Odd / worrying eperience in LIDL tonight.

[eldersis]

I have shopped at ASDA (sheffield) for my main shop for several years but the number of items constantly unavailable or out of stock means I often go to LIDL to get missing items. This week, milk, eggs and all the meat I ordered was unavailable do I took myself off for a second shop.

A maintainance guy was removing every other fluorescent tube in the rows of striplights ! Not replacing but removing. The cashier who I have known for years confirmed this, she also said that they had turned the heating down to the point that staff were wearing fleeces over their uniforms. She was wearing a plain black zip up fleece (no pattern or logo) and her supervisor wasn't happy as it was not official uniform.

So two huge companies seemingly in trouble.

Asda out of stock , no longer sending slightly pricier substitutes OR (as i feel pushing more expensive brands)

LIDL. Halving lighting costs and reducing heating .

Anyone else seeing this in their own regular supermarkets ?
Anyone noticing other odd events ?

Would you rather have the extra lights and slightly higher prices? Good for them for keeping their overheads low - and yes, our big Tesco had some lights switched off as a trial for a few months last year. They're back on again now.

There's also loads of completely unused shelf-space in both the big Tesco's I use. They've given up trying to fill them with bulk buys now.

Yes I am all for stopping waste and giving us the lowest price they can.

I do remember YEARS ago Asda reduced the lighting BUT I did complain as it was impossible to read ingredients and small print even with good sight. A partially sighted friend found it impossible to shop. They stopped it pretty quickly as well.

I feel its more about preserving THEIR profits than lowering ours,

I went into a branch of a discount fashion retailer recently.. think it was select ? It was kind of in semi darkness with a few spotlights , like every 4th on lit, like a disco 💃

Attempting to maximise their profits while (and by) keeping their prices as low as they can while remaining profitable.

I wish my local lidl would take note. Its lit up like a Christmas tree until 11pm or later every night except Sunday and even then the car park lights and sign are always on.

"I feel its more about preserving THEIR profits than lowering ours,"

Do you think their profits are unrelated to your future shopping experience in their stores?

Loads of shops are doing similar - noticed it in Matalan, Morrisons and Boots too. Their power bills must be extortionate.

It's weird, and not what we are used to, but I think it's a good thing. They're often so blindingly bright I think it's good they are being more thoughtful about electricity. Plus wearing a fleece is hardly preposterous, it's freezing outside, of course people aren't comfortable in just one layer of thin clothing. This is how it should be. Interesting observation though. I shall be looking out for other companies finally being more measured and reducing wasteful use

Are you concerned that they are in trouble or protecting their profits? Your OP and later posts are not consistent.

My local Tesco is always flippin' freezing these days and often have aisles with no lights on.

Went in there unusually early (for me) last Sat, about 8am, and the whole clothes end was in darkness!

music was still bloody blaring though

Have definitely noticed this in co-op stores! They are very gloomy these days!

Companies are under pressure to show how they are reducing their environmental impact as well as needing to cut costs. From a 10th floor board room it probably makes sense.

Less so for the poor cold till staff or any shoppers who want to read an ingredients list.

Everyone is trying to reduce overheads. Ive been in Primark a few times since the Autumn, first time I just noticed the queue to pay was very long, second time I left because the queue was too long and reflected they must have cut staffing. Most recently I expected and accepted the very long queue.

back in 2020, my mum was in hospital, theres a long corridor that connects 2 buildings to where my mum was, it was always roasting hot and bright lights on all the time.
Now my dad is in the same ward as mum was, and the corridor is freezing and there's sensor lights, so its now very dim.

I think lots of places are now having to think about how to save money on power bills, and Id imagine hospital bills are horrendous at the best of of times

Well, I think all companies should be looking at how they reduce their energy consumption, so for me it’s a good thing.

My local big morrisons is doing the light thing, 3/4 of the store, so everywhere apart from the front fruit but is now significantly darker with lights turned off. I find it really off putting tbh, it madhya me not want to go in there, feels like I'm shopping in semi darkness.

Yes I have notice the half lighting in many supermarkets. That's where we are now days unfortunately. Even Waitrose.

I've noticed this recently in both Sainsbury's and Asda here, which is a problem for me as I have cataracts and Glaucoma!..

Waitrose supermarket is always bloody cold and now they don’t put the cafe lights on till 10am. I’m all for efficiency but in a supermarket full of massive freezers and chillers, I can’t imagine a few energy saving lightbulbs being off for an hour every morning is going to make all that much difference.

Every little helps

I think their "techniques" are going to backfire and people (hopefully ) will shop elsewhere.

I think a lot of people learnt different shopping habits during covid. We saw prices rocket and people started saying "nope, not paying that I will do without !)

I know MY grocery shop has radically changed. eg dried pasta through the roof so I buy in bulk on line HUGE savings on an product that lasts for years.

One thing that Still saddens me is that people often dont have the spare cash to take advantage of "offers" or the luxory of buying in bulk.

I saw this in the 1980's inflation,strikes & mortgages through the roof.
There are Very few good offers about. I'm pretty sure EVERYONE has seen a regular item rise by a huge amount only to be trumpeted a few weeks later as "price cut" and still be a higher price.

Our local Co-op does this with the lights at the back of the shop in daylight hours. Unfortunately the only window is at the front so you can barely see a thing.

Not noticed it in shops here (Edinburgh) but the flat stair lights have been changed and only come on when your going up or down the stairs

Our local Morrisons have turned off some of the lights and they no longer play music which I quite miss !!

@eldersis but you realise that all supermarkets are in it for profit? They’re not in it for the good of the people to supply food. It’s a business, to make money.