Supermarkets in Shetland - prices, ethics and experiences

[JustMe]

Ghostrider wrote

The "exempt" ceiling for charges in to the UK was approx £36.00 per individual package value a few years back, at a guess its probably around £40.00 now, but it seems to be something of a gray area.

I think it is in fact £18 but there is also some sort of waiver for the first bit of duty due. That said Play.Com sells lots of goods way over the limit and it really is unfair not only to our local shops but to UK based internet traders if high value packages are not taxed on entry to the UK.

 

And for those wondering what all this means let me explain that the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not part of the EU so personal imports are liable for tax in the same way as personal imports from the rest of the world are.

[Guest Raven007]

ok spinner thats all well , but dont you think they are bought from a wholesaler a lot cheaper ? and what about bolts ? so if you were a buisness man and a rival started selling his goods 50p a unit cheaper , would you not just be willing to match his price to retain your customers even if it meant your cut was reduced , or would you leave your price and risk losing your long term customers and watch your buisness crumble , it doesnt sound like good buisness sense to me

 

this about tesco and shetland retailers , i used the internet for comparison , we all understand they cant be expected to compete with amazon or play.com

[JustMe]

Raven007 wrote

but dont you think they are bought from a wholesaler a lot cheaper ?

Now here is a little tale. A long long time ago I worked for the wholesale department of a world class soft drink company. We had a wholesale price list which we had to work to but right outside the depot was a supermarket selling our product cheaper than we were. This is explained by the fact that the supermarket was able to buy from a "super wholesale" price list run from head office which meant that by taking a very large quantity of our product they could afford to retail the drink for less than we would sell it for wholesale.

[Guest Raven007]

dont get me wrong i like clives , ive spent hundreds if not thousands in the past on videos , games , dvds and cds , and i will buy from him again, just like to see them try and be a bit more competitive , and i imagine he doesnt even know tescos price yet and im sure he will try and give us a better deal if he can , but bolts they must just go by the rrp ,

 

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[Ghostrider]

Ghostrider wrote

The "exempt" ceiling for charges in to the UK was approx £36.00 per individual package value a few years back, at a guess its probably around £40.00 now, but it seems to be something of a gray area.

I think it is in fact £18 but there is also some sort of waiver for the first bit of duty due. That said Play.Com sells lots of goods way over the limit and it really is unfair not only to our local shops but to UK based internet traders if high value packages are not taxed on entry to the UK.

 

And for those wondering what all this means let me explain that the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not part of the EU so personal imports are liable for tax in the same way as personal imports from the rest of the world are.

 

The £36.00 - £40.00 figure seems to be more of an unwritten rule than anything else, hence my putting the quotation marks. It seems to apply in numerous countries too, not just the UK. I've spoken with folk in Australia and the U.S.A. who have quoted similar figures for when importing to there. Strangely enough, "laid back" Canada is completely the opposite, I've been told their limit is around £14.00, and that its quite strictly enforced.

 

You're right though, the UK levies duty on imports by mail very inconsistently, in practice under the £36.00 - £40.00 you can be almost sure nothing will be charged, between that and around £100.00 or so you're taking the risk that if your package is seen by the wrong eye on the wrong day, you will be, but the majority of items will come through uncharged.

[ISOT]

if thats the case why doesnt he order his games from play.com

 

He recieves quite a lot of items from Play.com and has done for a long time now!

 

Cheers

[Guest Raven007]

There is two cruise ships coming in today and i bet most of the shops are shut , dont you think if they were really that hard up they would be open on days like this ?

[Para Handy]

There is two cruise ships coming in today and i bet most of the shops are shut , dont you think if they were really that hard up they would be open on days like this ?

 

To much of hard work is more like it.

[JustMe]

Two cruise ships with passengers who will be going away on tours and in any case may well not want to buy anything other than a couple of postcards which they might then want to pay for in Euros. Mostly the shops of interest to tourists do seem to open when cruise liners are in but I am sure that over the years the rest have found it not worthwhile.

 

Of course opening a shop on Sundays involves more than someone turning the key in the lock. Staff have to be arranged and transport arrangements made which can involve a fair bit of organising given the lack of Sunday bus services. And given that a lot of shop staff work Saturdays so the rest of us get a chance to shop I think a good number of them would want Sunday as the day for being with friends and family (or nursing hangovers).

[Roachmill]

Harry's is open today. Eat that tesco

[icepick239]

Harry's is open today. Eat that tesco

Doesn't Tesco sell bread made by a company called 'Roachmill'

Maybe I saw this Doon Sooth

only askin.

[Roachmill]

^I wouldn't know... don't shop there Besides... nobody would want to eat bread [read] made by my own 4 hands.

[icepick239]

I think it is important to note, that my good acquaintance Mr Mooga-bee does not take easily to eating 'White Bread' and therefore hesitates at certain times to buy from Tesco International.

However, on the other hand he just loves White Toilet-paper

More later....

[icepick239]

^I wouldn't know... don't shop there Besides... nobody would want to eat bread [read] made by my own 4 hands.

Sorry it's called Rivermill Bread - Doitin

[lerwick]

Tesco has found to comply with planning guidelines full story in the shetland times website . Whats wrong with the LTCA members if they dont want to compete get a job like the rest of us.