Grocery shopping

[smithy]

Surely something has to happen and another major retailer needs to join the supermarket chain ?
10-15 years ago, I would NEVER visit COles or Woolworths, they were always too expensive.
BI-LO or Franklins for me.
Now I have no choice.
These 2 run 80% of the market Australia wide and I've no doubt they are on the phone to each other regularly.
I'm finding even being tight on what we buy,and comparing prices with them plus IGA, the shopping bill is still way more than what it should be.
IS anyone else peed off with the price of their shopping these days ?

[mighty_tiger_79]

smithy given you live in a similar area to myself

shopped at woolies because it is cheaper for us then coles

shop at colonnades, used to do it every week, then we changed a few times to a woolies store in woodcroft and were amazed at how cheap our grocery shopping had come too given we really loaded up on the more expensive items - laundry and bathroom gear

we are going to try and get into the central markets for our fruit n veg as the price is ridiculously cheap and the quality is so much better.

i dont find the IGA that much cheaper then coles/woolies it all depends on what product it is.

[Punk Rooster]

As Coles is the closest supermarket for me, I shop there, but I refuse to buy Coles products where possible.

[Psyber]

I have not looked into it closely and usually use the Woolworths at Stirling as it carries the products I tend to want - petrol spent travelling to other outlets offsets price savings anyway.
The large Coles at Bridgewater seems to be cheaper in general, but often doesn't have some things I want to buy - and usually has shorter "use by" dates on its stock.

Coles at Bridgewater is also cheaper than the Coles at Stirling, which is a small outlet.
This supports what somebody in the industry told me - pricing at supermarkets varies with postcode on the "what the market will bear" principle. But so does what they stock.
Interestingly, I find that even outer suburban supermarkets in Melbourne carried items that are hard to get here - there is a smaller range of Lindt chocolate, and a smaller range of flavours in Golden North ice cream for example in Woolworths at Stirling than in Safeway at Ferntree Gully in Melbourne's outer east, despite Stirling in theory having a higher financially well off demographic. [They are the same chain.]

[gadj1976]

Are Aldi still in operation in Adelaide?

We have a Drake Foodland near us which is "ok" but doesn't offer the same selection of products as the bigger chains.

[dedja]

Pissed off with price and quality.

We have 2 Woolworths and a Coles nearby and I'm nearly fed up with Woolies ... Coles is only marginally better.

Not only are prices directly proportional to market share but quality of fresh goods including meat and fruit & veg are appalling ... customer service is next to zero.

There's an easy solution to meat and fruit & veg ... we have a great butcher and fruit & veg store nearby but are beholden for the rest.

I have also had to get into the habit of checking the best before date on everything I buy because the bastards keep bad stock on the shelves.

It's only going to get worse unfortunately.

[Footy Chick]

Are Aldi still in operation in Adelaide?

We have a Drake Foodland near us which is "ok" but doesn't offer the same selection of products as the bigger chains.

We've never had Aldi in Adelaide as far as I know...

I've visited Aldi in Horsham and while everything is cheap, I dont think it's the same quality, it's like home brand with a name.

[Pseudo]

I have also had to get into the habit of checking the best before date on everything I buy because the bastards keep bad stock on the shelves.

One of my little superstitions: I never take the product at the front of the shelf. Always fish for the one behind it. Is likely to have a longer expiry date.

That, and always break the stalks off your broccoli

[The Yetti]

Are Aldi still in operation in Adelaide?

We have a Drake Foodland near us which is "ok" but doesn't offer the same selection of products as the bigger chains.

Aldi are currently in the process of coming to SA. Still a fair way to go.
I am surprised that your Drakes store ( there are none near princes park though) have a limited range. In general the large Foodland stores carry a significantly better range than Coles and Woolworths.
In England Tesco and Sainsbury carry a very good range of generic (Home Brand) products. Up to 40% of their sales. Aldi carry a very small range and nearly all generic. Foodland of which Drakes are a fair chunk offer more Branded lines. Maybe a touch dearer on the shelf but their specials are usually good value

We should all do our best to shop in the locally owned foodland stores

[Psyber]

Are Aldi still in operation in Adelaide?
We have a Drake Foodland near us which is "ok" but doesn't offer the same selection of products as the bigger chains.

We've never had Aldi in Adelaide as far as I know...
I've visited Aldi in Horsham and while everything is cheap, I dont think it's the same quality, it's like home brand with a name.

That's a fair description.
I dropped in to the one at Ferntree Gully in Melbourne a few times to check prices and whether there stock had improved.
Only once did they have something I was prepared to buy, and that was a hardware type item.
The other times I then went to the Safeway practically opposite - pricing was comparable for similar "quality".

[Lightning McQueen]

I have also had to get into the habit of checking the best before date on everything I buy because the bastards keep bad stock on the shelves.

One of my little superstitions: I never take the product at the front of the shelf. Always fish for the one behind it. Is likely to have a longer expiry date.

That, and always break the stalks off your broccoli

Especially deodorant cans, I'm always inclined to have a bit of a sample on my way through for future reference.
We've had a the broccoli gag before I'm pretty sure you replied with "Guilty your honour" when i posted it in the things I rate, went shopping yesterday at Foodland Munno Para and they had no stalks.
Just on that, as I went to get a trolley a bloke in suit walked past me, I said to my wife loud enough for him to hear "F@#$ he stinks", she turned around and spat it at me for being so rude. 10 minutes later he walked past her, she dry reached and a few other people came over to her and commented on the aroma of this man. When we went to pay at the checkout I seen him in the very long express lane, it was so funny watching peoples reaction as they went past him or lined up behind him, they kept moving to longer lines.

[Sploosh]

I've found the Foodland stores at Pasadena and Mitcham to be excellent, with a much bigger range of stuff (or at least it seems that way) than Coles and Woollies.

[gadj1976]

Are Aldi still in operation in Adelaide?

We have a Drake Foodland near us which is "ok" but doesn't offer the same selection of products as the bigger chains.

Aldi are currently in the process of coming to SA. Still a fair way to go.
I am surprised that your Drakes store ( there are none near princes park though) have a limited range. In general the large Foodland stores carry a significantly better range than Coles and Woolworths.
In England Tesco and Sainsbury carry a very good range of generic (Home Brand) products. Up to 40% of their sales. Aldi carry a very small range and nearly all generic. Foodland of which Drakes are a fair chunk offer more Branded lines. Maybe a touch dearer on the shelf but their specials are usually good value

We should all do our best to shop in the locally owned foodland stores

Don't let my profile deceive you, I'm in Adelaide, I just wish I was at Princes Park!

Sorry, I thought Aldi was already here. They're in Canberra and the offer pretty much everything you need, including small electrical.

[Dog_ger]

You know what pisses me off the most in the last 10 years.

It has gone from the $50 shopping trolley, to the $50 carry bag.

It is Bull Pooh

[CK]

Worth remembering also that ABN holders can use the Campbells Cash And Carry at Plympton. Not obliged to buy pallet loads of things either, can buy normal household quantities. On some items, there can be excellent savings (one to possibly leave little kids at home, or bigger kids like me who stroll the lolly/chocolate/biscuit aisles and ponder the economy of buying a box load of some favorite lollies)

[Hondo]

I read an article recently about a guy who has successfully started a business which home delivers fresh produce from the farmers. It's not available in SA yet.

http://www.aussiefarmers.com.au/NSW/why_afd.php?s=1

On Aldi - from what I have heard they don't sell fruit, veg and meat. Just non perishable items and a lot of their home brand as others have said. So they are able to keep their overheads lower than other supermarkets. It means you still have to make 2 trips to do the shopping but get your staples cheaper. Then, instead of getting the fresh produce from Coles you could visit your local green grocer, baker and butcher.

[Dirko]

I shop at Foodland, Fulham Gardens, and they're very good. Woolworths at Harbour Town =

[JAS]

I read an article recently about a guy who has successfully started a business which home delivers fresh produce from the farmers. It's not available in SA yet.

http://www.aussiefarmers.com.au/NSW/why_afd.php?s=1

On Aldi - from what I have heard they don't sell fruit, veg and meat. Just non perishable items and a lot of their home brand as others have said. So they are able to keep their overheads lower than other supermarkets. It means you still have to make 2 trips to do the shopping but get your staples cheaper. Then, instead of getting the fresh produce from Coles you could visit your local green grocer, baker and butcher.

Is your Aldi different to ours? Ours sell all the usual fresh stuff as well as processed and general household goods. Mines a very small branch but great for some things (wouldn't buy everything from them though)...their brie with green peppercorns is to die for and the bratties and german/italian hams and salami's are fab too.

One tip is also to get to know your local small shops...butchers, fruit and veg, fishmongers etc. Once you become a regular and a good customer you may well find the portions you buy are quite generously rounded up.

Regards
JAS

[magpie in the 80's]

On Aldi - from what I have heard they don't sell fruit, veg and meat. Just non perishable items and a lot of their home brand as others have said. So they are able to keep their overheads lower than other supermarkets. It means you still have to make 2 trips to do the shopping but get your staples cheaper. Then, instead of getting the fresh produce from Coles you could visit your local green grocer, baker and butcher.

Someones having a lend of you Hondo. Aldi do sell Friut Veg Meat. Source: I have worked for them along with 20 years in management in the grocery industry in S.A. All their meat 100% and 95% of fruit and veg are Aust. bought and are far cheaper (retail wise) than anything woolies or coles can produce. Their costs are kept down due to having a smaller range. Instead of 100 varieties of jam as an example they have 5 and so on.

If customers knew which companies ACTUALLY made the homebrand products you would give away the brand names and you would buy the homebrand.

I can recall a customer saying she would never buy homebrand bread from our supermarkets and she only buys Tiptop swiss maid. Well Tiptop made our homebrand bread which was the swiss maid recipe. All they did was swap the wrappers over and sliced it a little thinner.


http://www.aldi.com.au/

[smithy]

I was recently told the same about bread from someone who worked at tiptop.
The $1.49 loaf of bread that Coles sell as their own is no different to the $2.80 loaf that tiptop offer, only the wrapping.