they have generally had branded products for the lines I've mentioned.

I've converted to Lidl & have said here before how fair the prices are , only started shopping there as i have one on my doorstep but i'd probably drive there if i had to , Asda is still useful to stock up on toiletries , bread , crisps , drinks etc

Just wondering what the difference is between Aldi & Lidl , they seem almost identical shops

I shouldn't say I endorse all the cheapo products, but if it's food it's worth checking the ingredients. Baked beans, for example, are pretty the same thing. In fact with fruit and veg generally it is..because obviously it needs to be edible regardless of cost. You can't really make a crap banana.  When you get down to non-food items there is a difference, razors for example, just don't work.

Yeah the promotions of stuff that are half price should always be treated with suspicion. Again, this might surprise you, but that isn't the supermarket doing it, it's the brand. They even PAY to have their half price, BOGOF deals on aisle ends. That's the amount of margin they make. If you want a real bargain look for the stuff that is being discontinued. Little red tickets on not particularly busy shelves. There was a promotion malibu ran recently, where you got a free coconut cup with a bottle purchased, the cups had a price of five quid if bought alone. They were reduced to 1p. Now I don't for one second think I saved 4.99 for each one I bought, but it was still a great bargain.

good tips sparky, thanks.

Fresh bread rolls are the best , sandwich baguettes 19p

Love all that Dulano ham too , and they do rip the big brands of perfectly ,like the bags of fresh grated 'valley spire cheese '

Lovely stuffs with some fresh lettuce , cucumber & tomatoes

Went to Morrisons yesterday.

Was surprised how many offers there were though things like ready-made sandwiches were barely reduced though I suppose later in the day they were heavily reduced.

Annoying when some products are prominently displayed but not priced up such as a pack of Warburton crumpets.

Quakers Oats So Simple - half price - £1-15
lettuce 49p
raspberries 25p
1/2 cucumber 25p

Lidl has become my supermarket of choice for bread - earlier this year they started baking on site and it's excellent - frequently still warm.

Also bake cakes, croissants and pastries.

If only they did corned beef pasties.

It's not indicative of a big margin if suppliers pay for a promotion. They pay for it because the supermarket tell them to and if they dont pay they wont stock their products. The suppliers' margins have been squeezed. It's the supermarkets which make the profits. All those BOGOF offers are paid for by the suppliers. Even donations to charities have to be made by the suppliers in the name of the supermarkets. Fortunately the public are at last getting wise to the supermarkets' marketing tricks and blatant greed and fighting back.

I shouldn't say I endorse all the cheapo products, but if it's food it's worth checking the ingredients. Baked beans, for example, are pretty the same thing. In fact with fruit and veg generally it is

that's a bit naïve

s not indicative of a big margin if suppliers pay for a promotion. They pay for it because the supermarket tell them to and if they dont pay they wont stock their products. The suppliers' margins have been squeezed. It's the supermarkets which make the profits. All those BOGOF offers are paid for by the suppliers. Even donations to charities have to be made by the suppliers in the name of the supermarkets. Fortunately the public are at last getting wise to the supermarkets' marketing tricks and blatant greed and fighting back.

very true - I was speaking to someone once at a major supplier to the big supermarkets and every year one of the "big" supermarkets would ask for £5k as a contribution to the staff xmas party. This supplier would normally quibble of an incorrect invoice of £1 but the directors had no hesitation in writing out a cheque for £5k

I went into a Lidl shop yesterday for the first time in 10 years. On my previous visit I'd been in a  small shop with very limited stock but the few items I bought at the time were very good.

I couldn't believe the Lidl shop I went into yesterday: A vast array of goods at unbelievably low prices.
The fruit and veg looked particularly impressive and there was loads of it.

I'll definitely be shopping in there more often from now on.

I can recommend the Cava I bought from Lidl at £4.99 a bottle (Tesco, who sell theirs for a fiver, have non available at the moment, either in my local shop or buying from them on their wine site - useless).

I also saw Australian chardonnay in Lidl at just £3.49 a bottle!

It's no wonder they're taking trade off the big 4.

If you are shopping at Lidl and Aldi, you are giving your dough to the Germans.

Buy British - Tesco, Morrisons, Marks & sparks & Sainsbury's.

Really? OK, I never thought of it like that. I'm definitely sticking with Aldi and Lidl on the grounds that I never met a German I didn't like.

Stow Judge - do you drive a British car...? Just for a laugh...which British football team do you support...?

velasquez.........my brother in law reckons its the food the germans wont eat....think he is right about some of it but while you can do a bit of shopping there you cant do your full weeks shopping

do Lidl and Aldi sell halal meat?

I want due taxes avoided by British companies, damnit!

Aldi is a straight forward set up and no b+s+t

unusual in todays market of gimmicks

PP - don't know about that. The foods are very German - smoked herring, smoked cheese, sauerkraut, Polish and German sausage, paprika crisps, etc. Even the potato salad is different from the stuff you get in Tesco and Morrison's.

There is not such a big price difference as there was 10 years ago, between Lidl / Aldi and the main stores. The big difference is at the check-out where the staff are very speedy and you get rushed through. No "free" bags either.

You have to admire the families that set up these stores - cheap dexine shelves - pile it high, sell it cheap, like the Americans do...smaller profit margins but profits made on sheer volume and turnover.

both the  brothers are dead....one died at 88 and the other 92

Is Stow Judge liable to be a Chelski or Ar$e supporter? Proper BRITISH clubs!

it's more about efficiency than piling it high imo


no staff are wasted ,theyre put to use

every bit of space is full - in fact too much - 

all shops are quite small ,so no waste there -i'm surprised they don't have a small fee for parking

fruit and veg and perishables are  kept to a minimum

I'm a long suffering Spurs fan.

no deli
no customer service
no bakery in Aldi
no loyalty cards
no free bags

it's very much like a trip to the 1950s


so Aldi couldn't get away with charging much more - but like i say ,some of the food is FIRST CLASS

Lidl is the place to go for chocolate eaters.
I saw 100g bars of that 80% cocoa stuff (or whatever the high percentage cocoa number is) for just 49p a bar in there.

I didn't have much time to look at everything but what I did see was terrific value.

someone must have twisted their arm to advertise though

Tommy - yes ,chocolate bars are brilliant from there - rich cocoa ,none of this Cadburys rubbish with vegetable fat or lard - whatever they use 

Coach, from how you describe it it may well have been Aldi that I went to 10 years ago rather than Lidl - so it may have been my first ever visit to a Lidl shop yesterday.

This carrier bag lark is a stain on the environment, not hard if your going to a supermarket to take your own bags & should be introduced across the board.

Drat - was hoping it was Chelski.

the cheap chocolate in lidls and aldis is good value

I bought some wine gums from Lidl (I'm a sweet eater rather than a chocolate eater) which were very good value at 58p for a 250g bag - but I have to say that Tesco's wine gums are the best at £1.50 for 2 x 250g bags.

Some things are worth paying more for if you have a particular penchant for them - and I love me Tesco wine gums!

Spurs? Hold on -- Spurs? Is that the team that sacked their British manager and sold the only world class British player to bring in a load of dodgy foreigners? The team with the Argie manager? YOU NEED TO FIND ANOTHER TEAM, PAL!!

Why is there no PITCHFORK emoticon?? -----> (SPEAR EMOTICON)

hahaha Vel!

We also need a DRUMMER EMOTICON, Tommy...and TWO EMOTICONS constantly bashing each other like Rangers fans...and a READING-THE-PAPER-WHILE-DRINKING-TEA EMOTICON...and a SURFER EMOTICON playing with a dolphin...come on Betfair, FFS get a grip...

Have you tried soft Edinburgh rock, Tommy?

hahaha!

No, I don't think I have Vel. What's it similar too? Is it like rock that's gone soggy?

It's quite tangy, Tommy...tangytommy...sort of powdery with bubbles in it...pastel shades of green, pink and yellow...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Edinburgh_Rock.jpg

It looks like the old school chalk.

I dare say they have a Stoke equivalent where they mash up old bits of pottery, sugar and Evo-stick.

Oh blimey Vel. That looks and sounds like my perfect sweet!

I love tangy stuff!

Hahahahaha!!
My reply was to your 13:49 post - I can well imagine it would be that equivalent recipe in Stoke!

When people go to Edinburgh they usually bring it back as a present, in a nice presentation box or tin. Our local Morrison's sells it in bags for about £1.30...there's also a mint version.

I wonder...I wonder if you can do a home made version...? (BIG BREASTED BUT COY NIGELLA EMOTICON)

hehehehe!

Yep - will try this and tell you how I got on...slow cooker working great BTW...

http://www.rampantscotland.com/recipes/blrecipe_rock.htm

Good luck Vel!

lol if you honestly think a British supermarket is going to refuse to sell Coca-Cola unless they pay extra you need your head seeing to.

I'm not sure Lidl sell Coca Cola ..

but we much prefer their Tropical Fruit Juice at 59p a carton

Tommy they do some great one off drinks & some very nice bottles of ale too , just depends how long they have them on offer , until they sell out I guess , all summer I was addicted to their Grafenwalder lemon shandy at 49p can but was only a summer offer

I buy all my fruit and veg from a green grocers far better quality and shelf life than supermarkets.
Lots of its cheaper and as you are buying loose produce there is much less waste.