Expensive Supermarkets

[ChrisW]

I enjoyed Brew Dog's response to Aldi's knock off of Punk IPA ("anti establishment IPA" ) too.

That was a bit of fun and actually one of their nicer IPAs, too.

I take most people have never been in a Booths?

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I enjoyed Brew Dog's response to Aldi's knock off of Punk IPA ("anti establishment IPA" ) too.

That was a bit of fun and actually one of their nicer IPAs, too.

I take most people have never been in a Booths?

No, but I used to use "Late Shopper" on Eccleshall Road in Sheffield in the early 90s, that's my worst supermarket experience to date

[Count Steer]

I enjoyed Brew Dog's response to Aldi's knock off of Punk IPA ("anti establishment IPA" ) too.

That was a bit of fun and actually one of their nicer IPAs, too.

I take most people have never been in a Booths?

I guess it doesn't continue to meet the founders aims?

'Our founder Edwin Henry Booth had one simple aim, to sell the best food and drink available, in attractive stores, staffed with first class assistants.'

Or does it?

[Yorick]

Our Lidl has some lovely Steam Beers. Strengths from 3.7% to 7.1

20221207_160233.jpg (1.34 MiB) Viewed 527 times

[Mr. Dazzle]

When Mrs. D first moved darn saaarf she was surprised there are no Nettos or Herons down this way "WTF are you talking about woman?" was my only response.

[ChrisW]

I guess it doesn't continue to meet the founders aims?

'Our founder Edwin Henry Booth had one simple aim, to sell the best food and drink available, in attractive stores, staffed with first class assistants.'

Or does it?

Oh no - they're actually excellent! Well, the one I go in is - I've only been in that one, all the rest are up in the North West / Cumbria.

[KungFooBob]

I've been to Booths head office, it's quite nice.

[ChrisW]

No, but I used to use "Late Shopper" on Eccleshall Road in Sheffield in the early 90s, that's my worst supermarket experience to date

I once went into a McColls near Stoke-on-Trent University late at night. I imagine that would give it a run for its money...

[Count Steer]

I guess it doesn't continue to meet the founders aims?

'Our founder Edwin Henry Booth had one simple aim, to sell the best food and drink available, in attractive stores, staffed with first class assistants.'

Or does it?

Oh no - they're actually excellent! Well, the one I go in is - I've only been in that one, all the rest are up in the North West / Cumbria.

It's nice that such places survive. I rather regret the decline of the 'department store' too. It was quite nice to go somewhere that you could buy a fridge freezer, a decent suit, a Wahl hair trimmer, a bottle of decent wine, a rotisserie chicken and get a coffee etc etc under one roof in a place that had lots of helpful staff. Some of them survive in some way but some don't...Fenwicks in Newcastle, Brown's in Bradford, Alders in Croydon all used to be an adventure, then there's the ones that used to be good, have survived in some form or other but now seem very tired or have been 'rebranded' like the Army and Navy stores and feel like cheap bazaars.

Odd really, the idea is quite attractive, maybe that model will come back one day.

[Trinity765]

Home delivery, so no mixing?

https://www.harrods.com/en-gb/services/food-to-order

Fortnums est. 1707 have been doing home delivery for a while.
https://www.fortnumandmason.com/

[ChrisW]

I guess it doesn't continue to meet the founders aims?

'Our founder Edwin Henry Booth had one simple aim, to sell the best food and drink available, in attractive stores, staffed with first class assistants.'

Or does it?

Oh no - they're actually excellent! Well, the one I go in is - I've only been in that one, all the rest are up in the North West / Cumbria.

It's nice that such places survive. I rather regret the decline of the 'department store' too. It was quite nice to go somewhere that you could buy a fridge freezer, a decent suit, a Wahl hair trimmer, a bottle of decent wine, a rotisserie chicken and get a coffee etc etc under one roof in a place that had lots of helpful staff. Some of them survive in some way but some don't...Fenwicks in Newcastle, Brown's in Bradford, Alders in Croydon all used to be an adventure, then there's the ones that used to be good, have survived in some form or other but now seem very tired or have been 'rebranded' like the Army and Navy stores and feel like cheap bazaars.

Odd really, the idea is quite attractive, maybe that model will come back one day.

That's exactly the sort of place, although you'll not get a suit or any domestic appliances. And they seem to be thriving.

[MyLittleStudPony]

[Count Steer]

That's exactly the sort of place, although you'll not get a suit or any domestic appliances. And they seem to be thriving.

Excellent. It's nice that some places can buck the trend. I bought a copy of 'London's Lost Department Stores: A Vanished World of Dazzle and Dreams' recently and it bought back a few memories...the definition of 'London' is quite loose.

If you go into the flagship Waterstones that used to be Simpsons of Piccadilly you get the sense of another age - if you are in 'that London' though the café/restaurant on the top floor is great if you can get a table by the window.

I probably pine for Lamson tubes and a lift attendant that says '5th floor, ladies underwear'.

[demographic]

M&S meals don't seem so special once you've been inside the factory it's made in

[Mr. Dazzle]

M&S meals don't seem so special once you've been inside the factory it's made in

Mrs. D's dad used to do loads of work on HSE training in food factories, t'was his second career after he demobbed. He always used to delight in telling us how M&S had the best products from most factories, generally better specced than the name brands made in the same plant.

He never actually bought any though

[Felix]

you should try the Lidl in basildon. or the tescos in pitsea (the really shitty end of basildon) jeez. frightening. cheap though so fuck it

ASDA for frightening and that is just looking at the women shoppers.

[Skub]

M&S meals don't seem so special once you've been inside the factory it's made in

Maybe it's from a lifetime of enjoying home cooking,but I've never thought M&S ready meals were anything better than the shit they feed to folk in care homes. I wonder at the perspective of people who rave about them.

[G.P]

You get a far higher concentration of yummy mummies in Waitrose and a complete absence of ugly birds wearing pyjamas and crocs. Surely that's worth a few quid?
I shop at Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsburys (Although no real reason to over Morrisons), Waitrose, The local butcher, Veg Shop, Wilco (fro cleaning products).
They've all got something going for them. Recently, I'm most impressed with Morrisons Deli, FIsh and Meat counters.

God Live live an exciting life!

[ZRX61]

They all sell the same brands here...ferinstance, Tillamook Cheddar
Costco: $7.99 for 2.5lb (the only store that has the 2.5lb version)
Walmart: $8.99 for 2lb
Stater Bros $11.99 for 2lb
Albertsons: $14.99 for 2lb

There is absolutely no difference other than price at the other stores.

[Ant]

Asda over the past few years has become expensive. People still think that it's the cheap one of the big supermarkets, but I reckon Waitrose is probably cheaper, Tesco certainly is.