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?

I looked around and I could sort of see other people were thinking the same thing. Singing or humming along to it with feeling, like it was an anthem of the times or something, people catching each other's eye and looking wryly around
😂 No they weren't
It's a catchy well known song. I can buy that some people might be humming along but looking a bit sheepish when you spotted them. Nobody was looking wryly around thinking "this song describes my life".

OP to answer your question, supermarkets are exactly the same as they have always been here. Nobody is skipping down the aisles, but then they never were. I've not seen anyone in tears in the bread aisle either.

That will be partially because the just in time logistics now takes longer for Spanish /Dutch imports which are a significant source of fruit and veg, for internal less hauliers and farm workers also slows it down so the veg is hitting the stores far later

I work in one supermarket husband works in a different one. Staffing is an issue. Partly because they like to offer contracts of 10/12 hours but then expect you to work whatever is needed. Until the point when they need to save cash and drop you to contract hours. Husband is fortunate to have an old style contract where he has 35 hours. I ended up being a team leader to go from 10 to 28 hours although I work 35 generally.

They are offering payrises but actually want to keep the pay budget the same so hours are cut staff aren't replaced and unsociable hours payments are cut.

If you find the music is upbeat and cheerful in your local supermarket it's because staff morale is on the floor and they are trying to make us happy.

Also I usually shop in Lidl, and have since before civid. I haven’t noticed a gloominess but I have noticed that it’s got a lot busier and there are a lot more newer suvs in the car park so the cost of living is clearly biting and making some people who wouldn’t shop there before have to start

Yes. I'm walking around with a calculator

I honestly think that if you have the ability to shop outside of supermarkets, you should. All my veg and fruit comes from the local market where it’s considerably cheaper and fresher. Meat comes from the butcher and while not cheaper is excellent quality and ethical and has a £30 medley which could easily feed a family of four frugally for 2 weeks although I know that’s out of price range for many. I use supermarkets for dry good staples and dairy products.

I don’t think that you get best value from supermarkets but what you do get is convenience - but you are paying for that.

My nearest shop is a Co-Op and the prices are through the roof. My face when walking around is

All I've noticed is how many things are missing! Sainsburys has so many gaps on their shelves it is getting a little alarming!

Me neither. Everything feels the same, except for more gaps on the shelves now.

Can't say I've noticed, but it did give me pause when I realised a 2 roll pack of kitchen roll is £5!

I think the supermarkets are greedy as there is no need for price increases across so many product lines. The supermarkets made massive profits during the pandemic and are making massive profits during the cost of living crisis.

^*
I shop at Tesco first thing on a Saturday morning and for the last three or four months there have only been two manned tills open. The queue for them goes halfway down past the freezers.

Tesco absolutely need to have a recruitment drive and pay more if needed. It’s Saturday there must be dozens of local students who would do a shift.

It’s quicker for me now to go to Aldi then drive up the road to Tesco to get a few final bits and then use the self-service tills.*^

Tescos are awful, I put my stuff down on Sunday and walked out when I realised it was a queue of 10 people with one cashier who was also covering the self checkouts (which always have a problem)

I prefer the local corner shop, they don't do a meal deal but least the owners look happy and you get served quickly.

My kids are students and they and their friends all have good summer jobs, no one wants to work in Tesco covering the self service having people moaning at you.

I work as an online picker and haven't really noticed anything. Over the really hot weather many people were buying barbecue items which can be quite a lot. Lots of people still buying premium ranges and convenience foods.

£7.99 for Yorkshire tea?!

< faints >

The vegetable oil stickers may be because they’ve had to change labelling/content of sunflower oil due to the war in Ukraine.

@happinessischocolate Tesco do this on purpose to keep costs down. Every Tesco is understaffed and the people that work there are miserable.

I don't think you are imagining it. I read this today
www.theguardian.com/society/2022/aug/04/britain-angry-abusive-behaviour-staff?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
From shop workers to waiters to surgery receptionists, public-facing staff say they have experienced a surge in abusive treatment since the Covid pandemic began. The number of shop workers who faced abusive customers has risen 25% since February this year according to the latest Institute of Customer Service (ICS) data, while the British Medical Association revealed in May that criminal violence in GP surgeries had almost doubled in five years.

I'm finding Tesco and M&S are really gappy, especially on the veg and fruit aisles. Fruit and veg isn't keeping well, Tesco veg hasn't been great since they stopped putting dates on the packaging, but now M&S isn't great at all. My Mum has struggled getting the things she usually buys from Lidl.
Our Tesco is also putting barriers round the reduced section whilst filling, I can never get to it these days, it's not the type of area where there's a rugby scrum for reductions.
Local Co-op, their prices are shocking.
Friends who are returning from holidays abroad (one from the Netherlands and one from France) say it's shocking going into supermarkets and seeing the vast difference in stock levels and quality compared to here.

This!

There is a massive amount of projection going on on this thread. I think some of it is a hangover from Covid. I used to quite enjoy a browse round the supermarket, now I just get irritated by the existence of other people!

Totally agree! There’s far fewer staff and it’s depressing seeing the price of everything jump 10p each week.

I used to do little runs to the local Sainsbury’s local for a ‘few bits’. Used to be about a fiver, now consistently £10+. Aldi now feels hushed and sad.

I’m in my 40s and have never experienced anything like this in my adult life time. Unless the government does something winter will be carnage.

This and the gaps on the shelves in my local Tesco are shocking really shocking.
The freezers can’t cope above 30 degrees and sometimes fail at less - so they chuck it all out and then it takes weeks to refill.
they can’t get staff either my friend was saying that they just can’t recruit staff to stack the shelves - everyone wants to wfh.

London is mobbed at the moment, ridiculously so. If there is a sad empty bit , tell me where and I will happily shop there!

No? Everything is very normal here.

Busy with tourists, staff as cheerful as ever, people stopping to chat and block the aisles - I genuinely haven't noticed any changes at all.

But it didn't use to take so long to get stuff here and its not just the condition, its the amounts, the stores around here have so many empty shelves.
I think this makes these places glum & the constant price increases, given the profits of supermarkets, its clearly profiteering too.

Having just recently got back from France, i was amazed at how well stocked their stores are, with a lot more choice, esp chocolate :)
Yes some things quite a bit dearer but many things far cheaper, on balance, it was costing us a similar amount.

I suspect there is an element of people projecting their own mood/concerns onto others.
There's always been a rush for the yellow stickered items at our local supermarkets, and prices have been steadily going up for about 3-4 years now.
Plus, who really notices others in the supermarket unless they crash into your or something? Most people just wander round and pick up their shopping and go out again.