I don’t understand Waitrose.

[JensonsAcolyte]

I just went to the big Waitrose because they stock gochujang paste. I thought I may as well get a few bits, chicken, cereal, crisps, pasta etc. All the sort of stuff that isn’t dinners but filler food.

£90!

For four bags of shopping.

And it didn’t feel special or posh or magical or anything.

Why do people shop there? Is it actually a snobbery thing? We have a Sainsburys, Tesco and Lidl within a mile or so radius as well.

The only thing it had going for it for me was the aforementioned chilli paste that I couldn’t get in Tesco. But other than the Ingredients range, the other ranges they offer aren’t very wide.

Will anyone admit that they shop there out of snobbery/classism?

My local Waitrose is a no posher than our local Tesco when it comes to appearance and quality of goods, except lettuces, Waitrose lettuces are definitely better.

However, they do have things you can't seem to get anywhere else so I do shop in there occasionally.

I have no idea if it's more expensive, as I don't tend to look at prices much as there's only me to shop for. But I'd certainly never do my main shop there.

I used to know someone who told me she 'loved Waitrose' and would never go anywhere else.

She used to do all her grocery shopping in our local branch, which I don't understand as it's very small and not terribly well stocked for everyday things; she's moved somewhere else now so has probably found a bigger branch. For her, I think it's definitely a snob thing, she's a very snobby sort of person, and I think it make her feel a bit special shopping there.

I think it’s because you bought all of the meat and dairy on the shelves.

We shop there because they have a much wider organic range than any other supermarket near us. Veg, meat, eggs etc. The beef is from grass fed cattle, the bacon nitrate free, the salmon is wild rather than farmed. These things are important to us and we are prepared to pay a little more.

We have a Waitrose that I regularly use , it's on a school run so suits me , I don't think it's expensive for most things although there are those posh cheese cakes for 4.99 for two slices .
I might add thought I do my main shop at a Tesco or a Sainsbury's .

It might just be confirmation bias on my part to be fair. I was expecting it to be more expensive but I did buy a load of unnecessary shite.

Our local big Waitrose has a Sushi Bar (Sushi Daily) and in pre Covid times a Wine Bar, café and a bakery that did coffee and cake. A whole day out.

@dreamsarefree

Did you manage to get the gojuchang paste there though? grabs coat

I did! Korean Fried Chicken for the win.

@JensonsAcolyte

It might just be confirmation bias on my part to be fair. I was expecting it to be more expensive but I did buy a load of unnecessary shite.

Nice unnecessary shite though. What’s for dinner?

@blobblob

We can't comment because we don't know what you bought. £90 might be reasonable. I shop there because:

• they treat their staff better
• they treat their suppliers better
• their food is generally much better quality - and I don't want to eat rubbish, cheap food
• they support charities that I support
• their staff are properly trained and pleasant and polite

I have done cheaper shops before and I feel hard done by because the food's not as nice or I know the supplier's been screwed over or the chickens have lived miserable lives etc etc

You think people shop there for snobbish reasons. Really - why on earth would they?? I'm sick of people moaning and virtue signalling about what they think should happen but supporting businesses that make it less likely.

@blobblob has touched on the central issue here I think. No supermarket can stay in business by making up prices because they think they are posh! Yes you can get cheaper elsewhere but stuff isn't magically cheaper! It's cheaper because : The quality is worse The animals husbandry is worse The suppliers are treated less fairly The farmers are not supported Etc etc

You are free to shop where you wish, it's a free market.
But if you ask me mind you I do work there the difference is in the ethics.

Waitrose have a far larger organic selection than all other supermarkets but I use Aldi, Ocado and our local farm shop too. Waitrose is far more pleasant experience all round though!

I could say the same about why you buy gochujang in waitrose. Have you not heard about a chinese/east asian food shop? They do a big tub imported from South Korea for much less. Is it a snobbery thing?

It was very well organised of you to obtain a loyalty card before your first visit though.

We usually have a Tesco delivery once a week. Roughly £80. My DH went into Waitrose a few weeks ago for a top up shop to cover the weekend and spent £80. He couldn't believe the difference. Nothing special in his shop at all it was just convenience why he went there. I don't notice it on the individual items but at the till I do!

Their fruit, veg and bakery stuff is just nicer than Sainsbury’s. I haven’t noticed a massive price difference, but I buy different things there so hard to compare.

It's the unnecessary shite that gets me out of the front door in the first place

Perhaps you could see how much the same items would be from cheaper supermarkets and compare.

This reminded me of a sign I saw ."Bank Statement ,basically a food Diary for the month"! Really though 4 carrier bags is hardly a few bits is it? I tend to avoid small pick up shops, as it inevitably means I come out with a big bill and not much to show for it!

I just did a quick search and the Itsu stuff is the same price as tesco, asda etc so thats £10 of your shopping that would have been the same if you bought it elsewhere

Weirdly, Waitrose is by far our closest supermarket. Mainly though I shop there because I am the sort of person who buys things like gojuchang paste and they stock stuff like that 🤷‍♀️

I notice that in Sainsbury's too. I add it up in my head roughly, turn up to the till and I'm shocked for a bag of non essential things coming up to £55. I went to M&S petrol station a while ago and bought similar crap which came up to roughly £28 and was shocked as I was expecting to pay more. It's one of those things when I go in, Chuck in the basket and do an estimate in my head as I'm in a rush.

I shop from Tesco's or Asda normally but since last year, I've noticed supermarkets have sneakily hiked up prices. My weekly shop used to cost around say £70-£80 which includes all the household items as well as baby essentials and now that's somehow £120-£130. I don't buy luxury items. I don't buy things like ketchup, Mayo, ready meals. I cook from scratch and make sauces myself. Something is really going on.

I could afford to shop there but can't justify it, too much. I only go for the things Lidl doesn't stock.

I buy some things there that you can't get elsewhere or that are demonstrably nicer, like Fiona Cairns cupcakes that I sometimes buy as a treat for people at work. But I would hardly ever do a main weekly shop there because it is much more expensive. But didn't you notice the cost of things, as you were putting them into your trolley, OP?

I had an ex boyfriend who’s mum was a rich housewife and refused to shop anywhere else but Waitrose. She lived a very privileged, sheltered life of luxury. Off she popped in her Range Rover once a week and would spend £350 on a weekly shop for a family of 6. Her way of thinking (about everything) was, if it’s more expensive then it must be better.

For some people it’s just their way of life/mindset so they’ve never known anything different. They can afford it so why go anywhere else?

I don’t shop there because I simply can’t afford it, apart from treats at Christmas

I like the fact my local Waitrose is a reasonable size and yet stocks everything I want to buy. There’s aircraft hanger sized Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s locally which I hate as it always takes me twice as long to do the shop.

Plus I usually pick up something ‘nice’ while I am there so the whole thing feels like less of a chore than going to Tesco or Sainsbury’s which feel more predictable in what they stock.

Didn't you think that's a bit steep and put your £7 chicken down and just buy your fancy chilli paste? Everybody knows Waitrose is a tad more expensive it took you a trolly worth to realise that🙄