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Original poster

Fed up of Tesco world domination. Where to go next?

40 replies

FourJays · 19/04/2007 15:02

Any advice.
I do have an organic box and use local shops, but need a monthly cereal/juice/tins delivery as I have no car.
Which is better -Asda or Sainsburys?
Ta

OP posts:
PinkChick · 19/04/2007 15:03

we just moved from an area and have only just found out that as well as tesco being the only supermarket there, all the onestops shops were owned by them too!, so they have the monopoly on the entire town!

twocatsonthebed · 19/04/2007 15:06

Our dilemma exactly. In the end, we came down on the side of Sainsburys, mainly because Asda have attracted some attention for their staff practices (don't allow unions etc), and Walmart, who own them, are possibly worse than tescos.

And our feeling is that as long as you're not buying meat or veg, where they do screw over the farmers, the big cos can stand up to the supermarkets...

twocatsonthebed · 19/04/2007 15:07

Pinkchick - know how you feel. Tesco are building a GIANT hypermarket almost at the end of my road, whereas Sainsburys is 20min drive in the next town (and don't deliver here). But we will resist, we will....

Original poster
FourJays · 19/04/2007 15:08

Exactly, I'm sick of lining their pockets. I know the others as as bad but a girls gotta eat!

OP posts:
Original poster
FourJays · 19/04/2007 15:09

Hmm, true about the Walmart thing - have hated them since Bowling for Columbine. Sainsburys it is then......Ta twocats.

OP posts:
twocatsonthebed · 19/04/2007 15:10

We're very lucky here - our local farmers market suppliers run a weekly delivery service (it's a thing of genius, why everywhere doesn't do it is beyond me) and so we only have to get toilet paper/cat food and so on from the supermarket.

PinkChick · 19/04/2007 15:12

hated tesco too, the one were we lived was orientated around young singles/couples and was all ready meals and the sort, no proper variety!, so used to drive back here(we moved back, not just cos of tesco tho) to morrisons, still rubbish, but proper fresh counters and wider choice!

PinkChick · 19/04/2007 15:13

im not norm like this, but i w=once went into sainsburies for our shop and we saw kangaroo meat.......ive never went back for proper shop(one near dp's work, so pop in for drink or something but just 'cant' shop there)

Chocolatedays · 19/04/2007 15:25

Sign me uo for this one. We have started boycotting Tesco unless there really is no option. Realised just how hooked in we have become - even our house insureance is Tesco... that will change next renewal time.

Trying to use local family owned markets and shops, also the Co-op are doing good work on fair trade, M&S and Sainsburys are stil monster size but are better to suppliers than Tesco. Morrisions are good but we don't have one near. Waitrose/Ocado are pretty good but expensive.

Chocolatedays · 19/04/2007 15:27

Pink Chick - are you veggie? Kangeroo's are free range and are be culled because their numbers are out of control in some areas. Instenive farmed cows, sheep and chickens have a much more grim life incomparison.

Chocolatedays · 19/04/2007 15:28

Oh - terrible use of '. Sorry to any pedants. (bad spelling too - but that is usual for my typing!!)

PinkChick · 19/04/2007 15:30

no, im not although i eat very very little meat..its just the thought of a kangaroo..i know thats stoopid as pig chickens, lamb, all the same thing etc, but i dont eat much of them either(def not lamb) and the thought..urrrghhh..didnt know that their breeding was out of control tho!?

TwoIfBySea · 19/04/2007 22:00

I haven't used Tesco in well over a year now. Would rather do without. And not because they are bullying, dominant, ripping off the farmers etc. I haven't even bought Cherokee stuff which I used to.

We found out after our very last visit that the amount of our shopping had been taken out of our bank account twice. On returning to the store you would have thought we were asking for the money from the manager's pocket or something, we just wanted to make sure that we would get it refunded but they wouldn't even reassure us on that. Once we were made to feel like criminals we never went back.

Since then the said manager has been sacked after he put a spy camera in the ladies toilet (South Queensferry fyi.)

I also found out that every bill we were getting over charged on items that were supposed to be on special offer (not just that Tesco either.)

I use Lidl, Aldi, Morrisons or Sainsburys.

Sometimes use ASDA if I must.

badelaide · 19/04/2007 22:17

Hello twocatsonthebed, I suspect I use the same farmers market delivery people as you. Fantastic service I think, although I tend not to linger on the "cakes and biscuits" category...too tempting!

Flum · 19/04/2007 22:18

Asda I don'tthink is good. I think they put something in the food.

A disproportionate number of women who shop at our ASda are grossly overweight

moondog · 19/04/2007 22:19

Twoif..Queensferry North Wales you mean??

I rotate supermarkets for canned and dry stuff.
Like twocats,but meat,fish,fruit,veg,jams,butter,milk and youghurt locally.

dumbymummy · 19/04/2007 22:23

Fourjays, Bowling for Columbine is a fabrication. Michael Moore has been exposed as a bit of a fibber. The media is a very potent tool.

That said, can't stand Tesco's and never could. I hate their lighting (it make me feel woozy), and whilst I am a capitalist in principal (ie whatever feeds your family and leaves a bit over to feed others), I think their reach is too long, too wide and too pervasive.

TwoIfBySea · 19/04/2007 22:25

No moondog, South Queensferry near Edinburgh. Don't know how they managed to keep it out of the papers.

I wish the farmers market was more than once a month, I would use it every week due to the quality and taste of the food I have been getting.

I'll just use this thread to mention that the farmers market in Linlithgow is really good and getting better. Fantastic Ayrshire stall for sausages to die for and go to the West Calder stall for veggies as it is local (less than 10 miles away) and really good. It is on either this weekend or next.

(TIBS goes off to check!)

rolloneaster · 19/04/2007 22:26

i have just signed up for a milkman so tesco will not be getting my mile money anymore !!

Wotzsaname · 19/04/2007 22:26

Horrah at last, can I join?

Local shops, Aldi, Lidil, Morrisons and Sainsburys...spread yourself around in a good way.

Oh, I have seen TwoIfBySea list. Snap.

Instead of Tesco express, use the local Spa or similar.

moondog · 19/04/2007 22:27

Blimey Two!!

I can't get a milkman.
Ridiculous.In rural North Wales.There aredairy cows not a mile from my house!!

MrsGumby · 19/04/2007 22:33

I hate Tesco. Just hate it. I find the stores utterly, utterly soulless and my one and only attempt at online shopping was a disaster ("fresh" fruit and veg looked like it had been clubbed by a baseball bat and delivery driver woke kids up at 10pm playing drum 'n' base from his van). I now shop at Sainsburys or Co-op Shopping Giant; the latter is always full of old dears buying their Mellow Birds and the pace is so lovely and slow - no queues and trolleys rammed up your jacksie like you get at Tesco. Getting a new Waitrose near us soon so will give that a go (I swear by Ocado when I can't be arsed doing the weekly shop myself).

dumbymummy · 19/04/2007 22:39

Tesco have got their lighting all wrong. It's a white light and their stores are (as previous), totally soulless. Sainsbury's have an orange glow which suits me better. Waitrose is also good.

Would love to return to the old days, though. Don't really like supermarkets on principal.

TwoIfBySea · 19/04/2007 23:16

Ah but Wotzsaname, what if the only shop available is a Tesco? That seems to be what is happening, especially south of the border. I watched a tv programme where a town had no less than 4 Tescos and another being built. Tesco towers won't be happy at the backlash but tough.

We had an excellent, small, supermarket chain in Scotland called Wm. Low (Willie Lows to everyone) and Tesco bought them over. Replaced all the local products with their own.

We don't have a milkman but the local farms have all Wiseman dairy signs on their farms so I buy that milk (so I sort of buy local.)

treacletart · 19/04/2007 23:20

I've been really impressed by the co-op lately - fruit and veg are particularly good quality - dont think they do online shops or deliver yet though...