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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What’s actually wrong with ASDA?

271 replies

Stopitjuststopit2018 · 09/05/2018 19:58

I never knew that it was seen as “low end” until recently, escalated by the merger news. I think they have nice own brand stuff, are good value, and their stores are well presented with lots of variety . I find the George clothing nice as well and it doesn’t rip or bobble as much as some of the other supermarket brand clothes.

Is the view that it’s chavvy a southern thing?

OP posts:
TatianaLarina · 09/05/2018 21:33

Never been to a Booths - sounds Northern?

Asda is shitsville. But it does have some good buys.

I go there once every couple of months to stock up on steak, brill/bream, extra virgin olive oil, I even got some very smart looking garden furniture there once.

They do too much rubbish own line stuff and not enough brands at good prices to tempt Waitrose customers like me.

ErrmWTAF · 09/05/2018 21:33

I don't think they're as cheap as all that. The few times I've gone in, I just not been tempted by their prices.

We eschew Asda because of the connection with Walmart, who in the States treat their staff appallingly, screw suppliers, investors, the tax man, you name it - nasty big business.

On a more practical note, though, Aldi is close for us.

HariboIsMyCrack · 09/05/2018 21:35

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

Blackdogsrock · 09/05/2018 21:35

ASDA makes my brain explode , layout is dreadful, shelves too high , quality poor, and I live as far north as you can go without being in Scotland. I drive 17 miles to Sainsbury’s, if they merge I will starve, or resort to the Coop which is only 8 miles away and is generally pretty good, and their reward points are great better than Nectar. Ready meals , M& S. Tried Lidl on numerous occasions but they do not cater for singles and stock brands I have never heard of, ususally come out with a box of sewing thread which is brilliant value

TatianaLarina · 09/05/2018 21:35

I tried Asda deliveries before giving up. One failed to turn up completely, when they did turn up half the orders were missing, and then they won’t bring the shopping into your house. Wtf is the point of that? I don’t want to pay for delivery and then have to hike it into the kitchen myself.

The80sweregreat · 09/05/2018 21:36

They are up to things I’m sure. The amount of waste must be huge in all of them.
It is scary.

Justanotherlurker · 09/05/2018 21:38

I will not hear a bad thing said about Iceland, they do frozen Greggs products.

I am not ashamed either!

The80sweregreat · 09/05/2018 21:39

Tesco delivery wasn’t bad. He was nice and brought it all into the kitchen for me as I was laid up with a broken leg! Don’t really use it as I love browsing the aisles myself ( except at Christmas)

Chocolateandchaos · 09/05/2018 21:43

Haribo you are allowed your opinion and I'm allowed mine?
And given you are commenting on a choice made primarily, or at least very often, according to what people can afford I think your choice of words is incredibly rude. In my opinion.
And yes, I know you are allowed to be rude. Go for it.

HowsAnnie25 · 09/05/2018 21:47

Personally I don't really like it. There's a big Asda about 20 minutes away and it's always in a right old state. We go for petrol and I always end up having a mooch. Their birthday cakes are really really good though. I used to get a home delivery from there as they were so much cheaper but got feed up with poor subs (size 5 nappies instead of size 2, bottle of Baileys instead of Jack Daniels etc) and the quality seemed to go down and down so I no longer shop there (other than 3 times a year I get the kids' birthday cakes!).

imweirdandcool · 09/05/2018 21:48

I liked asda until i was abused by one of their employees

Wingbing · 09/05/2018 21:51

My MIL works at ASDA. Shocking stories and the management of her store is so poor they can't be making much money.

The80sweregreat · 09/05/2018 21:53

I’m weird/ that’s not good. I’ve never had this but it would put you off going there for sure. Our Asda staff are so nice!

Justanotherlurker · 09/05/2018 21:53

Asdsainsbury - I can’t see it catching on

Doesn't matter, it will be the same branding but with the same supply chains (they already cross over already)

Going by this thread, one is going to have to come up or the other come down.

For all the talk of one being better than the other, a lot of this perception is done via marketing, and the marketing decides the price point.

Aldi and Lidl have shaken all supermarkets hence why top brands such as waitrose had to introduce a basic range.

twilightcafe · 09/05/2018 21:55

Asda? Confused

I go to the one near my mum's to stock up on boys' clothes.
Otherwise I wouldn't set foot inside.
The branch nearest me in Leamington Spa is the most depressing store full of scowly people who couldn't smile or say thank you if their lives depended on it.
The food is cheap for a reason - low-quality ingredients.
No, thank you.

WaxOnFeckOff · 09/05/2018 21:57

I have a personal hierarchy of supermarkets - it's not about being posh or chavvy though. I like my food and I do like a ready meal so it's that that probably separates them out for me. If you cook a lot from raw ingredients then there is probably not as much other than cost to separate them. I know I'm lucky not to be on a tight budget and to have choice and be able to travel to most of them.

No1: Booths, unfortunately none within hundreds of miles but I enjoy my trips to the ones in the Lake District
No2: M&S - always good quality and tasty.
No3: I want to say Waitrose but a lot of their stuff can be very tasteless so I'm going to say Sainsburys. Sainsburys is a good all rounder some tasty stuff and it's marginally my closest
No4: waitrose, good quality fruit and veg - particularly nice apples
No 5/6 Morrisons, Asda and Tesco. The Asda is furthest away so I have least experience but reckon it's about on a par with the other two.
No 7: Co-op, really only use for bread and milk
No 8/9 Lidl/Aldi I know people rave about them but ours are fairly small and I struggle to do a full shop so rarely go

No sure what other ones to list :)

HowsAnnie25 · 09/05/2018 21:57

I am not really a keen shopper though so am happy to order from Ocado who I've always found pretty reasonable and they have some good ranges. If we need extra stuff we get bread and milk from the Spar (round the corner) and anything else like wine or bits if we're having people over or going to other people's houses then we just go to Aldi as it's only a mile away. I like Lidl too. Not keen on Tesco, Morrisons or Iceland. Sainsburys is ok but I don't think the quality matches the prices. We do get the kids' uniforms from there though.

The80sweregreat · 09/05/2018 22:00

Our co op local is now a nica store and always empty!

unicornchaser · 09/05/2018 22:02

Reading through the comments here, I am utterly confused why the clothing choices or lifestyle choices of other shoppers have any influence on other people?! Hmm
I don't know what other people do but when I do a good shop, I choose what I want, pay and leave. I don't stop for a chat in the aisles so why do other customers matter?Confused

You need to check meat/fruit/veg quality & dates in every supermarket and Tesco, Sainsbury, morrisons & Asda all sell the same brands but just some more expensive than others so why pay more for exactly the same stuff? I like Aldi for most my shop but will use Asda or Morrisons for cupboard stuff as they are local and totally happy with it Smile

Justanotherlurker · 09/05/2018 22:14

Reading through the comments here, I am utterly confused why the clothing choices or lifestyle choices of other shoppers have any influence on other people?!

It's the usual class marking bollocks that happens on MN every now and then, usually by the same people who pretend they are not influenced by marketing, or who start P&C threads.

90% of the time people shop via convenience with a mixture of all, everyone has personal preferences but the 10% labelling it chavy etc are the type who are desperate insecure social climbers who ponder putting a fruit bowl on the table is a something to give a shit about.

zukiecat · 09/05/2018 22:16

Some really snobby comments on this thread

I live in a very affluent city in the NE of Scotland, We have five Asda stores, four smaller and one huge one

Two large Sainsbury's and two large Tescos, and any amount of the smaller Sainsbury's stores.

I've worked for both Asda and Sainsbury's, and Asda is by far the better employer, working at Sainsbury's nearly destroyed me, and it's only after a lot of therapy, and only if DD is with me that I can go anywhere near a Sainsbury's

Money is tight for us, so we do our shopping mainly between Asda and Aldi

Don't have Waitrose up here so can't comment on that

I have never seen the "certain element" in Asda that people are mentioning on here

There was someone murdered in the Sainsbury's I worked for however

PaddingtonLoverOfMarmalade · 09/05/2018 22:16

What about Spar? I love our local Soar shop. Yes it's expensive so only for top up shopping, but each shop seems to customise itself to what the regular customers want.

Asda - I do think the fruit and veg and meat aren't always as tasty as same from Sainsbury but the staff are generally more friendly and some of the clothes are great value.

Morrisons cafe is great - cup of tea, sandwich and cake for £2.50.

theeyeofthestormchaser · 09/05/2018 22:17

I like Asda. Good value, especially for homewares and clothes. Good range of food...

I usually shop in Tesco as that’s our local shop, but bah. All supermarkets have different products, so it’s nice to shop around once in a while.

Thinking it’s ‘chavvy’ says more about the people labelling it than the shop imo.

theeyeofthestormchaser · 09/05/2018 22:18

We could easily afford to shop in M& S all the time, but I don’t like wasting money...

CollyWombles · 09/05/2018 22:24

I have never shopped at Asda since I opened a can of chicken soup from their brand and found a piece of a chicken foot in it.

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