Cut price shopping.

[algy]

Anyone shopping in the pound and bargain price shops in town especially Riverside that think they are always getting tremendous value on items they purchase from these shop, not always!, some of the branded items such as famous brands of chocolate and biscuits, because these bargain shops are massive concerns in the UK they raise contracts with the manufacturers to produce lets say a bar of chocolate specifically for them, the wrapper will look the same as one being sold from a confectionery shop, and is exactly the same except it will contain less weight, you think you are getting it cheaper in fact it probably costs the same or even more as the one from a normal shop, this applies to many items (not all). Tooth paste and some cosmetics from the bargain shops usually have the contents or instructions in Arabic, again made for export and do not necessarily comply with UK ingredients regulations or specifications, lots of other examples, so beware, shop diligently and wisely.

[inky pete]

Anything sold by a retailler in the UK - whether originally manufactured for export or not - must comply with all relevant UK regulations.

 

It may well be that the product is mixed to an "overseas" formulation, it may taste slightly different, but it must still be safe and not contain any ingredients which are not permitted here.

[Cleopatra]

Or maybe those things with arabic writing were actually produced in an arabic country much cheaper than they can be in the UK and imported, eh? You know we do have manufacturers here in Egypt, such as Cadburys (to name just one), producing at less cost than in the UK.

[algy]

Or maybe those things with arabic writing were actually produced in an arabic country much cheaper than they can be in the UK and imported, eh? You know we do have manufacturers here in Egypt, such as Cadburys (to name just one), producing at less cost than in the UK.

Could be Cleo!, I was not 'slagging' any particular country off, just pointing out that here in the UK you don't always get what you think you are buying. As Inky says there are possibly differing flavours or whatever that are not perhaps to our taste, just as what we produce may not be to their taste, really the point I was making is just because the wrappers are what we are familiar with does not necessarily mean it is a bargain, and bargain shops don't always sell bargains. :grin:

[Bazj]

apparently a lot of the products sold in the likes of Aldi are very well know brands on the continent

[Lt Kije]

I do some shopping at Aldi, I find it good value.

[algy]

I do some shopping at Aldi, I find it good value.

I don't class Aldi and LIDL as cut price bargain shops, to me they run along the same lines as the likes of ASDA, Tesco and Sainsbury's only with less overheads, reduced staffing etc and as you quite rightly say excellent value with known brands and other continental brands that are as good if not better than comparable UK brands.

What the Bloody Hell! am I getting myself into here, discussing shopping like a sodding Mary Elen, about shopping " I know nothing". Dizzy delete my initial topic. :grin:

[wolfie]

Alg, you need to get a hobby matey.

[algy]

Alg, you need to get a hobby matey.

:lol:

[Cleopatra]

I used to shop at Aldi. I don't know about now but in those days they didnt have automitic tills that scanned the prices. The checkout girls used to tap in the individual prices aand I got to thinking how can they possibly remember the price of every single item in the store? So, I took a calculator with me and I input the price of each article I put into my trolley. Word of advice here, always check the till roll before leaving the supermarket. I did and several times found I had been overcharged by about 50pence to a pound. Before any of you say that isn't much, it all adds upto a tidy sum for the shopper over a year. Aldi gets several hundreds of shoppers a day? If every one is being overcharged by 50 pence that is some excess profit the store is making.

[algy]

I used to shop at Aldi. I don't know about now but in those days they didnt have automitic tills that scanned the prices. The checkout girls used to tap in the individual prices aand I got to thinking how can they possibly remember the price of every single item in the store? So, I took a calculator with me and I input the price of each article I put into my trolley. Word of advice here, always check the till roll before leaving the supermarket. I did and several times found I had been overcharged by about 50pence to a pound. Before any of you say that isn't much, it all adds upto a tidy sum for the shopper over a year. Aldi gets several hundreds of shoppers a day? If every one is being overcharged by 50 pence that is some excess profit the store is making.

I'm not sure Cleo but I think they do scan items now.

[Lt Kije]

They do, but they do not pack them, that's left to you

[algy]

They do, but they do not pack them, that's left to you

Wow! Lt, I'm surprised your getting involved with the aged , Beg your pardon Cleo, no offence intended :grin:

[Lt Kije]

You might be to old ally I am not, your as young as you feel, I thought Cleo was 21.

[Cleopatra]

Cleo stills feel 24 inside and do any of the supermarkets pack your shopping for you? Only if you shop online I think.

[asperity]

At ASDA they do ask if you want help with the packing :wink:

[Eagle]

It is a standard question at Sainsbury's, "Would you like help with your packing?"

[algy]

Cleo stills feel 24 inside and do any of the supermarkets pack your shopping for you? Only if you shop online I think.

Same here Cleo,algy feels young on the inside but unfortunately it's the outside that lets him down!

[Evil Sid]

The problem with packing at the till is that it holds up other customers, by getting you to put the items back in the basket/trolley and pack it away from the till they can get more customers through in a shorter time. This leads to repeat visits from the customers as they tend not to like standing in cues especially when they only have about three items.

 

Aldi do scan all their stuff now.

 

So now a sort of shopping related bit. Recently had to shop for a new washer dryer (not got the room for separate washer and dryer) What I cannot understand is why they will take say an 8kg load for washing but only a 6kg load for drying,meaning that you have to unload some of the items so that you can dry the others and then put the other items back in to dry them taking twice as long for the maximum load and this on an "eco" efficient washer dryer. surely if it can be designed to wash an 8kg load it should be designed to dry that same load without having to unload the machine.

[inky pete]

In order to get the washing to "tumble" in the drum when drying - necessary for efficient drying - there needs to be a lot more space in there than when you are washing.

 

So whatever size of drum you have you'll always be able to wash more than you can dry.

 

If you're going to be tumble drying a load, just put no more than the 6kg in for the wash cycle.

[Dizzy]

Dizzy delete my initial topic. :grin:

 

Far too late for that now Algy as the number if subsequent posts has totally exceeded the allowed limit.... actually I have only just come on but it sounded a better excuse

 

The TV programme Watchdog tonight was reporting on 99p shops (I guess they are pretty much identical to 'pound' shops and the likes). Seems like you say Algy a bargain is not always a bargain after all.

 

Think one of the prices they compared it was Flash cleaner or similar. 250ml in the 99p shop was 99p but 500ml (ie double the amount) was being sold in Adsa/Tesco? for 1p more in the same week.

 

They did lots of other comparrisons (same week) but I can't remember those.

 

I'd just like to add that my seemingly lovely cushions from one of the 'bargain' shop at bridge foot have only lasted a couple of months and have pretty much fallen apart now so are going to landfill tomorrow via the tip

 

Not to worry though