Is there a point to Sainsburys ?

[BrummieRemainer]

Just gone to do the fortnightly shop, and the parade of out of stock items seems to be longer and longer

Sainsbury's Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil 50g (30g*)
Sainsbury's Tuna Chunks in Olive Oil 3x80g
Milton Sterilising Tablets x28
Persil Bio Washing Laundry Detergent Powder 42 Washes 2.1 kg
McVitie's Milk Chocolate Digestives Biscuits Twin Pack 2x316g
Dairylea Cheese Slices Family Pack Multipack 16 x 18.75g
Sainsbury's Dishwasher Rinse Aid Lemon 400ml
Sainsbury's All Purpose Cleaner, Citrus 1L
Highland Game Smoky Venison Burgers 340g
Whole Earth Drizzler Salted Caramel Peanut Butter 320g
John West Sardines in Sunflower Oil, Boneless 95g (67g*)
Dettol 750ml Antibacterial Multi Surface Cleaning Spray
Simple Bar Soap 4x100g
Sainsbury's Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil 100g (60g*)
Hilltoppers Spreadable Sweet & Salty Honey 225g

I've also discovered that if you don't have an item saved as a fave, the website just hides it from you. Meaning you can go crazy looking for it.

As with most retailers now, there is no route to complain, except a phone number, which isn't great with my disability.

I was going to whinge last shop when 13 items off my list were out of stock.

I'm not brave enough to be told I'm unreasonable, but in the pursuit of chat, is this just Sainsbos, or would I have the same issue with other online supermarkets.

I haven't noticed any out of stocks when doing my weekly order but then I wouldn't buy any of the items on your list. Do you have substitutes ticked? They would probably have the same stuff with a different brand.

How big is your nearest store? Mine is massive, there's rarely anything out of stock when I do my order.

Plus a few of the items are a bit niche, I don't imagine many people are buying venison burgers on the regular! But you could probably get different cheese slices etc.

I dont shop online with Sainsbury's but when I do our weekly shop I havent noticed them being out of many items just normal what I would expect to occur in any supermarket

I shop in store and it’s usually fine

Go to the shop then.

What are the venison burgers like, out of interest?

I don't shop in Sainsburys as there is only a small(ish) one and they are far more expensive than the huge Tesco that is nearby.

I find the adverts of 'Hey Sainsburys - explain it will you?' very patronising as they try to pretend they are just as cheap as everywhere else. They aren't.

Thanks for this I thought it was just me.. it's ridiculous nowadays

I always have that with Sainsburys when I order from them 15+ items that are not in stock. The last order was cancelled and they wanted me to go there and collect all the shopping myself. I don’t shop with them anymore. Never have any unavailable items with Tesco

I shop online at Sainsbos weekly. Have done since Covid. Rarely have a problem with out-of-stock items - although I haven’t bought the things on your list (although I quite fancy trying the venison burgers, lol). They are far and away better than Tesco in my area.

I use sainsburys and I don't find them too bad with out of stock items. It depends what you buy. I'm on a limited diet and tend to buy fresh meat, potatoes and fruit and veg mostly, with some Deliciously Ella products and other bits, including cat food. Occasionally some cat food is out of stock but my cat requires gourmet so no surprises there.

Why should she? They’re offering a service that people are perfectly entitled to pay to use. It’s not a charity that the OP is taking advantage of and then complaining about.

I get weekly Sainsbury’s deliveries and rarely have anything missed or substituted. Short dates seem to be getting more common but I just complain through the website form and always get a refund without any fuss.

I use the app and products display normally - have you tried the app? Or a different browser?

Use Ocado. So much better!

I went in store yesterday to a huge one and there were loads of empty shelves. I think food is being impacted by weather

Muy local co-op is badly impacted by the weather and the freezers aren't able to cope. I shop with ocado and nothing was out of stock today 3xcept olive oil ice-cream which was a shame

I don’t do Sainsbury’s but Tesco and I get annoyed if something is unavailable when there’s an obvious sub (think non organic eggs for organic). I have subs permitted on all foods. Or it’s out of stock no sub so I drive to the store and there’s plenty (and I doy believe they were suddenly delivered and put out). I know the pickers have a time limit but I wonder at times if their minds are truly on task (cherry tomatoes for cherries? At least they were thinking… laterally)!

I shop there and I'm sick of stuff being out of stock. Going to go back to Ocado

The silly thing with online shopping is that it bases in-stock/out-of-stock on what is in store while you do the shopping, which is completely different to what is in-stock/out-of-stock on the day of your delivery because they restock the shelves daily

Therefore it's very silly to do your onlibe shopping late on a friday because the store will be - very temporarily- out of stock if more items then.

But you can complain - the facebook messenger chat is staffed by real humans you can actually communicate with.

Olive oil ice cream you say? 🤔

I have a Sainsbury’s delivery pass so have a regular weekly delivery. Stock has been great recently. Delivery punctuality not so great. They were 1hr 10mins EARLY this week, they were lucky I was even in!

Olive oil ice cream?? What?

OP.. I noticed 2 lots of anchovies on your list.. the ‘Good Tide’ brand are definitely the most delicious (less salty and fresh) but the 3 for £8 deli offer is the best way to guarantee an ‘in stock’ item (marinated but still pretty nice) as others have said, make sure your substitutes box is ticked.. you can still reject them.

Why are you eyerolling? OP mentions a disability so it might not be quite as simple as just going to the shop. But even if she was easily able to go, she’s paying for a service that they offer and she’s frustrated with it, and their lack of customer service options.
This is a chat forum and sometimes people just want to let off steam and commiserate together.

Alan Coren explained that there is indeed a point to Sainsburys, it keeps the riff raff out of Waitrose.