2020 Retailers in trouble thread

[ninepoint2]

Drumroll said:

So you never try anything new then?

Aldi isn't just about saving money.

Your posts do come across as a bit "snobbish" on this subject though.

I would replace "snobbish" with clueless idiot

[sim72]

maz8062 said:

We buy organic; Milk, fruit & veg, white meat. The bread we buy from Waitrose. No pre-prepared meals where I live and definitely no junk food, sorry.

I was at my mother's the other day and she was raving about Aldi's Irish cream; apparently, it's as good or even better than Bailey's, but as I said to mum, one wouldn't know unless one tried it. That goes for their wine, beer and many of their own branded stuff. If I don't have to try it - to save a couple of quid, I won't.

I'll buy logs from them, grass seeds, etc. But I'll leave the rest to those in the know.

Mrs72 would back your mother up on Aldi's Irish Cream - she reckons it's better than Bailey's as well.

[jakesmith]

Guys thanks so much for all your contributions for this thread!

I have started a new one for 2021 to include general retail sector chat here:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[IroningMan]

renmure said:

Steve vRS said:

jsf said:

My village Co-Op is always relatively busy, it's just 1 minute walk away so I've used this far more than previously during the pandemic. It's more expensive than Tesco etc but really convenient and big enough to stock a lot of variety of goods. For a big monthly shop i'll drive 12 miles into "town", but most of the time it's the Co-Op. The staff are really nice at the Co-Op, mainly local young people.

Snap. One at the end of my road. It’s too handy sometimes so beer and their excellent pizzas are purchased more often than they really should be!

Snap again.

Pre-covid I think the only time I was in the village Co-Op was on a Sunday morning to buy the papers and soft rolls. Over the last 9 months I think we easily spend £50 a week in there just popping in for the odd thing that we'd probably have done without and waited for the weekly bigger shop at Morrisons.

A big driver for that for me has been the shift to contactless payments. I'd previously felt a bit embarrassed going into a shop and paying a pound or so by card if I didn't have cash on me where as now it's probably too easy. Another factor is that the local Co-Op staff are fairly active on the village Facebook group and seem to be far more of a hub for village activities and general co-ordination of things to help some of the older folk than I'd ever appreciated so there's definitely a local feel-good factor that you don't get with the larger chains.

Also snap - our Co-Op has been brilliant, is open all the hours God sends and seems to work as an anchor for all the independent retailers in the village - two grocers, a butcher, two bakers, two cafés, Boots, newsagent, petshop, electrical, wholefoods/packaging-free, three or four hairdressers, couple of charity shops, interior design/gallery, bookshop and clothes boutiques etc. etc. - all have survived the year and most seem to be booming because people have rediscovered a sense of community - partly because there's so much WFH and partly because there's trust that if you don't wear a mask or respect social distancing then you'll be recognized and someone will tell your mum...

I even went so far as to buy a shopping bike as I was driving the 2 mile round trip into the village so often it was embarrassing.

[hyphen]

Steve vRS said:

Snap. One at the end of my road. It’s too handy sometimes so beer and their excellent pizzas are purchased more often than they really should be!

Ive visited a posh co-op in London which did Pizzas. Excellent.

[Bullett]

BrabusMog said:

Wow.

Aldi replaced a Waitrose about 6 mins walk from my house, it’s a much nicer experience than the giant Tesco a further few mins away.

Sandhurst? I like that one, massive queues for M&S and Tesco and nothing at Aldi, much better experience than the one in Blackwater.

[BrabusMog]

Bullett said:

BrabusMog said:

Wow.

Aldi replaced a Waitrose about 6 mins walk from my house, it’s a much nicer experience than the giant Tesco a further few mins away.

Sandhurst? I like that one, massive queues for M&S and Tesco and nothing at Aldi, much better experience than the one in Blackwater.

Yep, that’s the one and agree about the one in Blackwater - I never liked to go there.

[jakesmith]

• ******** 2021 THREAD RUNNING HERE: ********

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...