Shopped

[bainesy]

This Article in the Guardian will come as no surpise to most people who know about the practice of injecting cheap intensively-reared pork with water (presumably in order to give it a fake 'juiciness'). It's pleasing though to see a Trading Standards Institute coming out clearly against the practice - even if it is legal.

[John Whiting]

... a kellog’s corn flake is no better than a generic one, whose grain is likely to come from the same mill.

I too will avoid political comment, though there's much here that I would agree with. But I will add a personal observation.

Growing up in the 1930s, my favorite breakfast cereal was puffed wheat. My father bought the cheap own-brand variety from the small local branch of A&P. From age six or seven I would plead with him to buy Quaker puffed wheat -- not because I thought it tasted better but because radio advertising during the kids' serials had convinced me that my contemporaries would think me a cheapskate. I never discussed it with them; it was entirely within my own head.

[Duncan]

This Article in the Guardian will come as no surpise to most people who know about the practice of injecting cheap intensively-reared pork with water (presumably in order to give it a fake  'juiciness'). It's pleasing though to see a Trading Standards Institute coming out clearly against the practice - even if it is legal.

It's good to see the Guardian picking up on this (I must admit first reaction on reading the paper this morning was to wonder whether someone on their staff had spotted my rant earlier in the thread).

They do point out that Coop, Asda and Sainsbury also do similar things to their pork, and that Tesco have been prosecuted for selling other pork with added water that was not declared, but Tesco's 'Finest' gets favoured by the detailed description of the ingredients.

[balex]

It's good to see the Guardian picking up on this (I must admit first reaction on reading the paper this morning was to wonder whether someone on their staff had spotted my rant earlier in the thread).

My thoughts exactly.

[Romaney O'Malley]

And the times this morning - front page as well - duncan you should consider freelancing as a journalist. Although you may never be allowed to browse the ingredients of supermarket products again without being thrown out

edited to add - duncan apologies if you are already a journalist!

Edited July 16, 2004 by Romaney O'Malley (log)

[balex]

I wont comment on your political views as I don't think this is the place, but:

a kellog’s corn flake is no better than a generic one, whose grain is likely to come from the same mill.

As a long term corn flake eater I can assure you there is! Give me a blind tasting and I will get it right 100% I bet.

Years of studentdom soon teach you the quality difference between own brand goods and the 'real thing'

Many own brand products are actually the same product as the branded products; made in the same factory by the same company to the same specification. Only the packaging is different.

[Adam Balic]

Does anyone know any butchers/fishmongers that stay open late, say to 7pm? If I leave work bang on time (5.30pm) I can get to my local butchers (just) and just about get to the fishmongers, although most of the slate has been cleared by then. I

Philip - butchers like George Bowers (especially) and Crombies are open very early, the same with the Eddies Seafood and Armstrongs the fishmonger (currently burnt out). All of these places are very good, infact excellent which means that you can place orders with them in advance and pick it up at lunch time etc.

But I agree with your point, it can be very difficult to fit this into a working day, specially without a car. However, is a ~£7 Sainsburys Free Range West Country chicken picked up after work a more pleasant food experience then a brace of pheasant or grey partridge (£5-6) from Bowers picked up at a less convenient time?

The other issue is quality of the meat. Initially friends couldn't understand why I was going to a butcher for meat that could be had cheaper at the supermarket, but after they had cooked several supermarket roasts that were very tough and not good they admitted that more time/money was saved by going to the butcher. Things have changed slightly, the quality of the meat has improved recently at Sainsburys, but this is the interesting thing: The good quality meat is a premium line and costs more then the equivalent at decent butcher. Tescos I can't work out the quality of the meat seems to be entirely store specific.

I don't actually have a hugh issue with supermarkets, they are part of the landscape, I actively love the Hyper-COOP in Tuscany, but I think that consumers are being ripped off in the UK in terms of meat and especially fish.

[Gary Marshall]

I wont comment on your political views as I don't think this is the place, but:

a kellog’s corn flake is no better than a generic one, whose grain is likely to come from the same mill.

As a long term corn flake eater I can assure you there is! Give me a blind tasting and I will get it right 100% I bet.

Years of studentdom soon teach you the quality difference between own brand goods and the 'real thing'

Many own brand products are actually the same product as the branded products; made in the same factory by the same company to the same specification. Only the packaging is different.

example please....

many moons ago i was accountant for a large confectionery company.

we had a main line chocolate bar that was sold as a branded product.

and a line for Aldi, that looked exactly the same but i can assure you it used cheaper caramel, wafer and had less chocolate on it.

in fact i think there was a third version too but can't remember that one. It just stuck in my mind when i was told how aggressive Aldi were on price and how we struggled to make a bar to the price specification.

this was before aldi were in the uk, when they arrived here, i can't say i've ever been tempted to cross the threshold, even as a student!

gary

[Bapi]

many moons ago i was accountant ........

AAAAaaaaah, this explains an enormous amount.

[Carlovski]

I have a Lidl near me, and normally pop in if I'm passing.

They do sell a lot of rubbish, but some things are better (And cheaper) than I can get at the supermarket.

Examples

• 'Everyday' olive oil
  
• Tinned stuff - One of the brands of tomatoes are quite good, as are the tinned pulses
  
• Chorizo - They sell a fairly good one here, and the only place for miles I can get a whole one, not wafer thin sliced.
  
• 'Cooking' Mozzarella
  
• They do a half decent dark chocolate bar for munching and cooking
  

I also always end up buying some sort of booze. I normally regret that decision.

I have to admit I have commited the mortal sin of buying the odd frozen pizza too

[Gary Marshall]

many moons ago i was accountant ........

AAAAaaaaah, this explains an enormous amount.

yes

it soon made my mind after just 6 months that 3 years of fun at university was a much better use of my time than day release to be a cost & management accountant

gary

[Suzi Edwards]

I have to admit I have commited the mortal sin of buying the odd frozen pizza too

that's ok, you are among friends here. i have recently had to go cold turkey over those new "bisc&twix" biscuits.

it's possible to eat four in a sitting you know.

[Carlovski]

Now those I just don't get.

The rest of the Bisc& range maybe, but a twix IS chocolate and caramel on a biscuit. How is the Bisc& version different? It should be chocolate and caramel on a biscuit, on another biscuit.

But it isn't is it?

[PoppySeedBagel]

On my only trip to Lidl, I spotted a smartly dressed couple, after the checkout, transferring their shopping into Sainsburys bags!

I am stunned by Tesco adding all that c**p to fresh meat - I shall never shop there again (I don't often, but still).

[Carlovski]

On my only trip to Lidl, I spotted a smartly dressed couple, after the checkout, transferring their shopping into Sainsburys bags!

I am stunned by Tesco adding all that c**p to fresh meat - I shall never shop there again (I don't often, but still).

Now that's middle class!

[Suzi Edwards]

On my only trip to Lidl, I spotted a smartly dressed couple, after the checkout, transferring their shopping into Sainsburys bags!

I am stunned by Tesco adding all that c**p to fresh meat - I shall never shop there again (I don't often, but still).

Now that's middle class!

is it? sounds more nouveau riche to me

[Suzi Edwards]

Now those I just don't get.

The rest of the Bisc& range maybe, but a twix IS chocolate and caramel on a biscuit. How is the Bisc& version different? It should be chocolate and caramel on a biscuit, on another biscuit.

But it isn't is it?

you make a strong arguement. it is more like a traditional biscuit than a twix though. and the biscuit never tastes *slightly* stale, a phenomenon i have noticed with twixs.

i do not like the rest of the range. especially not the bounty one. definitly not a taste of paradise.

[PoppySeedBagel]

Yes the Bounty one is disgusting isn't it? soooo sweet - I do love a Topic, though, if we're talking cheapo chocolate bars - but hard to find in many shops

[fisherman]

On my only trip to Lidl, I spotted a smartly dressed couple, after the checkout, transferring their shopping into Sainsburys bags!

I am stunned by Tesco adding all that c**p to fresh meat - I shall never shop there again (I don't often, but still).

Now that's middle class!

is it? sounds more nouveau riche to me

anybody with slightest touch of riche, whether nouveau or otherwise wouldnt be seen within 10 miles of lidl. sounds like council estate plebs to me, just with ideas above their station, anyway poppyseedbagel, what were you doing in lidl in the first place?

[CheGuevara]

i did some research on "private labels" in response to the corn falkes addicts - here are some bits of information i thought many on this thread would find interesting.

if you read about the food retailing industry and its trends, private label is not only ominous but seems to be the way forward; furthermore, it is quite evident that the manufacturers behind private-labels and branded products are the same for all practical purposes. (just go to www.plma.com who hold a yearly trade show, where over 2,500 food manufacturers attend.) the big business of private label competes dirctly with that of national brands. a new battle of brands has emerged, national vs. reatiler.

while we might have emotional alliances or palatable preferences over private labels (most notably in a select few categories - where few dominatnt brands dominate; colas, cereals, chocolate bars), we cannot make blanket statements that branded products are better. comments made above are the result of effective marketing in selling us an package of product attributes - just like tesco's finest "private-label" pork does. (did thanks to duncan)

we come full circle on this, with moby's original question: why have supermarkets enterd into private labeling? research states two primary reasons; 1. increased margins from private label goods, 2. increased customer loyalty to the reatiler. and hence back to traditional economics - where cost/benefit analysis takes precedence; shelf space is a limited commodity, and it pays to fill it with higher profit generating products, thus we see more private-label in favour of known brands.

-che

AC Nielsen report - 2003]

Private label in Europe is enormous, with 46% share in the U.K. alone.

On average 45% of products sold in Europe are sold via private label, this compares with 25% in the USA.

From the Private Label Manufacturer's Association:

Volume share remained above the 40% mark in The United Kingdom. Share increases were recorded in 12 of the 20 departments tracked, with the biggest growth in paper products, spirits and liqueurs, and pet food and care.

Private label’s volume share now exceeds 60% in the meat, fish and poultry, delicatessen, dairy, fruit and vegetables, and bakery departments.

From Euromonitor:

Private labels can also make supply chain changes which some branded manufacturers would find difficult to emulate. Co-op announced recently that all of its private label chocolate would be sourced fairtrade. Meanwhile Nestlé in the face of rising advertising costs over the last 10 years relies on low prices for its key ingredients to keep its prices low. If Nestlé tried to position Kit Kat as a fair trade product it would run a significant risk in alienating its consumers and running up significant costs in its supply chain.

From Canadian Report on UK food reatilers from November 2000:

Private-label Products as a Percentage of Total In-store Products (1997) Retailer % of Private-Label Products

Sainsbury 50.4%

Waitrose 47.0%

Tesco 45.9%

ASDA 46.0%

Safeway 40.5%

Kwik Save / Somerfield 37.4%

The United Kingdom has the largest sales of private-label foods in the European Union. Food products account for 55% of total private-label sales.

Specifically on WHO produces most of the private-label goods:

Domestic producers currently dominate the production of private-label products. Large manufacturers, such as Northern Foods, Hillsdown Holdings and Bookers, have been joined in producing private-label products by niche manufacturers (i.e. Noon Products producing Indian foods) as well as traditional brand manufacturers (i.e. Heinz (BTW, a report in the US shows that Heinz produces 80% of private-label ketchups sold in supermarkets), Weetabix, McVities and Ryvita). Since cost was originally the overriding factor in the development of private-label foods, U.K. retailers chose domestic manufacturers to produce their private-label foods. However, the growth in demand for high-quality and value-added private-label foods will provide increased opportunities for foreign producers to enter the market.

The leading food manufacturers in the United Kingdom are Associated British Foods, Tate & Lyle, Hillsdown Holdings, Unigate, Northern Foods and Tomkins. In the past year, there have been quite a few mergers and acquisitions of manufacturing companies reshaping this sector. Many are looking to increase their penetration of European markets.

[PoppySeedBagel]

anyway poppyseedbagel, what were you doing in lidl in the first place?

it was simply to see if it really could be thatawful - but it was. I think I bought some chocolate biscuits having been told they weren't too bad - but they were...

Mind - it wasn't as bad as the AXE supermarket in Consett, in which I did an audit stocktake circa 1981 - nothing fresh for sale at all - just stacks of tinned peas @ 9p a pop. Consett was a very depressed place at that time of course - Phileas Fogg not having arrived to rescue it.

[curlywurlyfi]

Today's Independent (it's in other papers too) has this story: UK shoppers spend 33p out of every £1 in the big supermarket chains

David Gordon, business manager of IGD, said that recent trends had been good news for the consumer: "With food price inflation consistently below background inflation, food is cheaper than ever and consumers have been offered better value in terms of quality, choice and price."

comments, anyone? (ducks to avoid hail of incoming)

[CheGuevara]

yes - mr. gordon's reports are funded by the large retailers.

what's staggering is 70% of the total spent on groceries is in one of the 9 supermarkets, and it is only set to increase.

-che

[curlywurlyfi]

unless we find a way to break the 'cheap is good' mentality, then we will wake one morning to find all we can buy is either hand-crafted bread made by Tuscan virgins from milk-fed hand-nurtured every-stalk-has-its-own-name wheat, OR generic pre-bagged pre-sliced processed square white at 17p a loaf. it's the disappearance of the decent quality middle ground that is my fear.

[Suzi Edwards]

fantastic. food is cheaper than ever.

*weeps in the corner*