Things you always wanted to know the answer to [Vol. 3]
Discussion
austinsmirk said:
so bits of London are flooded. Pictures of people with their cars stuck in floodwater they've driven into.
would an insurance company pay out, when you have deliberately wrecked yr car, thinking you are invincible in a 4 x 4 ???
I wonder if they're able to model the effect paved front gardens have on this. Sure I read somewhere its having a significant effect in urban areas on soakaway rates. Damned car obsessives would an insurance company pay out, when you have deliberately wrecked yr car, thinking you are invincible in a 4 x 4 ???
walm said:
If anything there is MORE choice these days, not less.
Don't know about others but that's absolutely NOT the case with Sains. Three times in the last year they have stopped stocking certain brands then - what a surprise - their own brand appears on the shelves. Yoghurt, pasta and pasta sauce (brands) are all victims. Furthermore Sainsbury's own stuff tastes nowhere near as good.walm said:
When an own label product steps over the line, the brands sue them - as they should.
And the big supermarkets are very good at playing right up to that line and the grey area it borders.walm said:
In any case, if you want them to continue to survive, supermarkets have to do these kinds of things.
Not bothered if they survive or not frankly. Happy to shop in town (mind you most of it's derelict now).walm said:
ASDA is the one mostly focused on brands (ASDA own label is a disaster) and they are struggling the most.
Heartwarming news indeed.popeyewhite said:
SpeckledJim said:
I won't waste any energy worrying for the big brands and supermarkets - they have been up to enough sharp practice themselves.
Oh yes they're all at it... but it would be sad day for choice if all you could buy in Tesco/Sains was Tesco/Sains own products. In general they identify a product which is not their own yet sells well. They copy it in ingredients/taste and packaging and then undercut the better-selling product. Nowt wrong with that I suppose..unless you like a choice available to you. Oh and it stinks.So then two consumer groups can get what they want, instead of only one. What's not to like?
If manufacturers don't like to be copied, then they need to innovate in ways that they can protect. That's their job, and good luck to them.
(Oh, and the Aldi Shreddies equivalent are superb. Better than Shreddies
)popeyewhite said:
walm said:
If anything there is MORE choice these days, not less.
Don't know about others but that's absolutely NOT the case with Sains. Three times in the last year they have stopped stocking certain brands then - what a surprise - their own brand appears on the shelves. Yoghurt, pasta and pasta sauce (brands) are all victims. Furthermore Sainsbury's own stuff tastes nowhere near as good.Again - particularly from an online perspective.
If you can't find the brand you want in a shop you can drive to then it will push people to look elsewhere and online is almost certain to stock it.
SpeckledJim said:
Not for consumers, it doesn't. For consumers it gives the choice of a well-known, expensively-advertised product at a high price, or basically exactly the same thing at a low price.
As I've explained, Sainsbury's practice has been to stop stocking a product that sells, copy it and replace it on the shelf a little later. How does that give consumers more choice?popeyewhite said:
SpeckledJim said:
Not for consumers, it doesn't. For consumers it gives the choice of a well-known, expensively-advertised product at a high price, or basically exactly the same thing at a low price.
As I've explained, Sainsbury's practice has been to stop stocking a product that sells, copy it and replace it on the shelf a little later. How does that give consumers more choice?If the high-priced originals were any better than the cheap alternatives, then that would give them an element of protection.
But usually, they aren't.
The ONLY reason to buy Dolmio is because it is familiar, because it is expensively advertised. Superior alternatives are half the price. Pays your money, takes your choice.
Sainsbury's can do what they want. And it's good that they do, because there's a choice of supermarkets...
SpeckledJim said:
popeyewhite said:
SpeckledJim said:
Not for consumers, it doesn't. For consumers it gives the choice of a well-known, expensively-advertised product at a high price, or basically exactly the same thing at a low price.
As I've explained, Sainsbury's practice has been to stop stocking a product that sells, copy it and replace it on the shelf a little later. How does that give consumers more choice?popeyewhite said:
SpeckledJim said:
popeyewhite said:
SpeckledJim said:
Not for consumers, it doesn't. For consumers it gives the choice of a well-known, expensively-advertised product at a high price, or basically exactly the same thing at a low price.
As I've explained, Sainsbury's practice has been to stop stocking a product that sells, copy it and replace it on the shelf a little later. How does that give consumers more choice?6 supermarkets selling Dolmio is less choice than 6 supermarkets all selling a different 'Moldio' own-brand.
But the point was about whether own-brand in addition to 'premium' is a good thing. And I think it is, because of the additional choice suiting more people, more often.
Speed 3 said:
I wonder if they're able to model the effect paved front gardens have on this. Sure I read somewhere its having a significant effect in urban areas on soakaway rates. Damned car obsessives
Yup, relatively easily and relatively accurately too, as environmental modelling goes. Issi said:
I've heard this third hand from someone in the industry, but he claims that the cheaper Own Brand/Smart Price lager is just Fosters/Carling that hasn't quite reached the required standard.
Sounds entirely plausible to me.
Not always, but very often true.Sounds entirely plausible to me.
I worked in a creamery for around 10 years.
The butter churn produced the same specification butter every day.
Pumped through the same pipework to packing machines.
My best mate operated the 250g brick machine packing for retail customers (supermarkets), only stopping to change the outer foil used and the packaging.
Therefore salted butter sold as Aldi, Country Life and M+S is the exact same product.
dumfriesdave said:
Not always, but very often true.
I worked in a creamery for around 10 years.
The butter churn produced the same specification butter every day.
Pumped through the same pipework to packing machines.
My best mate operated the 250g brick machine packing for retail customers (supermarkets), only stopping to change the outer foil used and the packaging.
Therefore salted butter sold as Aldi, Country Life and M+S is the exact same product.
I worked in a creamery for around 10 years.
The butter churn produced the same specification butter every day.
Pumped through the same pipework to packing machines.
My best mate operated the 250g brick machine packing for retail customers (supermarkets), only stopping to change the outer foil used and the packaging.
Therefore salted butter sold as Aldi, Country Life and M+S is the exact same product.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0v6fhrfGsI
Edited by Dr Jekyll on Thursday 23 June 19:16
SpeckledJim said:
popeyewhite said:
SpeckledJim said:
popeyewhite said:
SpeckledJim said:
Not for consumers, it doesn't. For consumers it gives the choice of a well-known, expensively-advertised product at a high price, or basically exactly the same thing at a low price.
As I've explained, Sainsbury's practice has been to stop stocking a product that sells, copy it and replace it on the shelf a little later. How does that give consumers more choice?6 supermarkets selling Dolmio is less choice than 6 supermarkets all selling a different 'Moldio' own-brand.
walm said:
I wouldn't trust those "you saved XXX" propaganda though!!
It's all marketing.
Aldi and Lidl are still 15%-ish cheaper as far as anyone can tell (it's incredibly difficult to check like-with-like).
But if you are in a Tescos they are doing their best to compete.
It's interesting.
I met with some Lidl guys and their strategy is highly elegant.
They throw down stores as fast as they can... then, when the time is right, and they have enough volume... they go to the suppliers and demand a whopper discount.
Because they only buy ONE type of ketchup, (one size, one flavour) they can guarantee to be the biggest buyer.
Tesco may have far more shoppers but they have to stock 10 different types so aren't actually buying as much as Lidl.
And Lidl shoppers don't mind the limited selection because the price is so good.
I feel very sorry for the regular supermarkets... it is an impossible task to compete with the discounters.
Frankly fIt's all marketing.
Aldi and Lidl are still 15%-ish cheaper as far as anyone can tell (it's incredibly difficult to check like-with-like).
But if you are in a Tescos they are doing their best to compete.
It's interesting.
I met with some Lidl guys and their strategy is highly elegant.
They throw down stores as fast as they can... then, when the time is right, and they have enough volume... they go to the suppliers and demand a whopper discount.
Because they only buy ONE type of ketchup, (one size, one flavour) they can guarantee to be the biggest buyer.
Tesco may have far more shoppers but they have to stock 10 different types so aren't actually buying as much as Lidl.
And Lidl shoppers don't mind the limited selection because the price is so good.
I feel very sorry for the regular supermarkets... it is an impossible task to compete with the discounters.
k the supermarkets, they've robbed the consumer of choice, they systematically took apart our highstreets and access to local produce, bespoke goods and anything that doesn't sell x amount per shelf inch per day.Greengrocers, fishmongers, butchers, off licences, newsagents are clinging on by their fingernails.
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