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Original poster

Anyone else fed up with Sainsburys? Or is it just me?

153 replies

2010Aussie · 04/04/2023 10:32

Just need a bit of rant about my local Sainsburys. Two incidents this week.

I try to take my elderly DM who has dementia to do her food shopping when it's quiet. But a lot of older customer think the same! There was one checkout open and a lot of people with full trolleys milling around getting a bit agitated. No staff on the scene. I left DM and went on a treasure hunt. Eventually found four of them huddled by the fruit and veg having a catch up. I politely asked if they would open another till and perhaps it might be an idea to monitor the checkout area. They did move but rather reluctantly.

Second incident yesterday. I was on my own and picked up a trolley. As soon as I got in the store, my phone went off with an urgent call. So I turned round and went out again. Except that the trolley wheels locked and I was stuck in the entrance with the alarm sounding. The security guard appeared and told me off. "You're not allowed to leave with an empty trolley for security reasons." I explained the situation. "Well, you should have gone through the checkout first," he said

Their stuff isn't exactly cheap and I get better service at the budget supermarkets quite honestly. Anyone else fed up with Sainsburys?

OP posts:
LakeTiticaca · 04/04/2023 11:44

I took redundancy from.sainsburys 5 years ago. They got rid of the team leaders who basically ran the show, many managers took redundancy so they had to recruit from outside, bringing in young inexperienced smart arses who knew it all.
They knew they had to start competing with Aldi and Lidl who have been sneaking up on the inside while the big 4 have been slumbering.
From that moment in 2018 when the team leader role was abolished, customer service, which Sainsburys always prided itself on, when down the toilet, and sadly its been a race to the bottom ever since.
They got rid of the cafes, the deli counters , down graded the instore bakeries.
Slashed the labout budget so people either have to scan their own shopping or wait in a massive queue.
I think they call it progress 🤔

Ionlydrinkondaysendinginy · 04/04/2023 11:45

NaiceNeice · 04/04/2023 11:16

I've recently used revisited a local Sainsbury's and not been impressed.
I originally boycotted because I had toddlers when they introduced self check out and forced us all through. A child is not an unexpected item in the bagging area, it's a totally predictable one.
They have lost thousands over the last decade from my family shopping and despite the shop bring big enough with parking for a decent cupboard filling visit, it's still reluctant to open a bloody check out.

It's a supermarket not a playground why is your toddler climbing on the self checkouts

CatNamedEaster · 04/04/2023 11:49

FannyPhart · 04/04/2023 11:15

My problem with Sainsbury's is the ridiculous hikes in prices of static items that were the same price for years then suddenly in the last week go up by ridiculous amounts. Looking at a daily shop of every day things you'd usually put in your basket, one product that was 65p for years, now £1 up 35p with no explanation. Yesterday a product that was £2.50 for years now suddenly £2.95 up 45p in a week and another that was £3.75 for years now £5.25, up £1.50 in a week. Last year another product that was 49p is now £1.05 and no, I don't believe it's because of Brexit. I believe retailers are just taking the piss unnecessarily because they have the monopoly and know we can't do a thing about it.

Can't speak specifically for Sainsburys but I work for a company that has been hit by enormous price rises over the last three years: every single component costs more then adding the wages of the suppliers' staff, shipping costs, fuel, Customs delays and increases in clearance costs by agents.

We absorb the costs again and again until we can't: so that's why our price hikes also look unreasonable because something is suddenly having 20% added to the retail price. If we reflected our actual increased costs we would have been increasing prices every month since 2020. It's hard to know which is the better option to balance keeping money coming in vs. prices as low as possible for as long as possible.

Ktime · 04/04/2023 11:51

2010Aussie · 04/04/2023 11:32

It's an opportunity for her to get out as she is at home most of the time. That's why we go when it's quiet. She enjoys the browsing element - it's just the long wait at the checkout that's stressful.

Show quote history

I get it, OP. I take my mum shopping. She’s only early 70s but is disabled and gets tired very easily so we shop together and then she sits in the cafe whilst I go through checkout. Could that be an option? Or even take her to the car after she’s browsed?

kateluvscats · 04/04/2023 11:53

Sainsbury's Huntingdon never opens on time

Original poster
2010Aussie · 04/04/2023 11:54

LakeTiticaca · 04/04/2023 11:44

I took redundancy from.sainsburys 5 years ago. They got rid of the team leaders who basically ran the show, many managers took redundancy so they had to recruit from outside, bringing in young inexperienced smart arses who knew it all.
They knew they had to start competing with Aldi and Lidl who have been sneaking up on the inside while the big 4 have been slumbering.
From that moment in 2018 when the team leader role was abolished, customer service, which Sainsburys always prided itself on, when down the toilet, and sadly its been a race to the bottom ever since.
They got rid of the cafes, the deli counters , down graded the instore bakeries.
Slashed the labout budget so people either have to scan their own shopping or wait in a massive queue.
I think they call it progress 🤔

Closing the cafes was a big loss. We used to have tea and cake there after our shop. If the queues were long, I would leave the trolley, install DM in the cafe with refreshments and then go back and join the queue. She was quite happy with that arrangement!

OP posts:
HappyJellyBaby · 04/04/2023 12:00

Since they took the best before dates off the fruit our sainsburys always has a tray of something rotten. Pears last week - some were black and oozing, others had blue mould on them.

I do like the self scan though and the Nectar points app!

gogohmm · 04/04/2023 12:02

I think it varies by branch. There's usually 2-3 check outs here and no queue when I go, most people use the self scan while you shop it seems. Waitrose has even more actual tills open. I'm boycotting Aldi due to their lack of tills open (lidl are much more responsive and I told Aldi that!)

DontMakeMeShushYou · 04/04/2023 12:04

They have lost thousands over the last decade from my family shopping and despite the shop bring big enough with parking for a decent cupboard filling visit, it's still reluctant to open a bloody check out.

My dividends don't seem to have been affected by your boycotting. Sorry! 😂

But, in general, meh! Every supermarket is good in some respects and rubbish in others.

NaiceNeice · 04/04/2023 12:05

@Ionlydrinkondaysendinginy I challenge you and Sainsbury's management to put £80 worth of shopping through a self check out with a two year old in the trolley and a four year old 'helping' without the unexpected item siren going off.
They're off to uni now but I hold a long grudge.

WhiteFire · 04/04/2023 12:13

I always have good service at Farmfoods.

Sainsbury's are on a par with all the rest.

begoneday · 04/04/2023 12:15

Empty shelves and deserted check outs is why I haven’t shopped there for about a year now. The toilets were often dirty too.

Xmasbaby11 · 04/04/2023 12:17

I'm sorry about your experiences. My DM has early dementia and I totally agree it's vital to get out into the community and do normal experiences for as long as possible. DF takes her shopping to Sainsburys and Waitrose and it's pleasant for her.

Our local Sainsburys (different branch) is also really good and not had any of the problems you mention. Occasionally understocked shelves and of course huge price rises, but no more than anywhere else - in fact I think our Lidl has had worse price increases. It might be a case of trying different supermarkets locally and finding the best fit. Or trying different times of the week / day to find a quiet time.

Tourist29 · 04/04/2023 12:18

I still like Sainsbury’s, I use scan and shop which is great. I don’t mind the staff having a chat either. Try Aldi where they have staff on and off the tills every few minutes according to the queues. Prices have gone up everywhere - fully understandable after a pandemic and the impact of the war in Ukraine.

AintNobodyHateMeBetter · 04/04/2023 12:19

My sainsburys is absolutely shite.

The bakery never tastes fresh.

All the traditional checkouts have been reduced to just two working ones so only two staff serving the checkout conveyor belts. So you'd think they would utilise the remaining staff on the self-service tills...nope! Always just one miserable person who's usually looking off to the distance instead of looking for any tills flashing red.

Mangledrake · 04/04/2023 12:19

The first issue is about local branch management. May be a one off, may be a pattern. You'll know if you shop there often. Could certainly raise it with them but it's not about the chain as a whole.

Second issue - not an issue. Why would you need to bring an empty trolley out the entrance - rare problem to have and sensible that they limit shoplifting (and cost to everyone) that way.

Phos · 04/04/2023 12:26

Probably depends on the store. Ours is really good, it never seems overly noisy even when quite busy and they do usually have some checkouts open. I do the thing where you scan as you go around but I’ve never noticed big queues at the tills outside of Christmas etc.

Personally I much prefer it to our morrisons, which seems to be more expensive and , and I can’t be doing with Aldi and Lidl (partly because I can’t always get everything I want and partly because I also can’t be trusted in the middle aisle)

OriginalUsername2 · 04/04/2023 12:35

I think it just depends. My Sainsburys is okay staff-wise. They do chat but will happily stop to help a customer and they’ll say bye when you leave. I prefer this to my local Morrisons where everyone gives you dead-eye for getting in the way of their crates and they just carry on their conversations as they’re serving you.

ZittiEBuoni · 04/04/2023 12:36

Fruit and veg is the worst in town. Bought a bulb of garlic the other day - when I broke a clove off blue mould dust flew out! The onions are always soft and manky too.

ssd · 04/04/2023 12:37

Everywhere is short staffed

RedRobyn2021 · 04/04/2023 12:38

Your Sainsbury’s doesn't sound very good tbh. The ones near me I've never had any problems with although I do get most of my shops delivered by them.

Ktime · 04/04/2023 12:39

Does no one ever inspect their fruit and veg before buying it?

Even if the BBE date is a week away, I’ll check it thoroughly.

I bought single garlic yesterday and checked each one.

PussBilledDuckyPlait · 04/04/2023 12:44

Our Sainsburys always has far more tills open than Tesco and I've never had any issues with customer service there. But, for the products we buy regularly, Tesco is cheaper.

heathspeedwell · 04/04/2023 12:44

I love my local Sainsburys. I'm what they call a 'promiscuous shopper' in that I tend to get different things from all the local supermarkets but Sainsburys is definitely my favourite. The self scan Nectar app is brilliant.

GlassBunion · 04/04/2023 13:10

I think it's been going downhill for some time now.

Their bakery selection has massively reduced, their freezer section, whilst fully stocked has so much more of the same thing but with a reduced selection.

Fresh produce doesn't seem as fresh anymore and the service at the tills is dire. Usually just one poor, harassed assistant trying to man the two checkout areas .

Really pricey too.

Shame, as I used to love Sainsbury's.