Are you a supermarket snob?

[tom_e]

My shopping strategy has been the same no matter what supermarket.

Don't use a trolley, only use a hand basket. The end result is there is only so much you can carry in the basket, both in volume and in weight. It always cost between £15-£25 no matter where I shop

Has been doing that since uni days.

When I nip into Waitrose on my way home from work I don't even pick up a basket, I can still manage to spend £20 on stuff that fits purely into my helmet which isn't much even with my massive head.

I can fill a basket in Aldi and not even break the £20 barrier.

 

[TheSkateyBird]

Most things from Aldi,
Anything I can't get at Aldi I'll get from the closest supermarket.
Meat from Great British Meat Co

 

[McPhee]

It's not all about the pricing, though... Asda brand of pie will be full of cack, where Aldi or Waitrose will have more palatable and healthy content. They may all cost £2, but you may not get what you think you're paying for.

No, it's not all about price. I wasn't trying to suggest it was; I was simply pointing out that when comparing the 'Big 4' against Aldi, the price difference for basics is smaller than most people perceive.

I shop at Sainsbury's largely because while it is the most expensive of the 'Big 4', it isn't that much more, and the quality more than makes up for the difference. Sainsbury's can be expensive for 'luxury' foods and cleaning products though. Aldi pretty much owns value for money in both categories, so I go there for that stuff. Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil, £4 per 500ml. Aldi's equivalent, £1.99. No discernable difference in quality.

Ultimately, Aldi will always be the cheapest, and will remain the best value in most categories. Its overheads are far lower than those of the competition; small stores, lean management structure, focussed advertising budget, and their customers generally have lower expectations of the shopping experience. They can get away with queues at the checkout and patchy service without losing business.

 

[Voicon]

Sainsburys here, the food is better quality and so are the clientele.

 

[Maccapacca]

And before someone says go to a butcher, i cba doing a round tour of the town for the sake of food.

It's probably life's most important decision what you shove in your face day in day out.

 

[V F]

What kicked off this discussion about supermarket snobbery?

 

[mrk]

What kicked off this discussion about supermarket snobbery?

I'm no supermarket expert, so take this with a pinch of Asda salt, but I'm guessing supermarket snobbery was the cause!

 

[Glaucus]

Sainsburys here, the food is better quality and so are the clientele.

is it though, i find it very poor quality, not only that its more expensive.
its the one supermarket i try and avoid.

 

[burtie]

We use Tesco online as I get discount, Amazon for bog rolls and the like, Muscle food for meat. I spend all night in a supermarket the last thing I want to do is go shopping!

 

[V F]

I'm no supermarket expert, so take this with a pinch of Asda salt, but I'm guessing supermarket snobbery was the cause!

Why though... most of the supermarkets get the stock from the same places.

Are people really that bad standing outside oh you peasant!

is it though, i find it very poor quality, not only that its more expensive.
its the one supermarket i try and avoid.

What is the definition of quality?

 

[shifty_uk]

is it though, i find it very poor quality, not only that its more expensive.
its the one supermarket i try and avoid.

I think it's better quality but that might be down to perception. The packaging, the clientele and overall experience trick your mind into thinking the food is decent Then again, I've never not liked any of their goods. It's not M&S but definitely not on par with Asda.

 

[UTmaniac]

Better half is more of a snob than me, she prefers to use Sainsburys, depsite their high prices. Fresh fruit and veg tends to last a little longer if sat around for a few days, I'll give her that, but her main reason is her belief in them being more Fairtrade-friendly.

We both use Co-Op round the corner for basics like milk and bread and when we cannot face the idea of the busy big Sainsburys, especially while she gets the NUS 10% discount.

Sometimes I get the odd few bits from Tesco Express or Tesco superstore, simply because of the convience of a store being next to where I've had a pub lunch and I've had a lift in a car there.

I try to use Lidl, I get far more for my money and the quality is very decent. There's a branch just down the road from work, which I try to use at least once a week, when I'm bus commuting instead of cycling. There's another branch down the road, ~5mins cycle away, but travelling there on the busy "A" road is not very appealing.

 

[ttaskmaster]

Is Budgens considered a supermarket?
Our local one is also petrol station, but shop-wise it's actually bigger than a couple of the 'Big Four' stores...

 

[Avenged7Fold]

What is the definition of quality?

Brightly coloured label, thicker packaging, less volume of food but larger individual pieces, more uniformity among fresh food.

Oh quality you say?

Next to nothing but there is plenty of stuff to trick you into believing it is better quality really.

 

[McPhee]

Brightly coloured label, thicker packaging, less volume of food but larger individual pieces, more uniformity among fresh food.

Oh quality you say?

Next to nothing but there is plenty of stuff to trick you into believing it is better quality really.

In manufactured products, quality and quantity of the ingredients used will vary considerably. Think ready meals, meal solutions etc. The simplest example would be the ratio of meat to gravy in a pie. It isn't even remotely consistent across brands and has a substantial impact upon the perceived quality and value for money of the end product.

 

[agnes]

Always go to Asda which is a 25 minute drive from me for my large shops. As I prefer named brands and rarely buy anything shop branded. Asda has the best discounts on named items.

If it's a quick shop for a meal or 2, I'll pop to my local Waitrose which is 5 mins down the road. Problem is, it's named items are insanely over priced compared to Asda.

Plus, the Asda I drive to has a huge amount of veg on offer. And I never buy pre made items, so buy lots of veg. I buy all my meat from the butchers each weekend as shop meat is just dire and not worth the money.

 

[oldestgregg]

I'm no supermarket snob but I wish I could do all my food shopping in Marks and Spencers! God damn,thats some tasty grub

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

Not sure if hilarious typo intentional or not... but if I were looking for paedestrians, I'd likely find 'em all in Sainsburys!!

I'm not road legal due to eyesight. I find Sainsbury's easier to reach by foot. Tesco in comparison - they re-profiled the walkway a few years back so you have go around the garage / Express place before backtracking yourself if you want to catch the bus home from opposite Stafford's train station.

Hate Asda. Full of council estate mothers with their double pushchairs and another kid running around like they're possessed by the devil. Quality of food is abysmal also.

Weekly shop is usually Sainsbury's. Lidl is good, decent quality stuff especially fresh meat. Lack of order and logic really drives me mad though.

 

[Spangles]

Lidl for us.

Started at Asda, then moved onto Sainsburys, then to Lidl.

Seem to get a trolley full for £60 and the quality of everything is really high as well. Obviously learning that Corn Flakes are now Flakey Corns and Tea Bags are Bea Tags is a little concerning at first, but you get used to it.

Off now for a nice bar of Locholate.

 

[esoteric]

Went into Sainsburys today as I said I would earlier in the post. I'm underwhelmed.