To think that shops charging non-locals higher prices is not on?

[BBInGinDrinking]

We're on a family holiday staying in a rural coastal cottage in the UK and have been doing all our grocery shopping at the local stores in the nearest villages. I discovered on the last visit to a general store in one village that they have two sets of prices - lower ones for locals and higher ones for visitors.

Who knew?! Is this a thing?!

We never went there again, instead we go to another activity centre in Wales who are welcoming to English people.

adaline I think that’s fine because although not open to non residents it’s advertised and prices and the discount is clear.

This is why I will never shop local on holiday. And if the shop can't survive in low season as a result it's thier own fault.

When we are away I usually shop at the local shops as, even though they are more expensive, I like to support them. However, if I ever came across this, I would not only leave my items at the till but make a point of telling as many people as I could. Absolutely dreadful to have different prices! They don’t deserve the custom.

I live in a very touristy city with a race course. Sandwich shops, butchers and fish and chip shop on the walking route between town and racecourse all do it.
I dont blame them tbf , they have to put up with a lot from the drunk idiots so may as well make a few quid 😂

Genuinely surprised now many people think it's a disgrace that shop keepers might offer regulars a discount. Would you refuse it if your corner shop did it?

@adaline we seem to have very similar viewpoints on this and I'm now wondering where you work - I was shopping in Ambleside yesterday

@lakeswimmer haha I possibly saw you depending on where you went then I was at work yesterday though thankfully off today and tomorrow!

I'm still.confused about why anybody's upset that locals get a discount. What is the problem?

Well, we know it's not quite like that, don't we.

If they were upfront about their prices I'd agree

One or two pps are incorrectly repeating that I didn't notice the prices, so to clarify: the prices in the main were not there.

I've just thought of another one where locals pay less, leisure centres. Lots give discounts to local residents,or people who work in the city/area.

My localone used to do a discount card, anyone could 'buy' the card which then gave you discounts on swimming, gym classes etc. But the card cost different amounts depending on disability, where you lived, where you worked etc. Some people paid £5 others paid £150

Our local rubbish tip won't even let you in unless you can prove you live in the borough. Discrimination at its finest!

I live near a world famous tourist attraction with quite expensive entrance fees. If you can prove you pay council tax in the area you get free entry.

And if the shop can't survive in low season as a result it's thier own fault
Why is that zwellers?

And if the shop can't survive in low season as a result it's thier own fault

You do realise that huge numbers of shops, cafes, hotels, and tourist attractions only survive because of the busy tourist season. They are loss making at other times, but make enough profit in the season to tide them over the loss making months. If you apply your crazy thinking across the board, we'd have no tourist industry at all and tourist areas would be derelict all year round.

It was because they switched from English to Welsh as soon as they realised that I, an English person had come into the room which only they had been in it previously. Happily chatting away in English until one of those awful, rich, holiday makers who pay to keep the sailing school going entered! without the English people their jobs would not exist.
I’m English, speak very little Welsh, poorly, and live in one of the areas with the highest Welsh speaking population. In nearly 10 years this has never happened to me, in fact the opposite occurs, when people speak to me in Welsh at first, then immediately switch to English to be sociable/welcoming. Maybe it’s your attitude.
The idea that a person speaking their own language in their own country is somehow insulting is just bizarre.

Local discounts are common, in various ways - price rounded down, an extra chicken breast at the butchers, that kind of thing. It’s just a small business version of loyalty points, as many PP have pointed out. Nothing sinister.

Seems fair to me. I very much doubt it offsets the increase in house prices they have to pay to compete with people looking for weekenders, or the services council have to provide to handle the tourist influx.

What about staff discounts eg The Blue Light Card or Veterans Discount Card?

Give up, gin. You've given them the evidence but they still thing they're right

Maybe it’s your attitude.
How much 'attitude' can a person display just by walking into a room?

The idea that a person speaking their own language in their own country is somehow insulting is just bizarre.
You're spectacularly missing the point, but I'll assume that you're doing it deliberately to be obtuse.

You're spectacularly missing the point, but I'll assume that you're doing it deliberately to be obtuse
You assume wrongly. I’m beating around the bush though, so I’ll be more clear: fluent Welsh speakers converse with each other in Welsh. It’s ludicrous to assume they were speaking English before an English person arrived, because in an area like this, they only speak English for non Welsh speakers. I don’t believe it happens, from experience of living here. It’s a bollocks tale perpetuated by entitled people who for some reason are offended by people speaking their own language.

Is it not fairly similar to a reward scheme like Morrison's where I collect points by shopping regularly and once I get enough points I get a £5 voucher - rewards loyalty (local shoppers who come in all year) but in a less formal way

I agree that tourists can be a mixed blessing. That's certainly our experience where we live. As a family we do our best to be 'good tourists' when travelling. By that, I mean if we use the car we drive and park considerately, we avoid any honey pots at busy times of the day to avoid adding to the congestion, (and because we much prefer it uncrowded), we don't litter, we keep the noise down when needed, we're polite to people, we don't own a holiday home and we shop locally, obviously - that sort of thing, anyway.

One or two pps are incorrectly repeating that I didn't notice the prices, so to clarify: the prices in the main were not there.

There is a difference between not noticing and not being there.

The places we stay in tend to be out of the way, not least because we don't like the vibe or the situation for locals where every other cottage or house is a second home or holiday let. These places are teeming in the holidays and sometimes weekends, but can seem like ghost villages otherwise, with so many homes shut up. I can completely understand about being priced out of your home area, and the usual year round pace of life being sucked out of some places - and replaced by something manic for a few months - because it's happened where we live too to varying degrees.