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Original poster

Which supermarket?

39 replies

FeelingEvil · 27/05/2008 09:25

Have been a Waitrose loyalist for many years. But now food prices seem to be inching upwards and Waitrose have discontinued some of our favourite products (like shallots, their own brand dried pasta and own brand tinned tuna), I'm reconsidering my options.

Want somewhere which has quality food at decent prices.
Is Sainsbury's as good as their adverts look? Is Morrison's as rough as I perceive? And is Tesco really an ethically incorrect option?

OP posts:
Collision · 27/05/2008 09:27

Morrisons is fab!

as long as it is in a nice-ish area which mine is!

tho you might not want to go from waitrose to morrisons so sains would be better!

DeeRiguer · 27/05/2008 09:29

tesco i actively avoid
sainsbury's is okay i use it the most they have nice organic brown pasta own make if that helps
morrisons.. not near one enough to know though mil is very nice and hug great sized aisles so good impression and fresh fish counter too

i actually get the impression it is the area it is in that dictates the food selection and also roughness of one's food emporium

themoon66 · 27/05/2008 11:55

Morrisons is great.

Tesco I avoid if I can.

Sainsburys always seems to cost me 20% more for the same stuff.

OatcakeCravings · 27/05/2008 12:42

I shop in Tesco but live in Scotland where we have no Waitrose! Sainsburys is really expensive and small where I am and my only other option in Asda (gads!)

piratecat · 27/05/2008 12:45

Asda has my vote atm. Best deals, lots and lots of good fresh produce.

I am vegetarian and find that they have alot of alternative brands to try.

Tesco has gone a bit bland. Morrisons is fine for offers, crisps, detergents and the like. Morrisons food can be a bit tasteless.

GrimmaTheNome · 27/05/2008 12:54

We use Asda for regular shopping - its en route between DDs school and home so it would be stupid not to. But go to Sainsbury's to stock up on a few things that asda doesn't do. It is more expensive and they never have enough tills open. Or sometimes Booths. [there are 2 booths fairly near us. One has lots of posh teas etc. The other in poorer area is much more basic).

Asda does an 'extra special' tinned tuna which is much nicer than any other I've had.

We get meat from a farm shop thats nearer than any of the supermarkets and does good meat for reasonable prices.

PuppyMonkey · 27/05/2008 12:55

Tesco for main shop. M&S for posh.

hifi · 27/05/2008 13:01

tesco for drinks, household and some veg.marks for meat and fruit. i hate morrisons, i cant navuigate it, sainsburys sometimes.

Minkus · 27/05/2008 14:23

Agree with DeeRigeur, Morrisons fish counters are wonderful. Even if I don't do the rest of my shopping there (it's closest and so v. convenient but shop at various other stores depending on what it is I need) I try and get my fish there if possible as it is such good quality and value.

I find Tesco really boring and unpredictable with stock levels, Sainsbury's quite expensive unless you buy just their value ranges, so Asda normally win if I'm going to do a supermarket shop. Their own brand ranges are of a good, even quality and the fresh stuff always seems better than other places.

But agree that it does depend on what area it's in, this does effect the shopping experience you get! (God what a snob I sound)

I would far rather do it all online and not have the bother of having to traipse 15 miles to the nearest Asda, however I am a saddo in that doing the food shop is now considered "me time" as I leave ds with dh

RainingCatsandDogs · 27/05/2008 22:02

After shopping at Waitrose, M and S for years I now do an Asda online shop (always get free delivery codes off money saving expert site)and although some off their own brand isn't great e.g basmati rice,pasta they do 200% money back on these and also on home delivery they do a substitute for a higher product if not available e.g. ordered a £2 wine taster and got substituted the full bottle at £7 and you didn't pay the difference and this applies to all substitutions.
Range is less than say waitrose but you can do what I do and just go very occasionally to buy the specific products I like from there.Why pay more for the basics?
I do buy veg locally at greengrocers/farmers market but also from Asda and always get free range meat from local butchers.I save on one bit and spend more where I definately perceive a difference in quality.
Sainsbury's seem to stock more range than Tesco but both expensive in my opinion for not alot.
Really does depend on your local store though as they differ in quality and service particularly in you go down the home delivery route.
I'd say to give them all a try for a week shop (use the free delivery codes/savings using money saving site) and you may be surprised at pre-conceived ideas of quality.

minniedot · 27/05/2008 22:36

Genuine question. Why are some people opposed to Tesco?

onepieceoflollipop · 27/05/2008 22:40

Our Morrisons is awful, I won't elaborate as it will come across as judgmental and snobby.

I do like Asda though, ours is friendly and cheap. Sainsbo's is quite a bit more expensive but I like it - the staff are lovely in ours.

I am too knackered to enter into a Tesco discussion this evening.

jamila169 · 27/05/2008 22:44

I don't lnow about everyone else but Tesco seems to be condensing it's brands down to their own plus one other on a lot of things, plus,every so often their prices shoot up and then a few weeks later they start with all the price crash bollocks - bringing prices down to just above what they were before they put them up so people don't notice that overall they are paying more

minniedot · 27/05/2008 22:45

I'm intrigued now. Obviously missing something.

Lilymaid · 27/05/2008 22:48

No, sorry, I can't bring myself to shop anywhere else but Waitrose on a regular basis. Wouldn't shop at Tesco or Asda because of the way those companies operate. Sainsbury's is just about OK. We don't have a Morrisons nearby. Would shop at Booths if there was one within 100 miles of us. I do shop in local Co-op, M&S and local farm shops/butchers/greengrocers and delis.

Lilymaid · 27/05/2008 22:50

Minniedot - I would recommend you read some of the stuff on Tescopoly.

maidamess · 27/05/2008 22:51

I do not like Tesco's and their bids to take over the world. Whilst I'm sure Asds are just as culpable, I shop there because I trust them...not sure why.

I wish I lived near to an Aldi....my SIL is doing a family of 5 weekly shop for £50!!

Fou · 27/05/2008 22:56

You need to go to Saisburys.

Tescos is crap.

I only go to Morrisons when I'm on holiday, and I like it - although I did try to hand a pound coin to the bloke standing next to the trollies, as for some reason I thought it was his job to get the trollies out for you

madcol · 27/05/2008 23:06

What are your priorities?
If healthy food avoid M + S. If eco-politics also avoid M+ S despite their 'free-range only policy'.

If good quality fruit and veg avoid asda and definitely Morrisons.

They are all trying to take over the world anyway.

maidamess · 27/05/2008 23:09

madcol, I like the quality of fruit and veg in Asda. Perhaps it varies from branch to branch. In my small local, theres always an army of folk filling up the aisles.

MsHighwater · 27/05/2008 23:12

I use supermarkets as little as I possibly can. Some supermarkets have good fish counters but it doesn't beat my local fishmonger. Ditto the meat counter vs the butcher. The range at the greengrocer is less wide but I try to cooke and eat seasonally as much as I reasonably can (not giving up bananas or grapes, for instance).
I use the small local Somerfield for most of the stuff I can't buy anywhere else local with occasional trips to Asda for stuff that Somerfield doesn't stock.

I heard a rumour that Somerfield might be bought by Co-op and am hoping it's true.

minniedot · 27/05/2008 23:12

Lilymaid thank you for the link. I will read it when I'm not as tired.

Whooosh · 27/05/2008 23:14

Well I work with all the supermarkets and have done for over 15yrs,at all levels.
Pricing is deceptive-soem may "appear" to be chaper than others but above all,the only ones which stand out as truly caring about suppliers and cutomers is Waitrose.
With new senior management (ex Asda-shock horroer!) though this seems to be changing.

LynetteScavo · 27/05/2008 23:19

Did I read that right, Whoosh, Waitrose's ethics are going down the pan?

It's late.

Whooosh · 27/05/2008 23:33

Well not down the pan just yet!
The last 6 months have shown a bit of a shift in terms othe their margin aspirations and price matching the big boys though and those two things don't happen without squeezing suppliers or compromising quality.

As I said-not there yet but there are signs....still the bset ethically though M&S for quality.