to ask for an explanation of supermarket snobbery?

[elfsmamma]

I am British but I have lived abroad for the last 5 years, when I lived in the UK I had a pretty demanding job so I did my shopping in the nearest supermarket.

I am staying with my parents over Christmas, me and dp wanted to go shopping for tge ingredients for a couple of meals and also some pyjamas as I had forgotten to pack mine.

There is an ASDA and a Sainsburys both about a 5 minute drive from my parent's house I suggested we went to ASDA as it is bigger and more likely to have pyjamas.

My mum said "oh god, don't go to ASDA, it's terribly depressing" she went on to justify this by saying the food was crap and the other shoppers were rude, people often had trolleies full of junk and whinging kids. I am not sure how the other shoppers are anything to do with my dm. Dm finished off by saying she prefers to spend an extra 20 pounds a week on her shopping at Sainsburys.

We went to ASDA despite the warnings. It was great, we got a huge fresh salmon for 4 pounds a kg, fresh dill, organic new potatoes, pasta and the ingredients to make bolognese, some good wine and lots of fresh fruit.

Cab someone explain supermarket snobbery to me?

At my local Waitrose people dress up. I'm talking about real jewellery.

I usually pop in after finishing a run so I'm very sweaty. Recently I met a 70-something woman in full make-up, a fur-trimmed coat, Shirley Bassey-style turban and diamonds.

It was Sunday lunchtime.

The only things in her trolley were Waitrose own-brand gin and some kettle chips.

I hate ASDA but only because the two stores near me are huge and too busy. I shop at Morrisons just because it is nearest to me and i find that they have offers on the things that I actually want.

Limited You go after a run maybe she went after a party or a wedding or - shock horror perhaps shes and individual who like the way she dresses!!!

cjel I admired her so much she instantly joined my list of role models.

wish I had her courage

Interesting about the "no snobbery in France" thing.

My dp live in sw France village bursting with expat Brits/Americans/Parisians (v diff to rural French) and HILARIOUSLY there was a debate at some drinks fete about supermarkets. Apparently Leclerc is waitrose, Carrefour is sainsburys, Geant is Tesco, Intermarche is Asda and aldi/lidl are aldi and lidl! And god forbid you don't go to the nearest largeish town to but your fresh produce every market day.

So supermarket snobbery exists there, but probably not amongst French people!

AND supermarket snobbery is extreme, SO EXTREME, in Dubai . As you can see (not my thoughts):

Waitrose - preferable, get your maid to push the trolley though. Actually that applies EVERYWHERE
Spinneys - almost waitrose
Aswaq - emphatically NOT spinneys but great pork department
Carrefour - oh god, dreadful but needs must
Geant - pretend you went to Carrefour
Union co-op - "it's where the locals shop, yes, so much better for everything [insert only Arabic word learnt] I have to top up at Waitrose though"
Lulu - don't only Indians shop there?*

I shopped at Lulu's every week as it was cheap and amazing and had the biggest selection of spices and a man WOULD CHOP YOUR BAG OF FRESH ONIONS for free. Plus you could buy fresh coconut to drink on your way round. But if I admitted that to fellow brit expat mums most would look like I said I had clubbed some baby seals to death on the way to school. I honestly haven't seen that level of supermarket snobbery here.

*there was a "joke" amongst expats - what's the definition of a racist? Two weeks living in Dubai. It would be funny it it wasn't more often than not true.

So, supermarket snobbery is not unique to Britain but maybe unique to Brits?

I shop at Waitrose, M&S and Tesco. I find them all amazing. What we have to remember is that an Asda store in one area is different from an Asda store in another area. Not all areas will have the same types of customer.

I believe the values of Waitrose are better than the rest, the way they treat their suppliers, especially dairy farmers is ethically stronger (I have worked for several supermarket HQ's and the way a certain supermarket do business is truly shocking).
The meat and fruit veggies are of a higher quality, the staff are pleasant as they are treated well and it's generally a more pleasant shopping experience. I would rather pay a premium for that.

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