Are you a supermarket snob?

Soldato
Joined
17 Apr 2009
Posts
7,596
Our nearest Waitrose is in another town half an hour away. The people willing to make the trip regularly will, almost inevitably, boast that they shop there. It is really quite sad, as there's very little that they sell that can't be purchased locally.

I have nothing against the brand or the branch (even though it's a pretty crap branch), but the the airs and graces that go along with it are a bit pathetic. It's a shop. Stop acting like shopping there makes you a better human being. To be clear, I'm not suggesting that everyone who uses Waitrose is like this, just that they are the go-to destination for those who are pre-disposed to snobbery.

At the other end of the scale, there's the Lidl/Aldi shopper that can't resist boasting about how much cheaper their shop was than when they went to Tesco/Asda/Sainsbury's while missing the principal reason for this; when the gap is significant it's usually because the customer is falling in to the marketing trap of comparing the Lidl/Aldi own brand to big brand products. They completely skip out supermarket own brand and value products in the comparison.

Personally, I chose not to go out of my way to shop at Waitrose as there really isn't any point given how far away the nearest one is and how much more they charge for basic goods (prices weren't dissimilar to Sainsbury's pricing at the height of this decade's RPI problem). I will use Aldi as it is cheaper, particularly for cleaning products and goods deemed a "luxury" elsewhere. Most of my shopping is done at Sainsbury's because there's a decent balance between quality and price.
 
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Man of Honour
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Shropshire
Waitrose thick cut smoked bacon from the butchers counter is the food of the gods and therefore anyone that shops in Waitrose is obviously godlike.
 
Soldato
Joined
6 Sep 2016
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9,545
Our nearest Waitrose is in another town half an hour away. The people willing to make the trip regularly will, almost inevitably, boast that they shop there. It is really qwhile missing the principal reason for this; when the gap is significant it's usually because the customer is falling in to the marketing trap of comparing the Lidl/Aldi own brand to big brand products. They completely skip out supermarket own brand and value products.

Personally, I chose not to go out of my way to shop at Waitrose as there really isn't any point given how far away the nearest one is. I will use Aldi as it is cheaper, particularly for cleaning products and goods deemed a "luxury" elsewhere. Most of my shopping is done at Sainsbury's because there's a decent balance between quality and price.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8Kum8OUTuk

Also Aldi baked beans are nicer than Heinz
 

TNA

TNA

Caporegime
Joined
13 Mar 2008
Posts
27,692
Location
Greater London
Our nearest Waitrose is in another town half an hour away. The people willing to make the trip regularly will, almost inevitably, boast that they shop there. It is really quite sad, as there's very little that they sell that can't be purchased locally.

I have nothing against the brand or the store (even though it's a pretty crap store), but the the airs and graces that go along with it are a bit pathetic. It's a shop. Stop acting like shopping there makes you a better human being. To be clear, I'm not suggesting that everyone who uses Waitrose is like this, just that they are the go-to destination for those who are pre-disposed to snobbery.

At the other end of the scale, there's the Lidl/Aldi shopper that can't resist boasting about how much cheaper their shop was than when they went to Tesco/Asda/Sainsbury's while missing the principal reason for this; when the gap is significant it's usually because the customer is falling in to the marketing trap of comparing the Lidl/Aldi own brand to big brand products. They completely skip out supermarket own brand and value products in the comparison.

Personally, I chose not to go out of my way to shop at Waitrose as there really isn't any point given how far away the nearest one is. I will use Aldi as it is cheaper, particularly for cleaning products and goods deemed a "luxury" elsewhere. Most of my shopping is done at Sainsbury's because there's a decent balance between quality and price.

I just buy from closest. Would never consider travelling extra 30 minutes just to say I shop from "Waitrose". If that was the case I would just order online and save a 1 hour round trip each week anyway :)
 
Soldato
Joined
12 Sep 2012
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11,696
Location
Surrey
Heinz to me taste like a can of lumpy, sugary tomato paste. Well, they all do but Heinz seem to taste sweeter than most.

I stopped eating baked beans after i i got on this stuff for about a year. Now i cant believe i use to eat something so sweet and not realise it!
 
Associate
Joined
15 Oct 2016
Posts
1,412
I hate my local Asda with a passion, i used to use it all the time as it was across the road from work. It has the worst supermarket car park know to man, it is enough to make my blood boil just trying to park there! The shop is cramped, too many rude people, staff are always miserable and its just awful.
Apart from that we use them all, i tend to use Morrisons on the way home from work if we need a few things. The wife tends to do the food order online, we just use which ever supermarket is the cheapest, the wife is very good at finding online discount codes. If we actually go to a supermarket for a full shop we alway go to Aldi, because its the cheapest. Hopefully one day they will do home delivery.
 
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Soldato
Joined
11 Sep 2013
Posts
12,310
We do pop in Waitrose for the occasional treat as it's on the drive back from some of our country walks but, well one can't really go in there with muddy boots on, can one..? :)
Oh, they won't mind..... After all, you are wearing Hunter, yes?

No. If you're a supermarket snob, you're a idiot. There is nothing "special" about "posh" supermarkets like M&S, Waitrose.
It's more that this is how shopping should be in the first place and we are branded "snobs" because we refuse to be dragged down into the toilet by the disgusting standards to which the likes of Tesco and Asda subject their customers.
Might as well call me a snob because I dine on sandwiches made fresh at a local bakery, rather than going to McDonalds!!

Do you get a porter escorting you around Waitrose?
Yes.
It's called The Wife.
However, one does not 'get' a porter. One is expected to bring one's own reusable porter, or pay £50 for a disposable one at the tills. It's all about being green, these days, you know!

Actually, in all seriousness, if they have someone free (which they usually do) and you need assistance, then our local Waitrose will have a member of staff help carry your stuff out to the car!
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Sep 2009
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9,652
Location
Billericay, UK
I’ll shop at most places but I tend to do most of my shopping during my lunch hour at work at Tesco and top up at weekends. If I need to get anything in hurry I’ll use the nearby Sainsbury’s which has just opened which is welcome relief from having the use the Communist shop (CO-OP) which made me feel dirty every time I had handed money over to the Labour loving Trotskyites.

Before I moved to I had Lidl just over the road from where I lived which I’m a big fan of, a lot cheaper than the so called ‘big 4’ supermarkets and quality is just as good IMO.
 

VTR

VTR

Soldato
Joined
29 Oct 2002
Posts
4,268
Location
South Wales
I'm not a massive fan of home delivery for a few reasons.

1. Many of the sell by dates are way too soon.

Always been fine from Tesco for me.

2. Badly packed shopping often leads to damaged goods.

Never had any damaged goods.

3. Often too much stuff missing or poor substitutions.

Only had substitutions once, you can select not to substitute when you do the shop online or you can leave substitutions on but hand them back to the delivery driver for a refund if you're not happy with them.

4. Minimum spend too high if you only want 3-4 dinners for the week.

I do a combined weekly food/beer shop so it's usually £50-60, think minimum is £40 so I'm always over :)

5. I like to choose meat myself. The pickers don't care what it's like.

Usually just get chicken breasts and thighs, deli meat from the counter and steak. No issues so far!
 
Soldato
Joined
15 May 2010
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10,110
Location
Out of Coventry
Tesco delivery for me mostly.
The only other alternatives on my side of the town are a Waitrose, M&S and the express versions of Tesco and Sainsbury. Waitrose and M&S are nice, but apart from the occasional own-brand treat, I can't stomach the price difference.

I go anywhere, not got a regular one. I often look on my supermarket at the deals they have, especially on meat.

I'm not a massive fan of home delivery for a few reasons.

1. Many of the sell by dates are way too soon.

Yes I find that Tesco will pick dates much closer to expiry than I would in store, but I just freeze them and defrost later
2. Badly packed shopping often leads to damaged goods.

Never had that as an issue

3. Often too much stuff missing or poor substitutions.

Rarely an issue for me. Last substitution was kingGoblin instead of hobgoblin, which is technically an upgrade!

4. Minimum spend too high if you only want 3-4 dinners for the week.

As said, add beer. Because its online anyway, I now do less than one shop a week, and just order when necessary. I think my last delivery was a 8 days ago, and I won't need my next until Thursday/Friday this week.

5. I like to choose meat myself. The pickers don't care what it's like.

This is my only major gripe. I'll order quantities of veg based on an average size of a carrot etc, but what you get from them varies wildly from way too big to pointlessly small. In store this isn't an issue and you can plan and you go. I guess you could order by weight? But I don't have a clue how much these things weigh.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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7,847
Location
Scun'orp
Do Waitrose have a bent bargain aisles or near sell by date cabinets, selling pizzas due to run out that day? Even I'll admit I tend to disguise my inspection of the items on these shelves, and this is in Asda. Even in Asda there is an air of vague embarrassment on the faces of 90% of the people stopping to root round looking for something which hasn't already been thumbed over by 100 people previously.

I'm now imaging the lengths someone in Waitrose would do to disguise the same thing at their bargain bin shelves. "Oh, I suppose I will buy this packet of sausages, for my hounds and servants naturally". I'm sure Peter Kay will have done an entire routine on this already.
 
Soldato
Joined
16 Nov 2002
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11,199
Location
The Moon
Aldi mainly, followed closely by Asda for any bits extra we couldn't grab from Aldi.

There's not really any difference in the quality of fruit and veg IMO and Aldi is generally cheaper than the other big supermarkets for most things so we shop there the most.

Tend to buy my chicken breasts from a local Indian supermarket and pick up anything like spices and lentils etc here as they are cheaper than other big supermarkets

I'll nip into Tesco if I happen to be passing by one but thats rare.
 
Soldato
Joined
16 Nov 2002
Posts
11,199
Location
The Moon
Do Waitrose have a bent bargain aisles or near sell by date cabinets, selling pizzas due to run out that day? Even I'll admit I tend to disguise my inspection of the items on these shelves, and this is in Asda. Even in Asda there is an air of vague embarrassment on the faces of 90% of the people stopping to root round looking for something which hasn't already been thumbed over by 100 people previously.

I'm now imaging the lengths someone in Waitrose would do to disguise the same thing at their bargain bin shelves. "Oh, I suppose I will buy this packet of sausages, for my hounds and servants naturally". I'm sure Peter Kay will have done an entire routine on this already.

I love nothing more than having a good nosey at the whoopsie section in Asda/Tesco/Morrisons.

Morrisons tends to be the best with mega reductions on stuff if you go in 8:00pm onwards!
 
Commissario
Joined
16 Oct 2002
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341,838
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In the radio shack
Morrisons tends to be the best with mega reductions on stuff if you go in 8:00pm onwards!

Oh yeah!

morrisons-20170131-135221.jpg
 
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