Supermarkets in Shetland - prices, ethics and experiences

[Ghostrider]

.....we have a society that if you havent got tech savvy gear, Modern household goods, Kids in new clothes you r looked down on.

 

I've never understood why anyone would give a damn what other folk think of them when, that assessment is based on their display of material possessions.

 

Does homo sapiens really have no more intelligence than a peacock, magpie or bowerbird.

[Spinner72]

Like I said before - Explain to me wher I was supposed to magic the extra £30 to buy a simple thing like a kettle from a "local" shop, that I could buy for £5 from Tescos.

See, this is the funny thing. Never before in history has something like a kettle cost as little (in comparison to wages) as £5. In the past, people would have expected to pay much more for useful things. But now, we expect our wages to go up and prices to go down, every year. Then we can continue to buy lots and lots of things that we don't need, and to still complain about high prices. I think we need a bit of a reality check here. Our human rights are not being infringed if kettles cost more than two pints of beer. Someone always pays the cost for low prices.

 

That doesn't answer the question though. Where are people supposed to get the money from?

 

I find it unbelievable that there are a (hopefully) minority here who don't seem to grasp that some of us don't buy items like clothes, electrical goods etc from the street not because "we want tescos", but because we simply can't afford it.

 

It really is simple. You earn, then you spend within your earnings. Yes?

 

So why should a tiny group of people tell you that you must do without and save for weeks for something just because they don't want to sell things you can afford?

 

Often you see the argument that "the money all goes oot the sooth mooth" - well where do you think Grays, Hughsons etc who supply the local retailers get their bannanas?

 

Some hidden bananna plantation in Muckle Roe?

 

Of course, my questions are rhetorical, except this one: why not compete?

 

Lets take the Kettle example again. £30 difference between Tesco and Local Retailer. Would local retailer have been making £5 on that kettle? I doubt it, but say the were. Why not take one or two of the £35 - £55 kettles off the shelf and put up a couple of basic, budget ones, but for £10. No difference in profit, no difference in effort. LESS capital, and more realistic pricing.

[JustMe]

Spinner72 wroteSome hidden bananna plantation in Muckle Roe?

Maybe not in Muckle Roe but is this the new idea for the Tingwall greenhouses?.

Seriously though I have been wondering lately if the cheap bananas at Tesco taste as good as the ones that are double the price in my local shop. Plan to do a taste test soon.

[ISOT]

You've still not answered the question Spinner! Do you still believe £10 is too expensive for a kettle?

 

Can't say I've seen many kettles for 40 notes myself and certainly wouldn't buy one at that price but do most electrical shops be it on the street or on the mainland not stock a selection of kettles at a selection of prices?

 

Cheers

[Malachy]

So why should a tiny group of people tell you that you must do without and save for weeks for something just because they don't want to sell things you can afford?

 

*****

 

Of course, my questions are rhetorical, except this one: why not compete?

 

Lets take the Kettle example again. £30 difference between Tesco and Local Retailer. Would local retailer have been making £5 on that kettle? I doubt it, but say the were. Why not take one or two of the £35 - £55 kettles off the shelf and put up a couple of basic, budget ones, but for £10. No difference in profit, no difference in effort. LESS capital, and more realistic pricing.

 

This debate gets a bit tiresome when people simply choose to ignore the answers, then repeat the questions. As someone has only just written, up there a bit ^^^, George Robertson sells kettles for £9.99. On the whole small shops are not choosing not to compete, they simply can't compete with Tesco. If Tesco buys, say, half a million kettles for their UK stores, and a local shop buys ten of the same, clearly Tesco will be able to buy them much cheaper, and sell them much cheaper too. But I hardly think £9.99 for a kettle is asking too much. Or even £15.

[Spinner72]

I used the kettle as it is a 100% real life example of my own experience.

 

The our one broke, cheapest kettle I could find, going around all the Lerwick electrical shops, was £35. I couldn't afford that so gave up, but found Tesco's had one for £5.99.

 

I know it was poorer quality, with only a years warranty, but it meant I could live within my means.

 

As I've asked so often, if you dont have the tesco's option, where do you get the £30?

 

You've still not answered the question Spinner! Do you still believe £10 is too expensive for a kettle?

 

Not at all. Personally I would say £20 would be about right, but this is nothing to do with what you think is or isnt the value of items, it about having a budget option which currently just doesn't exist on the isles.

 

Edit - By the way, does anyone know if these insane rules are the reason the Co-op no longer sells electrical and white goods etc?

[paulb]

6 quid with a years warranty. one that they will honour too. try taking your 35 quid one back after a few months and see what there reaction would be.

 

why pay 7 times the money for a simple kitchen tool. save your money there are bad times ahead and that 30 quid may be needed.

[Malachy]

Not at all. Personally I would say £20 would be about right, but this is nothing to do with what you think is or isnt the value of items, it about having a budget option which currently just doesn't exist on the isles.

 

You seem to be repeatedly ignoring ISOT's claim that kettles are on sale for £10 in a local electrical shop. I'm confused.

[icepick239]

Do some of you remember my good friend and acquaintence RGM?

Be it known, he now wishes to be known as Mr. Mooga-bee and has asked me to pass this change on.

He also asks if people could refrain from using the term 'White Goods' in reference to fridges, freezers, dryers etc etc.

I'm dreading the day, when Tesco starts selling gardening equipment and I will then have to explain what a spade is for.

In the meantime, there could be a quick glimpse on Sunday evening at the World Cup Final in Johannesburg is more than likely.

Meanwhile, I will be watching on a Non-Tesco TV set.

More later....

[Spinner72]

Not at all. Personally I would say £20 would be about right, but this is nothing to do with what you think is or isnt the value of items, it about having a budget option which currently just doesn't exist on the isles.

 

You seem to be repeatedly ignoring ISOT's claim that kettles are on sale for £10 in a local electrical shop. I'm confused.

 

Not at all, and they may be now but at the time I was looking, they weren't. Thats the point i'm trying to make that so many seem to be missing.

 

Whether it be a Kettle, TV, Toaster, Kid Shoes, or whatever. If you can't find it locally, or there is only the expensive deluxe version to be found, what is the problem with having the option to buy something you can afford, locally?

[Carlos]

Ultimately it's a reflection of the wider issues in society - what point you pick along the state control to laissez-faire line.

Are you happy that companies operating under their own commercial interests will give you what you want, or do you think you should have control over their direction to some extent. How much extra are you willing to pay for that control in terms of higher prices vs how much value do you place on things that have more subjective value and may be lost if they do not turn a proffit

[lerwick]

One of our local electrical shops states on the shetland times website he can not compete with tesco. Looks like i wont have to check his prices against tesco as he admits to being more expensive.

[Vik]

How is that TESCO can do anything they want with the planning system and the rest of us wanting to build owt have to run round in never ending circles even when we only want to build what our planning application permits????

 

Perhaps that's where the SIC got all the spare dosh to give to DC

[Carlos]

Because Tesco have well paid lawyers who do nothing but work on an endless stream of objections to planning conditions through the country, and it's an area that's complicated enough that the conditions can never be watertight?

[TeeAyBee]

Hmm, I'm trying really hard to care about lacklustre businesses that are already way more expensive than internet/mail order and don't give a damn about customers - yes I mean you Scottish Hydro among others. If the local stores offer a better service than the cheaper retaillers showing some value for the higher prices they charge rather than "that's just the way it is" then all well and good, if not why support crap shops? Just because the street will die out? Not a good enough reason.

 

Go upmarket and offer great service on the personal level that a store like Tesco cannot possibly offer and the only business that Tesco will damage will be Amazon's and other online retaillers, those that are already very much a way of life up here.