Interesting that Waitrose are closing stores - frankly many of their items are just too expensive, others are fine.
Over the years I’ve used most supermarkets. Seems I now tend to diversify for different items.
Tesco are always good value but I’m not sure how ethical their business is - their fruit/veg aisles in my nearest large store are poor and cheap rubbish foods are piled high, but it fits the demographics of the store location I’d have to say. The larger supermarket a couple of miles away is more upmarket as odd as that may sound.
Used to mostly shop at the local Sainsbury’s but it’s now torture as they rarely have anyone on the tills, and I can’t stand self scanning a trolley load of food. Have probably had more manky meat from Sainsbury’s than anywhere else in recent years. Dairy and cheese generally very good especially their own brand organic stuff, I do like their pre-packaged pre-cooked meats.
ASDA - rarely go there as none close by.
Waitrose - started shopping there in the last 4-5 years once I didcovered where the suburban store was - lovely staff/ethos, you don’t get rushed at the tills as you do at the discounters, and this must be a factor the older generations like irrespective of any perceived quality differences.
I personally think most of their wine is crap, but fruit/veg generally seems good quality as does fresh meat/dairy. Constantlly seeing large amount of trivially discounted foodstuffs there, especially their organic milk which I love as it’s not homogenised, but the kids hate it due to creamy lumps. Frankly they are simply overpriced in many areas - good sausages mind you.
Morrison’s - I have shopped there a lot in the last 2 years - don’t really like the place but they have some great meat, proper butchers and crucially Amazon lockers, and the local store is close to my local gym and I go there most days. Location, location, location…
M&S - generally good quality veg/fruit, reasonable wine selection, lot of nice pe-packaged nibbles but ultimately as extortionate as Waitrose.
Co-op - have had great buys in many ‘local’ stores in recent years, they do the basics well.
Aldi/Lidl - how crazy is it that I now got to Waitrose for some items then call in the adjacent Lidl for unique high quality items or simply identical cheaper ones. Beyond the basic pretty unhealthy food staples we get stacked high everywhere, they have fanstastic value herbs/spices/tinned products/meat/dairy products and so forth from across Europe (Brexit hmmm…) - picked up a couple of cheap 21 day aged tomahawk steaks yesteday. A few months ago they had frozen sardines, great for the BBQ, just over a quid but £5 for a similar item in Waitrose - we have been hoodwinked for too long by brand liability and corporate greed. The weekly specials are also great. Frozen foodstuffs and fresh meat products are often great value.
Iceland - I’ve gone off frozen food apart from a few item like peas - I have 2 freezers full of stuff I’ll probably never eat as I prefer to cook fresh food!
Perhaps this is a bit of a rambling comparison, but I find it odd that I now either shop at the perceived high-end shops like Waitrose/M&S or Lidl/Aldi and rarely at Tesco/Sainburys these days.
Thoughts please?
Home Bargains is another winner for stuff like kitchen rolls, detergents etc. Finish dishwasher liquid about £1.80 in HB, but £6.00 for the same item in Waitrose - no wonder some of these comapnies are in trouble if they’re extracting teh Michael price wise.
If you stick to the ‘normal’ shop stuff then waitrose is the same price.