Noticed Supermarkets feel glum?

[Neverendingdust]

I don’t think I’m imagining this but I’ve started to notice over the last month or two an almost gloomy muted atmosphere in the supermarkets where I live. It’s pretty noticeable that people are now conscious of the rising prices, the mood is almost somber and tense as they’re shopping. Has anyone else noticed similar? M&S, Sainsburys, Tesco and Co Op all feel very different, you can tell people are worried about the prices they’re seeing.

That excitement of popping treats into the trolley has gone for so many, doing the weekly shop has now become a challenge to simply spend the least amount but make the shop last longer. Peoples behaviour has changed massively.

Does anyone work in any of the stores and noticed the same?

[lightand]

At the moment, I feel I can avoid certain items. And make substitutes of either how much we eat of something, a brand, or a supermarket.
So I am not paying much more than normal.

But if all this goes on long, then everything is going to bite. And bit hard.

[LoisLane66]

@CherryRipe1
Not sure what you meant. Yes, 49p was the price I paid today for each of two 400g tins. 90p for both. I rang Waitrose customer services and they said that the prices online don't always reflect what you pay in the shop. Offers in store may be different. I said that, as I live a 3 minute walk away and shop there at least 4 times a week, it made no sense to order online.
Anyway, the store has a phone number so I rang and asked their view. They said they would check the shelf label but prices are the same online and in store IF it's something they usually stock (it's not the largest store)
She said next time I shop to give her name and she'd give me two tins. They're good like that. If what you want is out of stock they will usually give you a free substitute if it's run of the mill food.
The small 220g tins are 35p but more expensive if you buy 4 of them...🙄

[CherryRipe1]

www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/essential-baked-beans-in-tomato-sauce/019062-9205-9206?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PPCGShopping&gclid=CjwKCAjw6fyXBhBgEiwAhhiZsoeJnzOuvVzp5FhDhqOTDr4lkack2zvx3dupgEsmx0EWgBQxe-sy1BoChOYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
45p per 400g can. Sounds like wherever you saw them was taking the wee wee.

[LoisLane66]

Today, Waitrose was offering 4 SMALL tins Essential baked beans for £2.60 yet a few weeks ago you could buy 4 of their 400g tins for £1.20 (or 35p each)
Surely, if you add up the price rises of all the goods in a full lorry delivery, it MUST be greater than any fuel and electricity costs incurred in the manufacture and delivery.
This is getting out of hand.

[LoisLane66]

Waitrose at 08.10 today had full shelves but 2 big cages full of reduced bread products. It's a smaller store than some but not one of those 'Express' type stores.
I was astonished to pay 9.63 for 2 x 500g pots of Essential plain Greek yogurt, 2 x 400g tins Essential baked beans, I punnet English plums on offer with 20% off and 1 reduced price Vogel linseed and sunflower sliced loaf. That, previously would have cost £2 yogurts, 70p beans, £2 plums and 1.25 bread.

[mondaytosunday]

No. I avoid the supermarket if at all possible but everyone seems to be carrying on as usual when I go, be it Tesco or Waitrose. Last time I was in Sainsburys it was heaving. SW London.

[HaveringWavering]

@LoisLane66

Someone upthread mentioned kids eating more as they're at home and looking for cheap or free things to amuse them in the holidays. I wonder how we older mums managed years ago or indeed how MY parents kept us amused during the holidays.
We played out on bikes, go-karts, withp cricket sets, tennis, made dens out of cardboard and sometimes hay bales. Went fishing in the brook for tiddlers to put in jam jars, went to the beach. On rainy days we played with our toys or helped mum bake or did colouring in books, read, painted, had tea parties, collected leaves and stuck them in books then wrote their names beside them. We had puppet shows with our toys too. When my children were older they went to Scouts, Guides. Airforce cadets and learned first aid. They had jobs delivering papers and the girls delivered monthly magazines and helped at a local farm shop and dairy in their early teens.
I and my brother's had to set the table and clear away after meals, make our beds and dust certain rooms, brush the paths and do a bit of weeding and deadheading in the garden.
We were never bored and were always busy. My children, now adults, never said 'What can I do, there's nothing to do?'
Nowadays they want amusement on tap.

Surely that person just meant eating at home as opposed to school dinners?

Your childhood sounds very Enid Blyton. The kids in those books eat a shit tonne of scones, ham sandwiches and lashings and lashings of ginger beer. In real life there are no friendly farmers’ wives handing out creamy milk straight from the cow to passing young adventurers at the back door of the farm, the food still has to be paid for!

[Barney60]

Yes ive noticed, also most of what i buy missing, i nipped in to Tesco for 11 items yesterday 7 not on the shelves/freezer.
Cant blame lorry drivers anymore ive never seen so many lorry, wagons, vans on the roads.
Went into Waitrose picked up bits i was missing, some same price a couple slightly more expensive 15pence more 1 item, also was given a huge bunch of peony flowers for free.

[LoisLane66]

On Saturday, Tesco had rows and rows and rows and whole lengths of shelves FULL of baked beans, mostly Heinz.
They were also stocked up with every other kind of tinned bean you could imagine.
Very little fresh soup. I love their leek and potato and broccoli and stilton but they had none.
I'll have to make my own.
Yep...never seen shelves so empty at 11am on a Saturday and not as many shoppers either. Hard times ahead...?

[daisychain01]

@Ukelele101

I was in Morrisons today and there was a lady putting the reduced to clear stuff out. There were barriers around her which I have never seen before. I wanted to have a nosy at what was there but thought I’d return in a bit…I went down the next aisle to look at some other stuff and returned to it…..five full shelves cleared in a minute! I’ve not seen that before.

This reminds me of the COVID situation, people over reacting and stockpiling fuelled by all the media hype. I wonder how much of the reduced price products was stuff people really needed versus them buying it as a reaction to it being on that reduced shelf.

[3luckystars]

I noticed this the other day!!!!!

I was standing at the checkout and looked around and there was this shop music playing and everone looked a bit like zombies.

it was such a strange moment, i can’t explain it but I felt pity for us all, like that film Wall E.

[malificent7]

Whilst foraging is great, i doubt it will feed a family of 4 this winter.
Price rises are noticeable here but there are still bargains to be found....always go for basic pasta, tinned tomatoes and beans. Braeburn instead of pink lady, non branded instead of branded, king life milk instead of fresh, lidl instead of tescos.

[LoisLane66]

In response to another post re local shops v Amazon and eBay. I used to buy and sell on eBay quite a lot but come COVID I haven't done anything on there. I find Amazon good for certain things. I have coffee sent monthly and hair colour every 6 weeks. Both are much cheaper than the same items in any shop or supermarket.
I wanted some sneakers but unwilling to pay the RRP. I was reluctant to buy from Amazon in case they were dupes but thought I can return them. Some reviews cited no box, marks, loose insole etc.
When they arrived, immaculate, wrapped in branded tissue in the brand box with branded shoe formers and tags, I was very pleased. £40 incl p&p.
So pleased I ordered another pair right away. What's odd, is that the first pair came from Amazon facilities in Swansea then Weybridge to me but the repeat order is coming from a new Amazon facility in Germany (DE)
I gather that they're also building a second one in Germany so they must be certain to get the staff.

[Davros]

Endlesssummer2022
That comment was in response to someone who said that they'd been in London , in the part where there's usually lots of people shopping, and it was very quiet. They were referring to Sloane Square, hardly a typical neighbourhood and one I visited last Friday and found it humming. Likewise I'd found Soho the busiest I'd ever seen it

[apintortwo]

Is it? Not for many thing I buy. I often price compare when I see something I like in a shop. It's almost always cheaper or comparable on Amazon

I'm fortunate in the sense that I'm able to buy most things from the High Street (I don't live in a remote area and have many chains and independent shops nearby). I rarely buy from Amazon now as most items are at least 40% more expensive. eBay is marginally better as there seems to be more vendors there. I also search for smaller retailers online and order direct. It didn't use to be like that pre-pandemic though.

[LoisLane66]

@kateandme
Hi and thanks for that message. I"be heard that wild garlic can be confused with at least one other plant which can be dangerous if eaten. I believe wild garlic has tri-sided leaves (triangular down the length) but not sure if it's me getting confused.
I watch Atomic Shrimp (Mike) who lives near the New Forest area. He makes lots of foraging videos plus shows the meals he makes after those foraging trips and explains the difference between leaves and when to pick certain plants. He also does an assortment of other interesting videos.
As a child, family lived outside a large northern city opposite miles of fields and hedgerows. Our hands and mouths were often stained with delicious juice from our pickings and mum made good use of the bounty we brought home.
Lovely memories.

[Endlesssummer2022]

‘I've never seen so many people out and about in central London, all spending...’

Haven't read the whole thread but due to the massive fall in the value of Sterling, it’s much cheaper for foreigners to buy in the U.K and many shoppers in central London are tourists. This extends to luxury goods and homes. This is why the price of homes isn’t going down, they are bargains to wealthy foreigners.

[TroysMammy]

@Echo40 ask for a jam pan and equipment for Christmas or birthday. You can save jam jars until next year but you can get 12 for around £5 from Wilko and Hobbycraft have offers from time to time. If you sign up for Hobbycraft Club you get a £5 voucher for your birthday.

I'm lucky I have woods near where I live, lots of blackberries but I've also clocked crab apple trees, elderberries, hazelnuts and rosehips. I also know where there are sloes and Rowan berries.

[kateandme]

@LoisLane66

I wish there were blackberries near my home. Contrary to some posts, I think that blackberry and apple (or any fruit) crumble or pie is a delicious and reasonably cheap pudding to make from scratch with the benefit of not having artificial additives.
I have watched several YouTube videos of foraging which are really interesting and whilst not being one myself, I have sourced unpolluted nettles, taken the young tops and steamed them before adding to an omelette.
I believe they are the richest source of many vitamins.

I think wild garlic is around too if you like that.sorry if I've missed your posts but have you tried growing any.a fruit bush can be a dream once it's got going.
Crumbles are great.warming,tasty and cheap.wish I could send you one.

[Echo40]

@hennaoj

I'm convinced people are quite mad. There's masses, absolute masses of free blackberries growing wild everywhere at the moment, loads of them ripe and hardly anyone picking them. If people are soo hard up why are they being left?
Also found wild raspberries going to waste. I picked some but found loads of them on the plants going bad.
elderberries are on tree's by the bucket full soon, can be easily made into cordial and jam.
I got tons of free cherry plums from trees at my local school, noone else wanted them. Made lots of jam, got 2 litres of gin steeping in them and two lots of crumble. They also grow in hedgerows and parks. The yellow ones are called Mirabelle and are used for a regional speciality jam in France.
Hawthorn berries are free and plentiful.
Seabuckthorn is plentiful in sand dunes and a superfood.

There's a an awful lot of free food that's lovely, most likely organic and going to waste!

I grew up in rural Wales so my nan and dad taught me how to forage.
Love wild raspberries but none here.

I live in a city now and lives 3 different suburbs last 17 years.
I would say blackberries are everywhere.
Back access lanes behind houses.
Parks and on cycle path.
In June I picked elderflower to make wine for my dad as gift really.
Have made dad chutney before but never tried making jam.
Do you have simple jam recipe.
I know of damson locally too I might try for.
I picked cherries on the cycle path in July.

We have a greengage plum tree the green ones on our allotment.
We really did try hard to grow a lot this year however a lot was eaten .
We growing tomatoes in pots in front garden .

Never had much luck finding hazelnuts the birds haven't touched.
Had varying success over the years with chestnuts.

I had hoped make a food chutney as presents and freeze loads blackberries for the kids plus make a few crumbles.
However this can't be guarantee and would supplement my supermarket shop as added bonus can't rely on it..

My kids love blackberry picking its a regular summer activity here.
Yesterday at jumble sale a couple ladies older than me were talking about blackberry picking to save money.
If on rare occasions I do see others foraging as get some odd looks picking cherries they usually older or from other countries.
As me and this nice polish man were picking the elderflower.
Not sure mine like elder berries maybe I need to attempt a few jams every little helps i just get daunted by complexity as don't have jam pot. Pectin or a thermometer.

[LoisLane66]

I wish there were blackberries near my home. Contrary to some posts, I think that blackberry and apple (or any fruit) crumble or pie is a delicious and reasonably cheap pudding to make from scratch with the benefit of not having artificial additives.
I have watched several YouTube videos of foraging which are really interesting and whilst not being one myself, I have sourced unpolluted nettles, taken the young tops and steamed them before adding to an omelette.
I believe they are the richest source of many vitamins.

[Davros]

My Dad used to put a ladder up in the alley at the back of their house and climb over onto the banks by the tube line to go blackberrying. And many other places if he saw them.
Foraging isn't always allowed because people strip the land of food for the wildlife

[MibsXX]

@hennaoj

I'm convinced people are quite mad. There's masses, absolute masses of free blackberries growing wild everywhere at the moment, loads of them ripe and hardly anyone picking them. If people are soo hard up why are they being left?
Also found wild raspberries going to waste. I picked some but found loads of them on the plants going bad.
elderberries are on tree's by the bucket full soon, can be easily made into cordial and jam.
I got tons of free cherry plums from trees at my local school, noone else wanted them. Made lots of jam, got 2 litres of gin steeping in them and two lots of crumble. They also grow in hedgerows and parks. The yellow ones are called Mirabelle and are used for a regional speciality jam in France.
Hawthorn berries are free and plentiful.
Seabuckthorn is plentiful in sand dunes and a superfood.

There's a an awful lot of free food that's lovely, most likely organic and going to waste!

My grandmother taught me how to forage and make preserves, jams wines etc BUT these processes cost quite a bit in equipment, fuel to cook and process, time, and not forgetting the cost of the other ingredients you need to make them. Home baking gardening and foraging is not the cheap and easy passtime the tv portrays it as. And much though I also love free blackberries, not so many folks have access to the countryside where most of these things grow in the hedgrows, and the last time I picked some, rural area, they tasted of whatever chemical the council had been spraying the hedgrows with! ( and exhaust fumes were definately mixed in witht he flavour)

[Davros]

karimacukture
I went to Sloane Square yesterday. The whole area was very busy, not on the same level as Soho last week, but still busy. Café Colbert was packed and Duke of York Square was very buzzy

[hennaoj]

I'm convinced people are quite mad. There's masses, absolute masses of free blackberries growing wild everywhere at the moment, loads of them ripe and hardly anyone picking them. If people are soo hard up why are they being left?
Also found wild raspberries going to waste. I picked some but found loads of them on the plants going bad.
elderberries are on tree's by the bucket full soon, can be easily made into cordial and jam.
I got tons of free cherry plums from trees at my local school, noone else wanted them. Made lots of jam, got 2 litres of gin steeping in them and two lots of crumble. They also grow in hedgerows and parks. The yellow ones are called Mirabelle and are used for a regional speciality jam in France.
Hawthorn berries are free and plentiful.
Seabuckthorn is plentiful in sand dunes and a superfood.

There's a an awful lot of free food that's lovely, most likely organic and going to waste!