Supermarkets cashing in on people's kindness

[ThesecondLEM]

I like the idea that it's being made easy to help those less fortunate and often donate to the food bank. Tonight in tesco there was a box for toys to donate to poorer folk in the community.

Lovely idea and I nearly popped back to grab something but stopped myself when I thought hmm, tesco is cashing in on this. Unless I have missed something and they are matching donations.

Am I being too cynical? Does anyone know of any alternative initiatives that one might donate to?

I was a recipient of a mumsnet Xmas appeal present when dd was younger and I'm now in a position to pay that forward I some way. I know shops profit from Xmas anyway and that's fair play but well...

I bought lots of orchard toys from Boots when they were reduced to clear I took those to Tesco and donated them, I didn’t think to buy toys why I was there.

You're not limited to Tesco toys at a Tesco collection point.

At the moment on my local FB page there is someone who collects for the homeless (there's sadly children who are homeless )

You could contact someone like the Salvation Army or see if a local refuge might want to pick up some bits from you for security reasons.

My local supermarket has a trolley that the supermarket distributes and 2 other local charity trolleys. So if I'd rather the local charity distributed then I can pop it in their trolley

AND I went into a few charity shops the other days, and in three of them I was asked 'do you want to round the £7.75 to £8 'for charity?' WTF I am already spending £7.75 on goods in YOUR charity shop that you got for FREE. Fuck off.

Can you contact head office then? I work in a charity shop and it comes from on high.

Just buy them from somewhere else and donate them. That'll teach them

Pink the McDonald's charity is parent / family rooms in hospitals. I never thought much of it until some posters on here sung their praises over the years.

@PinkAndPurpleClouds

Hmmm I am on the fence a bit. As a pp said, you will have to buy the toys somewhere...

What is annoying me lately, is (for example) I go to McDonalds, and when I checkout (on the machine I am ordering my food on,) it asks 'do you want to give to charity? 5p, 10p, 50p, £1??? Or 'not today.' Give to charity? What charity? You can't just say 'for charity....'

AND I went into a few charity shops the other days, and in three of them I was asked 'do you want to round the £7.75 to £8 'for charity?' WTF I am already spending £7.75 on goods in YOUR charity shop that you got for FREE. Fuck off.

I know you can say 'no' but if you do, you look like a mean tightwad! Annoys me, because they know some people will be too embarrassed to say no.

And don't even get me started on the kids 'offering to pack your bags' in Sainsburys and Morrisons etc, and expecting a donation for their trip to Peru! (Although that seems to have not happened since Covid thankfully. Along with the annoying and tedious medicine reviews in pharmacies...) Covid does have a few small advantages!

I agree with this entire post...

To be fair, you have to buy the toys somewhere.

Exactly. If you’re worried about it, find an appeal that accepts second-hand toys, or donate cash.

My local tesco has a sign on its food bank collection that it's only for food bought in store. They don't want donations bought elsewhere. It may be different for tots but I think it's fair to question it.

I think it’s lovely to give gifts actually, and you may buy from there BUT Tesco will be using their own CCTV, security guards, dealing with the admin surrounding it. Supermarkets do a lot for charity and unlike Amazon and online retailers have ‘proper’ employees with good benefits rather than zero hour workers - I don’t begrudge at all.

Pre- kids I used to spend a long time choosing a gift that I would put in a Barbado’s box at work. I’d go to a John Lewis and choose something special. I forgot all about it as not in my new workplace or supermarket. But you have reminded me that now my own is old enough I should let her do something similar when out and about. I will investigate my nearest boxes this evening.

What is annoying me lately, is (for example) I go to McDonalds, and when I checkout (on the machine I am ordering my food on,) it asks 'do you want to give to charity? 5p, 10p, 50p, £1??? Or 'not today.' Give to charity? What charity? confused You can't just say 'for charity....' I'm not convinced there's nothing telling you which charity. For a start, Macdonalds are very direct at advertising their own charity so the money will be going to Ronald Macdonalds. Entertainer ask if yo u want to round up but there's a sign by the machine - our local one is Birmingham Children's but I assume they differ locally. Just click no though rather than getting angry.

AND I went into a few charity shops the other days, and in three of them I was asked 'do you want to round the £7.75 to £8 'for charity?' WTF confused I am already spending £7.75 on goods in YOUR charity shop that you got for FREE. Fuck off. hmm YeH fancy them thinking you're actually interested in supporting their charity rather than just getting stuff cheap.

I know you can say 'no' but if you do, you look like a mean tightwad! Annoys me, because they know some people will be too embarrassed to say no. but thats on you. Charities are massively struggling financially, of course they're going to ask. Cancder Research always if I want a lottery ticket. Not today thanks! Its that simple.

And don't even get me started on the kids 'offering to pack your bags' in Sainsburys and Morrisons etc, and expecting a donation for their trip to Peru! (Although that seems to have not happened since Covid thankfully. Along with the annoying and tedious medicine reviews in pharmacies...) Covid does have a few small advantages!

You can pop toys in from anywhere, Tesco don't match like for like or bump up by 20% like with food, it will vary store to store how it's dealt with, In mine we start the trolley of with a donation of maybe £20/30 worth of toys so it's not empty then bump it up at the end to round it up to the next full trolleys worth.

It will depend on the community champions budget, we generally do ate a few hundred selection boxes too

@NumaNumaYay

Best bet really is to donate money directly to your local food bank. It's boring and you don't get the nice feeling of selecting something and putting it in a basket but it's the best use of money - they will know what's most needed and where they can negotiate the best price, bulk buy, etc.

But I think the baskets in stores are a good reminder as well.

I agree and I do this.

Yabu, Tesco do a lot for the community including employing local people and people with disabilities. They pay tax. Unlike Amazon.

@PinkAndPurpleClouds

Hmmm I am on the fence a bit. As a pp said, you will have to buy the toys somewhere...

What is annoying me lately, is (for example) I go to McDonalds, and when I checkout (on the machine I am ordering my food on,) it asks 'do you want to give to charity? 5p, 10p, 50p, £1??? Or 'not today.' Give to charity? What charity? You can't just say 'for charity....'

AND I went into a few charity shops the other days, and in three of them I was asked 'do you want to round the £7.75 to £8 'for charity?' WTF I am already spending £7.75 on goods in YOUR charity shop that you got for FREE. Fuck off.

I know you can say 'no' but if you do, you look like a mean tightwad! Annoys me, because they know some people will be too embarrassed to say no.

And don't even get me started on the kids 'offering to pack your bags' in Sainsburys and Morrisons etc, and expecting a donation for their trip to Peru! (Although that seems to have not happened since Covid thankfully. Along with the annoying and tedious medicine reviews in pharmacies...) Covid does have a few small advantages!

See, I actually quite like this. They do usually say which charity it’s going to. Macdonalds goes to Ronald macdonalds houses which I have had to use in the past so I’m a supporter. If you’re already in the charity shop then you know where those extra few pence are going! I really can’t begrudge them 25p.

I've changed my mind about Tesco's thanks to this thread. I've also remembered that they were particularly good during the pandemic.

Re Macdonalds - Ronald Macdonald houses are absolutely amazing places supporting desperately ill children and their families

My kids put their penny into the McDonalds charity box too. It goes towards accommodation near hospitals so families with long-term sick children can visit them easily.

@user1471457751

My local tesco has a sign on its food bank collection that it's only for food bought in store. They don't want donations bought elsewhere. It may be different for tots but I think it's fair to question it.

Yes - we discovered this when we were going to donate a couple of tins of soup we'd bought (by mistake) in Asda.

Totally disagree. Tescos do lots for charity and work with schools to provide fun trips and activities to teach about healthy eating, where food comes from etc.
I find it really useful seeing the collection points when I go in as it reminds me to get stuff for them and easily pick them up as part of my shop. It takes the hassle out of charitable giving which as a busy person I appreciate.
What IS shocking and awful is the number of families relying on this type of charitable giving because the government allow a huge number of families to live in poverty.

@luverlybubberly

My kids put their penny into the McDonalds charity box too. It goes towards accommodation near hospitals so families with long-term sick children can visit them easily.

Yes can we all reinforce this. If you go to Maccies and can afford to, please do round up. They keep families together at the hardest parts of their lives. DH slept in a RMH 5days a week for four months, and I slept in it the other two. I slept bedside in the hospital for 5 nights and DH two.... For £20. That's it. Essentially the damaged deposit. And I could have had that back if I had asked. And we certainly weren't the longest residents or the worst off in trauma terms.

YABU - so you decided not to bother because the toy would be from Tesco so they’d ‘profit’……..that’s an odd way of thinking.

@Floralnomad

How is it cynical , you can put anything in the box it doesn’t have to be bought from the shop . The tesco near us collects an enormous amount of food for the local food banks and also sells second hand books for charity .

Our local foodbank organisation is having a Christmas appeal and they specifically say that anything put in one of their "in store" boxes should be bought in that store.

Co-op (local one in the village) is collecting toys this Christmas & doesn't sell toys.

Maybe donate to your local Co-op if you have something?

Charities have costs. Organising, transporting food etc.
Even if the supermarket doesn't match donations they're still helping with part of the above.
Most donation boxes I've seen don't specify where goods must be bought from. There's nothing stopping clued up people from buying elsewhere and popping it in the box, or donating direct to the foodbank.
However the boxes DO encourage donations from people who would not have given otherwise.
What's the issue?