Supermarkets in Shetland - prices, ethics and experiences

[paulb]

i bought a battery charger from a local building supply company. it never worked it turned out to be a faulty dial. it took them over 3 months to get sorted. yes i want to support the local shops but when their more expensive and the service is rubbish (they made me feel guilty that they had to pay more than they sold it for to replace it as if its my fault) now tescos have a decent returns policy so do asda and other large companies.

 

i agree that the only way that the small retailers are going to survive is by a high service ethos with a friendly face too.

 

were food is concerned i enjoy shopping at the country stores. we don't even mind paying extra because the staff are very friendly we would love to do all the shopping locally but we can't afford it. now the lerwick shops i don't like the staff really don't seem bothered half the time.

 

a hint to the owners if your staff are friendly not the false one from the tesco staff manual. though there are lots of friendly folks working there. you will get lots of returning custom.

[JustMe]

Of course the other plus point about buying from a local shop is you get to see what you are buying and if it is not too big you can take it home with you there and then. That is way better than wondering when the delivery will arrive.

[turningright]

presumably for some of you every penny is a prisoner, i couldnt count the amount of times, being somebody who shops locally when i can, if having a problem with something the local suppliers bend over backwards to help you out when your in a bind.

i doubt very much many of the things you buy after poring over the internet for nights on end for a bargain then find theres a stupid surcharge on delivery wind up any cheaper than nipping into town.

[paulb]

you do nrrd to watch that surcharge. i hate it when they stick it on something thats going by the royal mail and is small. i refuse to pay it and look else were

[mogling]

When I bought my digital camera, I looked at what 'Which' magazine were recommending, then searched online for the best deal.

I looked The Camera Shop's price- the same {RRP} if not cheaper than a lot of places online but without postage / delivery charges, AND he was throwing in a soft case and £20 card-reader as well.

 

I know other folk who have found the best deal available on cameras there too.

 

I like to buy local, if I can.

[Skunnered]

^^I agree. This shop offers competitive prices, excellent service, and they know about their products so they can offer good advice. If only the other shops on the Street were as good they would have nothing to worry about. Instead, all they do is whinge about any competition, and have done for decades.

[JustMe]

Just listened to a couple of people from the Lerwick Town Centre Association complaining that the Tesco extension will harm the street. One is a man who sells ladies underwear and the other one tried to stop Don Leslies selling newspapers.......that is just so you know who they are.

 

Now of course I can only speak for myself but the people who will suffer a loss of my business if the Tesco extension sells just about everything are Amazon.co.uk, Marks and Spencer, Premier Man and some e-bay sellers. Just how many of them are on the street?.

[JustMe]

And I guess I ought to come clean and admit that the store which has lost the most business from me since Tesco opened is the Co-op. And the reason for that is that Tesco does not normally have long queues at the checkouts.

[Ghostrider]

I am told that Tesco have been for some weeks now, possibly longer discontinuing a number of their "own brand" products completely, and some of the largest "economy" sizes of others as stock items locally.

 

Is this another little "marketing" ploy now that they've gotten folk used to coming to then, hopefully just to buy the much more expensive "brand name" equivalent or multiples of the smaller packs from them instead, rather than have the wit to shop elsewhere.

[unlinkedstudent]

^^ I was amazed on early Saturday morning that Grotescos not only had no reasonably priced ham (only the mega expensive stuff) but also had no SUGAR!!!!!

[Marooned in Maywick]

I am told that Tesco have been for some weeks now, possibly longer discontinuing a number of their "own brand" products completely, and some of the largest "economy" sizes of others as stock items locally.

 

One that I've noticed gone is the peerie packets of 10 sticks of shortbread for 9p. A much lamented loss by some...

[Girzie]

When does the Tesco extension open? It has already been delayed.

[lerwick]

Street or Tesco ? i will buy from the retailer thats the cheapest i dont owe anyone a living, the more competition the better. I wouldnt say that its always the supermarkets though.

[turningright]

Street or Tesco ? i will buy from the retailer thats the cheapest i dont owe anyone a living, the more competition the better. I wouldnt say that its always the supermarkets though.

 

well thats fantastic, as long as your not the kind who expects retailers and suppliers of other services to owe you something when your internet or superstore bought goods break or need warranty work.

[Vik]

Oh if were only as simple as the supermarket stack it up & sell it cheap! Trouble is this eventually leads to less competition as they then start to sell you what they want you to buy. lots of villages in the UK have lost much and in some cases all their local high street shops for an out of town TESCO, ASDA etc. The logic of only shopping at the cheapest without some knowledge of how they do their business & the global ruin they cause - to bring you your cheap stuff is sad. However you may reflect on this one day when your company or employer tells you your job is finished as they can get your work done on the Internet in India cheaper.

 

TESCO may bring a lot of satisfaction to a lot of selfish folk who canna see the end of their nose but eventually we will all suffer the loss of several or many small local outlets, then it will be too late to complain. If you are a fan of TESCO google TESCOPOLY and see what you are supporting, hide your head in the sand like an ostrich which has a pea size brain and watch Lerwick fade away to boarded up windows & more charity shops.

 

Bye the way if you open your eyes TESCO sell a lot of stuff dearer than the Co-op & some local shops. They often get nicked doon sooth for opening packets of out of date ham & other stuff & sell it as fresh. Grow your own, buy local & support local producers or end up like thousands of small communities in the UK with only a TESCO to shop at.