Waitrose Effect - Grrrr!

[Paul Boote]

Messrs Waite and Rose, formerly of Acton Hill [ http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02324/First-Waitrose-190_2324410k.jpg ], now of the John Lewis Partnership's Test Valley Leckford Estate [fished it, sent a girlfriend out to go and work for the group so that I could - silly stockie trout, whacking great wild grayling] and many a well-appointed food emporium near or probably not near you, are experiencing a little difficulty.

The Waitrose effect is well-known to estate agents whose raison d'etre, of course, is to see formerly ordinary and quite run-down areas / districts going up in the world, and, with them, the arrival of a Waitrose to cater to the new awfully naice residents, so compounding but not concreting over the new gentrification.

Now, the problem is coffee. Give a valued Waitrose customer a freebie and you see them revolting about "It's all going to the whippets on a string crowd ... to Iceland with Kerry Katona ... to the morbidly obese ... becoming a soup kitchen...."

Oh, the revolting middle-class English.

Waitrose faces middle-class revolt over free coffee loyalty card - Business News - Business - The Independent

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I do all of my food shopping at Waitrose, and have done so since returning to the UK about 8 years ago.

In that time I have noticed the quality of the foodstuffs has gone down, and gone are the days when an assistant would constantly prowl the vegetable aisle removing old-looking item (veggies, not people)

The store in Salisbury has quite a large cafeteria and recently it has been pretty well occupied, I had wondered why until now.

I don't have any "loyalty" cards other than for Virgin Atlantic and KLM/Air France as the lounges are very useful when you fly every week.
The freebie drinks and coffee are always very welcome and are often used and sometimes abused, but only if I am not driving . . . . .

 

[jacksharp]

We now have a new Waitrose in Northwich, Cheshire, where my son lives. It is nice to have a decent alternative to Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, et al.

As for coffee loyalty cards, got no room in my wallet for one alongside the ones forTesco, John Lewis, Garden Centre, Costa and every other bleedin' organisation that wants to treat me as a "special customer"

 

[Titus]

Judging by the plethora of Blue Harbour slacks and sports jackets clad 50 something men with their faux fur hatted, Puffa jacket clad wives prowling the isles at my local supermarket during the pre Christmas shop I would suggest many of Waitrose's traditional patrons have migrated down the road to the recently 'discovered' Lidl.

 

[tiinker]

It always makes me laugh when people say they shop at Waitrose they must have money to burn. My daughter used to shop at their store in Sudbury and I have been in the one in Upminster. The quality is nothing to write home about and some of the prices are ridiculous. I will pay for quality but not for mutton dressed as lamb.

 

[Paul Boote]

Yes. Snooty food retailers are up against it now and will be even more so in the future. The hottest place to shop, if you are a young educated woman (or similar young man on the prowl), is definitely cut-the-carp, stripped-back, Euro-bleak but -cool Lidl, now. At least this has been my experience in a branch close to a university close to me. Semi-ancient as I am, it's always nice to see a group of sparkling girls with so much ahead of them rushing hither and thither buying stuff for the week's Shared House meals or a weekend party. Watch out Waite & Rose, M&S, Every Little Helps, Ching-Ching, Horses are Only for Courses etc....

 

[chub_on_the_block]

What a marvellous story. Always felt Waitrose was a bit over-rated though, everyone knows theres only high class stores in places like Kensington and Chelsea and if you cant afford to live near those you are second division already.

One should never do ones food shopping for oneself anyway. We have PAs and nannies that cater for our needs. We have tried home deliveries from Fortnam and Masons but their Bentley cant make it over the drawer bridge to our country house. I keep telling them to bring a Land Rover but they wont listen.

 

[tiinker]

The only reason to shop at the super grocers is if they are carrying something you happen to like that you cannot get elsewhere. A friend of mine who is a butcher said that Morrisons do some very good beef and lamb.

 

[jacksharp]

The only reason to shop at the super grocers is if they are carrying something you happen to like that you cannot get elsewhere. A friend of mine who is a butcher said that Morrisons do some very good beef and lamb.

Morrisons fresh fish counter is far superior to its Tesco or Sainsbury's equivalent in my neck of the woods.

 

[tiinker]

Morrisons fresh fish counter is far superior to its Tesco or Sainsbury's equivalent in my neck of the woods.

Yes they do some very good sprat and herring but their mackerel are not up to much in my area.

 

[Merv Harrison]

Whilst people are struggling financially, the likes of Waitrose, (buy one for the price of two), will suffer, I use our local Lidl, but only for named brands, if items are anything from 50p to £1 cheaper then i'll be having it. Bold wash powder, (Lavender and Camomile), £7 in Tescos/Morrisons, £4 in Lidl, Branston beans special offer £1 for 4 cans.......watch this space mg:

 

[dorsetandchub]

Financial prudence? In Yorkshire?........

---------- Post added at 21:55 ---------- Previous post was at 21:52 ----------

Yorkshire forgiven Germany for Hitler now they've given you Aldi and Lidl???

 

[jacksharp]

In't North West we have Home Bargains and Quality Save (same company) and named brands from them, like Yorkshire Tea, Heinz Beans, Colgate, Finish Dishwasher tablets are a fraction of the price elsewhere. They don't do fresh stuff but a shop for your household, bathroom, kitchen wares and tinned foods is great.

Also all their seed, fat balls/cakes, mealworms, etc for those who feed the birds in their gardens are ridiculously cheap compared to RSPB and the garden centres.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Well, I am about to brave the rain and gale force winds down here to go to Waitrose as all of the Christmas fare has now been consumed.

It has been blowing a hooley all night and show no signs of abating either, but, I need fresh supplies . . . . . . .

So, I am going outside, I may be a while . . . . . . . . .

 

[Tee-Cee]

Yes, it definitely pays to check prices (we do this on the Net for Waitrose and Asda) before shopping and for certain items such as washing up liquid and similar household items we buy several of each if the price is good to keep costs to a minimum.
For what we use these two shops serve our needs generally speaking and although we could go further afield and (possibly) find cheaper, we don't, for the simple reason that when the overall travelling costs (petrol/parking + time etc) are included the savings are minimal - well, for us anyway!
At the end of the day supermarkets will always win, unless you're very diligent, as anything offered cheaper for one item will, in all probability, be made up on others and BOTH will probably end up in your basket.....Of course, one can go from shop to shop buying every item at the best price, but IMHO life is too short!!

I have said this before, but don't assume Waitrose are always the most expensive FOR CERTAIN ITEMS (in some branches!) because it's just not true. Many's the time when my wife draws my attention to the 'lower in Waitrose' than in Asda syndrome......

As far as meat, poultry,fish etc is concerned; Never been sure of the 'suppliers' to some of the supermarkets, so we always used Waitrose as (generally speaking) provenance can be checked with them, until, that is,we decided to use a very good local butcher with local suppliers AND, more importantly, where we can buy the more unusual cuts of meat that most are unaware of.......We are happy to pay a premium for the quality.

My advice? Do your homework before getting in the car and work out the best OVERALL prices without travelling miles to find them...works for us anyway!!

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Well, that was largely a waste of time. The main road to Salisbury is flooded out in several places, and when I finally got there the bloody shop wasn't open!

So I ended up in the Co-op in Amesbury so at least I now have fresh milk, butter and eggs etc.

I took my daughter's VW Polo as it sits in the driveway, mostly unused, waiting for her to pass her test, and the more I drive that little car the more impressed I am with it. amazing little 1.2 vehicle.

I have decided on spaghetti with meatballs as a real change from Festive Fare tonight . . . . .

---------- Post added at 11:32 ---------- Previous post was at 11:31 ----------

My advice? Do your homework before getting in the car

I wish I had so as to save a wasted drive in atrocious conditions . . . . .

 

[binka]

So, I am going outside, I may be a while . . . . . . . . .

Darn it you made it back... I was gonna bagsy first dibs in your tackle room should you not have made it

 

[sam vimes]

I haven't set foot in a Waitrose since I (sort of) lived in Oxfordshire over ten years ago. There's not one in about forty miles of my current location, though I doubt I'd use it if there were. I never saw the fuss with Waitrose when I did occasionally shop in one. A thin veneer of poshness with a fair old price hike to pay for it. They aren't alone in that kind of strategy, but it usually goes hand in hand with a supposed quality improvement, which I failed to find in Waitrose.

 

[dorsetandchub]

Well, that was largely a waste of time. The main road to Salisbury is flooded out in several places, and when I finally got there the bloody shop wasn't open!

So I ended up in the Co-op in Amesbury so at least I now have fresh milk, butter and eggs etc.

I took my daughter's VW Polo as it sits in the driveway, mostly unused, waiting for her to pass her test, and the more I drive that little car the more impressed I am with it. amazing little 1.2 vehicle.

I have decided on spaghetti with meatballs as a real change from Festive Fare tonight . . . . .

---------- Post added at 11:32 ---------- Previous post was at 11:31 ----------



I wish I had so as to save a wasted drive in atrocious conditions . . . . .

Butler got the day off, then???

 

[Merv Harrison]

Hows this for digressing, from Waitrose to Poundland.

True story, a business friend bought 10 plastic clips from Poundland, he genuinely asked how much, when the assistant said "£10", he asked did they do discount for bulk buying mg: