Supermarkets really are taking the piss now

[Cid]

Unfortunately the demand for a huge variety of products is part of the problem which has caused these food shortages/price rises. Emerging economies are increasingly expecting services similar to what we have over here (supermarkets, foreign foods etc) as well as more consumption of meat and dairy. In turn this puts pressure on dairy exports (which are used in products with powdered milk in them) and I suppose this has an affect on domestic dairy markets too. Quite apart from that the pressure on dairy farmers has been horrific over the past few decades; foot and mouth, BSE, inability to set own prices etc. So the effects of the price rises we see over here are as much to do with us and our demands as they are to do with supermarkets selfishly hiking prices.

There are other major factors of course; climate change, biofuels, changes in types of subsidies, but demand is a major one and there seems to be no solution but to increase the land used for agriculture. And how long can that go on?

 

[elbows]

Perhaps because the hardship caused by the latter outweighs any benefits caused by the former?

Fair enough, although I didnt say I was enjoying these problems and looking for ward to more, or that the current crisis is a good thing, just that I have mixed feelings.

Some people are looking forward to peak oil because they are sure it will destroy the system they hate. I am not one of those people.

 

[elbows]

It would be interesting to know exactly how much of these price hikes is to do with food shortages, petrol prices and profit for the supermarkets.

Yeah I sure do with this could be made more transparent.

Oil price should have a lot to do with it, because it affects not only farm machinery, processing & transport costs, but also fertiliser and pesticide prices. The race for biofuels has had some effect too, at least for things like corn price.

Weather has played some part for sure. A lot of how bad things get will be determined by other factors that may affect food supply, because just like with oil, when supply-demand gets tight, other events affect the price more substantially.

If at all practical for people, now would be a great time to look at getting an allotment, and to prepare psychologically for the idea that meat will go back to being a luxury item one day.

 

[ymu]

Are we?

See, this is what I was talking about on that thread.

I have now realised that Sainsbury's are thieving bastards.
A twin pack of Kleenex Ultra Balm tissues in there is £3.19, Tesco sells them for £2.18.

They don't compete on price much at all except for the key staples like milk and bread - and some (only some) of the things that come from a small unidentifiable bullyable producers (eg fruit and veg).

Beyond that, they're just competing on who can find the most profitable mix of way-too-cheap and utter-rip-off. My local corner shop sells (Bertolli) olive oil cheaper than Tesco's does, plus some cheaper brands (and a posher one); the cheese and cold meats are definitely way cheaper; lots of branded tinned stuff is the same or less, and their fruit and veg is edible within the week instead of within the hour.

 

[dolly's gal]

You couldn't make it up. My ploitics are somewhat diiferent to most on here and even I refuse to shop at Asda, which is a bit of a pain at times as there's one across the road from work.

classic! yeh cos i have money to burn. tell you what, why don't i shop solely at the farmer's market of a sunday?! i mean i know it's about a zillion times more pricey but fuck it, it's ethical maaaaaaaaaaaaaan.

ffs get off your liberal bandwagon and name me a supermarket (that i can afford to shop at) that isn't exploitative in some way? in fact, name me a company that isn't? jesus, i bet you actually believe all that fair-trade nonsense

 

[Cid]

Yeah I sure do with this could be made more transparent.

Oil price should have a lot to do with it, because it affects not only farm machinery, processing & transport costs, but also fertiliser and pesticide prices. The race for biofuels has had some effect too, at least for things like corn price.

Weather has played some part for sure. A lot of how bad things get will be determined by other factors that may affect food supply, because just like with oil, when supply-demand gets tight, other events affect the price more substantially.

If at all practical for people, now would be a great time to look at getting an allotment, and to prepare psychologically for the idea that meat will go back to being a luxury item one day.

The FT has a good section on the causes of food problems... Generally pretty good as FT readers just want raw economic facts as opposed to heavily biased opinion pieces.

 

[mentalchik]

My local corner shop sells (Bertolli) olive oil cheaper than Tesco's does, plus some cheaper brands (and a posher one); the cheese and cold meats are definitely way cheaper; lots of branded tinned stuff is the same or less, and their fruit and veg is edible within the week instead of within the hour.

You are lucky then.....not everyone is so fortunate !

 

[ddraig]

Our payrise will be less than 2% p/a for the next 3 years (when we eventually get it) so considering increases in council tax, utilities, food etc actually works out at a huge cut. Apparently gas and electric will be going up by about 40% this year. I'm fucking bricking it.

you are getting a payCUT not rise

I had a 'cost of living' payrise of 2 3/4 % split into two over the year..........this brought me up to the princely sum of £6.03 an hour !

My HA rent went up 6 1/4 % this year alone........fuck knows where they get the 'cost of living' increase from but it's bollox imo !

same for you a payCUT
and me and millions
the bastards

 

[ymu]

You are lucky then.....not everyone is so fortunate !

Yes - we are. It's a new one and they're giving the crappy Londis an excellent run for their money - and actually stocking food you can live on healthily.

Having said that, the supermarkets have always been more expensive than smaller grocers. The milk/bread scam was revealed at least 15 years ago, and one of the many food documentaries in the last year or so did a shopping comparison and the supermarkets did very badly on price (and quality and post-shelf-life) compared to small independents. They're about convenience and the BOGOF illusion - rarely value.

If you're stuck in a food desert ... that sucks.

 

[trevhagl]

It is dolly but i have noticed things jumping up there too...........no shops are immune to this effect !


Even in netto i noticed that(for instance) a litre of sunflower oil has gone up by about 30p recently !

It's the big jumps in price that are making me uneasy...things are not going up by pence they are going up in big chunks !

Aye you're right, peas up 20p and somethings are dearer than Tesco. Suppose 6 baking taties for a quid is ok though

 

[trevhagl]

Urbanite extolling virtues of Asda,a member of the Wal-Mart group! mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, funny how principles go our of the window when there's cheaper stuff on offer.

You couldn't make it up. My ploitics are somewhat diiferent to most on here and even I refuse to shop at Asda, which is a bit of a pain at times as there's one across the road from work.

I just go there and by loads of loss leaders (BOGOFS) proper dodgy company who scrapped all the workers rights and slyly did away with the union. The rep was shocking, 4 times i had to ask him to get me union forms (not saying he was in cahoots with the bosses like!)

 

[geminisnake]

I am not going to Lidl's becasue I am a supermarket snob of the highest order.

More fool you then mate What is it you are being snobby about?? I personally see NO point in making some fat cat bast even richer for no reason.
Even in Lidl prices have been rising though

 

[ymu]

I just go there and by loads of loss leaders (BOGOFS) proper dodgy company who scrapped all the workers rights and slyly did away with the union. The rep was shocking, 4 times i had to ask him to get me union forms (not saying he was in cahoots with the bosses like!)

Unfortunately, the free one in the BOGOFs are provided by the small bullyable producers. The supermarkets decide on the promotion and then inform the suppliers that they will have to provide the free things they're giving away. It's a huge profit-maker for them and it's one of the most evil business practices they use.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Coffe has gone up from 50c to 60c in the last month, eating out is being restricted to no more than three times a week.

I'm gutted for you...











































NOT

 

[innit]

Sadly, you may be right. Instead we'll be stripping tree bark from the local parks to boil up as soup - just like in North Korea

Yes, that is the natural conclusion of a rise in food prices.



You are such a drama queen.

 

[elbows]

And so begins the era of hardship grumbling competitions ' you think you've got it hard....'

If only we could feed on our own words

 

[WouldBe]

And so begins the era of hardship grumbling competitions ' you think you've got it hard....'

If only we could feed on our own words

Print them out.

 

[obanite]

It's inflation too, isn't it? The government's been harping on about how we shouldn't ask for higher wages to try and keep it 'in check', though it seems to me things like rises in oil & food are what's driving it, not rises in wages

 

[elbows]

Yes rise in oil price, food price etc is driving inflation, not wage rises. Its true though that if everyone started getting above inflation wage rises, it would contribute to inflation, hence the calls for restraint.

If people do start receiving above inflation wages, or there are lots of strikes in suport of such things, then the government and press will start to blame the workers more and more, and the original cause, oil price, will be somewhat obscured.

Unfortunately increasing unemployment is one policy tool used to tackle inflation.

And one of the ways they hope to tackle inflation by having peoples wages fall in real terms, is that people will have to buy less oil-related products, thus reducing demand, thus bringing down the price of oil.

Not a pretty picture.

 

[Looby]

In line with inflation would be nice.

 

[rover07]

40 bottles off Becks...up from £16 to £18!!!!

 

[elbows]

In line with inflation would be nice.

Yeah just before inflation started getting in the news all the time, my boss denied that inflation was rising, and gave us a 2% rise. I think I will make my displeasure known to him tomorrow, not that it will do any good.

 

[poster342002]

Yes, that is the natural conclusion of a rise in food prices.



You are such a drama queen.

Well if the prices continue to relentlessly go up until they totally outstrip people's ability to buy them, what do you think will happen?

 

[GarfieldLeChat]

Doesn't really help us now when we're all on permanent wage-freezes (or "rises" that are not worthy of the name) and the cost of food and other essential things seems to rise every single month.

soem of use have been like this for the pat 5 years and see no future of it ever changing as putting out wages up causes inflation apperently despite the fact that the CoL each year has increased meanign that the reality is that withholding decent wage increases is also creating inflation but not a generation who can aford food...

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Suppose 6 baking taties for a quid is ok though

blimey, I paid at least £2.50 for 6 baking spuds from my local shop the other day.