I have just conducted a shopping experiment, Waitrose vs Asda.....

[CountessDracula]

Went to Asda to do a big shop as needed plenty of cleaning products, cereal etc.

I decided to do a whole shop there, the choice was VERY limited for organic partic meat and fruit, but what there is looks fine. TBH I buy a lot of my meat at the local butcher anyway.

SO - my usual weekly waitrose bill is about £140 (if I buy most of the meat there)

I did thsi Asda shop and it was £98.

Then I keyed every product into Ocado as I unloaded them to see what saving I had made. I used like for like and made adjustments wherever necessary (eg I got organic Lamb Chops 500g, waitrose only did 400g or something so I made up the difference proportionally by adding something else)

The waitrose shop came to £136

Quite a good saving really if you extrapolate it out over a year! Alos have discovered they will deliver for £4 delivery charge

In Germany (homeland of Aldi and Lidl) the carparksare rammed with BMW's and Mercedes-savvy shopping?????

Apparently people in the UK spend a smaller proportion on food than other European countries like France and Spain. The UK spend more on foreign hlidays. I haven't had a holiday in 6 yrs but currently shop with Ocado. Guess that make me Spanish or something.

Apparently people in the UK spend a smaller proportion of their salary on food than other European countries like France and Spain. The UK spend more on foreign hlidays. I haven't had a holiday in 6 yrs but currently shop with Ocado. Guess that make me Spanish or something.

I bet brits pay much more in mortgages too - hence less money for food shopping?

Thirtysix - the supermarkets in Germany and Holland are all very basic - nothing like Waitrose or Sainsbury's there. A friend of mine who lived in Holland used to cross the border into Belgium every week to do her shopping at M&S in Antwerp!

They're probably rammed with BMWs and Mercedes because as well as being the home of Aldi and Lidl Germany is also the home of BMW and Mercedes.

Most taxis in Germany are Mercedes.

Maybe it is where taxi drivers shop?

Much more use made of markets I think.

Well just been to asda to get the few top up bits i need for this week.... lo and behold only £19 spent.... would have been £30 in sainsburys!

I love Asda & it has definitely improved since becoming part of WalMart. It is just so much cheaper. The organic selection is still small but it is bigger than it used to be. The one I go to has good clothes for children too.
I'm always in such a hurry, I don't really care what the other shoppers are like, as long as they are not dawdling in my way!!!

I won't shop at Asda as I do not approve of Wal-Mart. Haven't come across a Lidl in this neck of the woods but wouldn't shop there unless it is entirely different to the ones I came across in Germany. Tesco - if I must. We have a pathetic little Tesco here (first in the UK, might I add!) and I can't be bothered going off to the nearest super centre (lazy, lazy, lazy...). It is Sainsbury's for me and if pressed for time, Waitrose. Did a Morrison's shop once but was put off by the sheer volume of people (mid-morning) so I've never been back.

Don't leave us hanging 2MPs, what's up with Wal Mart? Need to know, so that I can add feeling guilty about shopping at Asda to my long "feeling guilty" list!

If I was on a strict budget, I suppose I would shop at somewhere like ASDA, but I don't like the ethos of the company. I fill similarly about Tesco, which seems to be taking over the world! This doesn't mean that I refuse to shop at these places, but I resist as much as possible.

Waitrose is owned by its employees, uses good suppliers etc so I'll pay the extra. Also if I shop in my local Waitrose, it doesn't take me the 2 hours that it takes me to walk around the huge local Tescos! I get Ocado to deliver once a week. I try to stick to a shop of around £75 as this means that I get free delivery. I then use an organic box scheme for my veg. With top-up shops comes in at around £100/week.

Once did a Sainsburys/Waitrose price comparison as was quite surprised that they came out the same as I'd always thought Waitrose was v expensive. A lot of this was down to the fact we buy lots of organic stuff and Waitrose do more (or did more - this was a couple of years ago) own brand organic stuff than Sainsburys. Did Tesco as well which did come out cheaper but largely because not such a big organic selection.

As a result of this, we have been Waitrose shoppers ever since, but best to get it delivered (either by Ocado or WaitroseDeliver) as if I go into the shop I get tempted by all the lovely stuff I don't need (and can't afford!).

I hate Tesco's...although do use sometimes...its always too busy, and I don't rate the quality of the food, esp meat and veg...also, how do they make such huge profits?? by selling the customer and the supplier short.

just come back from waitrose, excellent products, not too busy, slightly more expensive but loads more quality. Their own brand cleaning products are actually good value.

Asda is good for somethings, but struggle to do a full shop, as not sure on quality

Ocado is more expensive than Waitrose.

Is it really? I was beginning to suspect that, but wondered if it was just me! Is it more expensive for the same products, or just more expensive because it's only the pre-packed stuff?

We used to have WaitroseDeliver and I loved them, but then we moved 10 miles away and we can't get it any more

I think it's more expensive for pretty much everything. I used to use Tesco.com and went through Ocado item by item with my Tesco's bill - some items were considerably more expensive. Carried on using Tesco but they really are crap, so have bitten the bullet and pay the extra for fantastic service from Ocado (and the knowledge that suppliers are not being shafted). Waitrose itself seems to have the same prices for branded items e.g. Heinz Baked Beans or Kelloggs Cornflakes but be slightly more expensive for own brand items e.g. ham - but it is much nicer than Tesco IMO.

Bugsy - Wal-Mart has questionable deals with their suppliers - very much like Tesco, sucking them dry to maintain a huge profit margin. Products coming from sweatshops...poor pay for female part-time employees, etc... Putting in stores in areas with struggling High Streets which sounds the death knell for any remaining businesses. The whole "Wal-Martization" of America. Blurg!

walmartwatch.com/

A link if you are interested...