Well now I know why we are like this with the supermarkets dominating everything and killing our town centres and killing diversity in food retail
We get what we deserve and expect and peoples expectations on this thread are so low. Lowesrt common denominator food you ask for and thats what you get
Do any of you remember tasty ripe fruit and veg?
TandemJeremy - Member
Well now I know why we are like this with the supermarkets dominating everything and killing our town centres and killing diversity in food retail
Less opinion, more evidence!
We get what we deserve and expect and peoples expectations on this thread are so low. Lowesrt common denominator food you ask for and thats what you get
TJ - I still don't see your point - one moment you're saying that the Supermarkets only sell bland, unripe shite - then the next you complain that they are killing the small retailers who only sell tasty ripe food,
well, its a free market mate, what the customer wants, the customer can choose to go and buy, and if they cannot get ripe tasty food at the supermarket, then the little guys who sell the good stuff should be booming.
Now, I laid down a very pertinent reason why town centres are struggling - opening hours! I gave you France as an example of how different opening hours can make a town centre thrive, yet you choose to ignore it, and go on about supermarkets killing small retailers.
The only reason supermarkets are killing town centres are because the supermarkets are open when people want to shop - go into any ASDA at 19:00h on a weekday and you'll see my point - if small shops are unwilling to change their opening hours to suit the customer demand, then they, and town centres, will die!
I'll give you another example - theres a farm shop about 3 miles from my house, on my way home - its open every day from 10 till 5, and closed at weekends. I work till 5
When exactly do they expect me to visit and buy stuff from them? Talk about limiting your own customer base!
Less opinion, more evidence!
Well it seems druidh, that the Tory Party, which I believe you are a small fan of, has seen the evidence and is of the same opinion as TJ.
And for that reason they want to create a new quango called the 'supermarket ombudsman'
[url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jan/04/supermarkets-ombudusman-competition-suppliers ]Conservatives to create supermarket ombudsman to protect farmers[/url]
Quote :
[i]"The Tories will pledge tomorrow to set up a new supermarket ombudsman charged with powers to prevent leading retailers from using their size and influence to squeeze the profit margins of farmers and other suppliers."[/i]
And : [url= http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1299816/Now-watchdog-help-curb-antics-bully-supermarkets.html ]Now a watchdog to help curb antics of bully supermarkets[/url]
Quote :
[i]"Chief Executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, [b]which speaks for small outlets[/b], James Lowman, said: 'We welcome the supermarket adjudicator as a pro-competitive step that will prevent the worst abuses of buyer power in a market place that is so consolidated that it presents a real risk to consumer interests."[/i]
Bearing in mind that the Tories probably don't relish the thought of being labelled "quango happy", one has to assume that the creation of this new quango is seen as absolutely vital by them.
Whaddya reckon druidh ?
ernie_lynch - Member
Less opinion, more evidence!
Well it seems druidh, that the Tory Party, which I believe you are a small fan of,
That's the best laugh I've had all week. Thanks - I really needed it.
Well when your laughter has subsided, what are your views on the creation of a supermarket ombudsman ?
Or would you simply prefer to totally ignore the whole question ?
BTW, did I get that wrong........not so much a "small fan", more a case of being rather a "big fan" eh ?
No, I've just checked druidh, I was right first time........you are just a "small fan" of the Tories :
druidh - MemberAs I've said before, I might vote Tory this year.
Posted 6 months
So what were you laughing at ?
Ernie - Having met Druidh in real life I think he plays his cards very close. I don't know his politics.
I don't know his politics.
Well by his own admission, he has said several times on here that he might vote Tory.
Tell me TJ, what sort of drongo would vote for a party that they are not even a small fan of ?
Clearly Druidh is some sort of fan of the Tories. I would be interested in knowing why me pointing that out caused so much mirth and hilarity.
My guess Ernie?
He said that partly to cause reaction and partly he was thinking about it as a tactical vote.
his constituency has a labour minister he thought little of - the tories were the only party able to beat them. Then there is the idea that a tory government might make scottish independence more likely. So vote tory in a westminster election
I think he is probably a tartan tory - from the right of the SNP but I wouldn't put too high a probability on that
well, its a free market mate, what the customer wants, the customer can choose to go and buy, and if they cannot get ripe tasty food at the supermarket, then the little guys who sell the good stuff should be booming.
Perhaps it is just the fact that they can buy everything from supermarkets that make people shop there? you have to accept that once a retailer has the buying power and the customer base of all the large supermarkets they both reflect and affect customer choices. I am sure if a large supermarket decided to give your produce prominent position and marketting resources that the product would sell better than an unsupported one. They have market power - see why politicians [all parties] rarely have ago at newspaper owners - they both reflect and affect opinion
It is equally true to say if no one bought the fruit /veg they would provide other stuff.
Reality is somewhere between these two positions.
Double edit - I think it is probably about expectations and taste. I can tell teh difference.
Hah.. classic TJ - you come up with evidence to back up your claims and he just tells you you're wrong without knowing anything 🙂
Trust me, when it comes to Uk hard cheese specifically, I have a pretty educated palette. As for the fruit and veg, I don't really know how much better or worse it is than any other stuff, but it's definitely from local farms. It's not as good as the stuff from my garden but no shop bought food ever will be.
It could well be that it's in Wales, and there's mileage to be made in selling Welsh stuff to Welsh people.
But definitely +1000 for Z11's comment about opening hours. Mrs Grips was amazed to see shops closing at 5.30 in town. Her first question was 'how tf are you meant to shop there?' and it's a damn good question, is it not?
I noticed that too when I came over here re shop hours - would love to shop in local butchers etc, but I have a job.
I guess that is a hangover from the era when women stayed at home, and were thus available to make trips to 17 different shops everyday. Once they had finished handwashing all the laundry and scrubbing all the floors.
Molgrips - you think supermarket refrigerated and plastic wrapped cheese tastes the same as unrefrigerated non plastic wrapped?
You think the super market fruit and veg tastes the same as non?
My palate tells me very different.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
proper cheeseshop storing cheese properly
[img] 
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Molgrips - you think supermarket refrigerated and plastic wrapped cheese tastes the same as unrefrigerated non plastic wrapped?
No.
I think that a brilliant cheese doesn't suddenly become crap as soon as it enters the door of an Asda. Have you ever had Cadog cheese btw?
Re the fruit and veg, all I can say is that it seems to taste the same if it comes from a supermarket or a local grocer. I've not been to any gourmet greengrocers. But then I am not a veg connoisseur.
ernie_lynch - MemberWell it seems druidh, that the Tory Party, which I believe you are a small fan of, has seen the evidence and is of the same opinion as TJ.
And for that reason they want to create a new quango called the 'supermarket ombudsman'
Conservatives to create supermarket ombudsman to protect farmers
Quote :
"The Tories will pledge tomorrow to set up a new supermarket ombudsman charged with powers to prevent leading retailers from using their size and influence to squeeze the profit margins of farmers and other suppliers."
And : Now a watchdog to help curb antics of bully supermarkets
Quote :
"Chief Executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, which speaks for small outlets, James Lowman, said: 'We welcome the supermarket adjudicator as a pro-competitive step that will prevent the worst abuses of buyer power in a market place that is so consolidated that it presents a real risk to consumer interests."
Bearing in mind that the Tories probably don't relish the thought of being labelled "quango happy", one has to assume that the creation of this new quango is seen as absolutely vital by them.
Whaddya reckon druidh ?
I reckon that any party which was being lobbied by retailers and supported financially by farmers and landowners should make sure it is at least seen to be standing up for them. I trust this Supermarket Ombudsman will be as successful as the Banking one.
TandemJeremy - MemberYou think the super market fruit and veg tastes the same as non?
My palate tells me very different.
Less feelings, more facts. You have not come up with one iota of anything to back your claims - poor form even for you.
BTW - that cheese shop will have a great big fridge out the back. They keep it that way to sell the dream to aspiring middle class like yourself.
