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

[2010Aussie]

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?

Our M&S at the train station is like that - really have given up browsing there sometimes, and I don't even feel cold much.

We’ve never had an issue. I do think it might be store dependent. F&V always lasts too. I do like M&S for some bits too.

I can’t get on with the budget supermarkets. Nothing ever stays fresh. But I know others who swear by them.

And you would have to pay me to get me to go back willingly to the massive nuisance of using a manned checkout.

Wait for ages in line, then unload all your stuff, wait for someone to scan it, then load it all back in to bags?

No thank you. The self scan as you go round is so much easier and quiver. I honestly don't understand why anyone could prefer the other way of doing it. J

I hated what they did, there was a big push to get younger members of staff to become team leaders, then that went out the window when they pushed all this nonsense and got rid of them all! Getting rid of the counters upset me, same with the café, as I used to work in there, and the bakery in my local one is a shell of what it used to be, and now they've got rid of the pharmacy too! Covid didn't help. 😟

"A child is not an unexpected item in the bagging area, it's a totally predictable one." @NaiceNeice very well put 😀

Locally, I’m much more annoyed about M&S, which has some really poor options. The aircon is fierce, which doesn’t make for a pleasant shopping experience and the food is less than optimum. We’ve had bacon this week that is so salty and full of water, as to be almost inedible, Greek yogurt that’s watery and flavourless and fruit that went off quickly.

I don't generally shop in Sainsburys but was shocked the other day to find out you had to scan your receipt to get let out of the self-service till section. Wasn't impressed as don't want to have to print a receipt...seems such a waste of paper.

They're soooo expensive!

I overheard the staff moaning about how each department had to cut its hours by a certain amount. By no coincidence, the shelves then became less well stocked.

Sainsbury's problem with Aldi and Lidl is that they're treating it as a race to the bottom. It doesn't have to be. Sainsbury's can't compete because they're only trying to match Aldi prices without imitating their business model. It's not going to work.

I've now switched to Aldi. Not just because they're cheaper, but they're also much better in just about every way except product range. Anecdotally they seem to be a pretty decent employer too which makes me feel better about shopping their.

Sainsbury's has just lost its way.

The staff are really great at our local store, much nicer than other shops.

I have no issue with my local Sainsburys, I also use online delivery and it's been great. I did a price check before I signed up and for the stuff I buy Sainsburys also came out cheaper than Asda and Morrisons (and no surprise, Tesco).

@SpongeBob2022 Don't have to do that at mine, assuming it's location-dependant. Only place I've ever had to do that is Primark!

Also can leave with an empty trolley...

My local one is awful now. They changed the carpark so it's a drama to just get in and out. They've changed the layout so the aisles are much more narrow, making it difficult to stop and browse without holding up the people behind you as it's difficult to pass. The fruit and veg section used to be; one aisle for fruit, one for veg and one for salad. Easy. Now it's all over the place! Haven't used sainsburys for ages for these reasons.

Full of youngsters in huddles talking and middle aged folk doing all the work!. Management turn a blind eye to it.

Our local Sainsburys is massive and it's great. We don't have any rules about not being able to walk out with an empty trolley. They have cut down on checkouts with staff but they have loads of the self scanning ones. The aisles are really wide.

No supermarket has enough tills open. Waitrose in particular seems to think that all their clientele have all the time in the world to chat. However, they do have self-serve tills where you can bag as you go, as it doesn't weigh things.

The trolley thing is just stupid and I would have told the security guard to move it and gone to take my call.

The two above things are linked - shoplifting may be reduced if you make sure there are enough tills open (of all types, manned and self-service - sometimes I've been in Sainsburys and they've had loads of the self-serve tills closed, not because they were broken but because they didn't want to supervise them). They don't want to provide the means to pay - but then wonder why shoplifting increases.

However, the more annoying thing is the fact that in my local Superdrug they feel it more necessary to have a pointless person at the entrance handing out baskets, than being on the tills to serve the people in the longish queue. They don't have self-serve tills in my local branch. They also like standing around having a chat about the window displays as well.

If mine starts doing that I'll simply not use them at all.

Does the machine automatically give you a receipt, or can you find yourself in a pickle after refusing one? Is it clear that you need a receipt?

The lack of tills and rise of self checkout is a problem in nearly all supermarkets, except Waitrose, round here. M&S the worst with a tiny area for self checkout where you can’t even squeeze through if two people are back to back. Till is hardly ever manned. I think I’m going to start shopping online.

@CattySam I agree and it drives me mad. Whenever I buy a pack of say six apples there is always one hidden that's bruised or suchlike. Every single time! I swear they pack them so there is at least one dodgy one missing.

They still have a code like 0708 which clearly means display til 7 Aug etc

I've stopped using them as their veg goes to slush very quickly

Am I alone in preferring to scan my own shopping? I can't be doing with the tills manned by cashiers, they are so slow

I noticed that back in the winter, but they seem to be ok again now - and also have best before dates on. Were they "use by" dates before?

The stuff we get is ok and doesn't go off too quickly.

Dh does our main shop and uses the till, but if I go in for a few things I always use the self-serve, I am happy to. I prefer Waitrose though because I can pack as I go. Although I've been told on here I can pack my stuff as I go on self-tills where they weigh things, it never* works for me.

*it worked once.

I’m ten miles from the nearest big Sainsbury’s, so it’s a refreshing change to shop there for own brand products. However, were I a regular, no doubt I’d encounter the problems lots mention.
As fruit and veg are fresher than at Tesco and Asda, I buy them in M & S which sends me eReceipts - something I prefer.
Many here promote self-scanning. It’s now in my to-do list.

former fan of sainsburys

aldi and lidl are much better and way cheaper