HelenTD

I also think grocery shopping in Perth is crap. My suburb's only shop is a corner deli (milk, newspapers, sweets, crisps, ice creams), but it's too far from us to walk to and not worth the drive. The next suburb north has a small shopping centre with an IGA, independent butcher, greengrocer and baker. Sometimes use the IGA, but since they want me to pay a deposit to use a trolley, I just go there occasionally, if I'm passing, for milk or an emergency, fruit & veg crappy. The butcher there is very ordinary and the greengrocer is too expensive. Next suburb to the south has a small shopping centre with a Coles - fruit & veg choice crap and expensive - no other grocer. Five mins down the road an independent grocer, more for emergencies as very expensive, although fruit & veg good. Independent butcher next door very expensive and not that good. There is choice and quality here, if you're prepared to travel, and have the time and $$$$.

moneypenny20

Well I've reread the thread and can't find anyone asking why you moved here because you don't like the shopping. Most people (not me, I'm quite happy but I think I must be a lost cause ) have agreed with you. If you were to leave the forum because you believe it's a bullying site then that's your right. I don't agree but that's what makes the site interesting in my view.

Pollyana

Thats the key to so much of it isn't it. Personally I hate shopping here, I've never made a secret of that view and I accept a lot of people disagree, but thats not a problem, I'd hate it if we were all the same.
However I'm also willing to accept if it was easier for me to travel to a variety of shops (I don't drive) and had the time and money to do so, then I might view the shopping experience "slightly" more positively!

HelenTD

Having just spent 5 weeks in the UK, where the food shopping is fantasic, it's really hard to put up with Coles, Woolworth's and IGA. I go to several different suburbs for shopping, but can't get what I want in just one area. Unfortunately I didn't get to too many other shops in the UK than supermarkets , but that's travelling with 3 males for you!.

Vash the Stampede

One thing I noticed about UK supermarkets is the limited range of cuts at the meat counter. Australian supermarkets tend to offer a wider variety of cuts. It's something my (English) wife noticed immediately when we came over.

BadgeIsBack

I'm not so sure about that myself. Australia has plenty of things - I am sure that many things would have percolated over by now. 20 years is a long time. I mean, it's not as if the car models new in Australia are still 1990...Our local Woolworths is brand new and very modern and bright. Eftpos was introduced with pin long before it was in the UK. I realise the UK has overtaken with chip but sometimes later adopters do overtake.

You have to remember that some people see peoples' supermarket choices and predilections as rather trivial. To me, it's not just about 'choice' it's a style of shopping that suits a particular type of Brit - but not all.

Speaking for myself, I am not suburban enough to have a concern over what I can and can not buy in an Australian supermarket or how it is presented. I don't expect to find certain things in a supermarket. I would choose to go elsewhere. I mean no supermarket could ever sell certain types of product properly - for one thing, the staff would not understand it if questioned. That's not saying that I measure something differently to someone else, or that makes someone wrong, just that it ain't on the radar.

BadgeIsBack

The thing is, if this is true, and I can't remember, frankly, noone will ever say this. They tend to focus on the trivial things they can buy.

I'm guessing some people might challenge the choice of cuts. Perhaps it comes down to the very supermarket that people used in the UK and the one they use now.

It will always run!

Buzzy--Bee

Thank you very much Vash! That's exactly what I've been trying to say but people seem to think that because a supermarket is physically bigger it will have more of everything. Well Tescos certainly has a lot more clothes, CDs, cheap electronics etc but I find my local butcher has a vast range of meat compared to English supermarkets.

BB

markbhx

Woolies and Coles are the only supermarkets available in all cities. IGAs are around somewhere but they are few an far between.
As an example where I am 6km from the city I have a choice of 3 woolworths and 3 coles and 2 Aldi. within a 20 minute car journey.
In the UK I had a choice of Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys, Netto, Aldi, Lidl, Iceland, M&S, Morrisons, Waitrose also within a 20 minute car journey. I didn't go to those all the time but when you can't find something in one store its good to have the others to try.

BenandPam

This is just not true. Target's stuff is rubbish.
We have had clothes from Next that we have been sent as presents and then bought when we were in the UK, and they are head and shoulders above Target (or Big W or Kmart) in terms of quality. The style of the Next clothes has been commented on by many people here and we have easily resold Next kid's clothes. Try doing the same with clothes from the big Australian retailers, they are the classic example of false economy.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

I guess that's aimed in my direction.

My local supermarket in the UK was an Asda Supercenter. It had an area of chiller cabinets, just selling meat, that was probably of a similar size to my local Woolies. It also had three guys on the butchers counter.

Bit of an overkill I suppose as all that lot was only selling a couple of sausages and the odd meat pie.

I don't give a shit either way about supermarkets, UK or Oz, I'm not fussed. They are just places where we get the bulk of our weekly shop from, but some of the comments in this thread don't seem to be related to reality... and that's from both sides of the 'discussion'.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

All my experience of Target clothing, and that's only related to boys clothes, suggests that its junk.
I hated Next in the UK and never bought a damn thing there for myself, but we did occasionally buy stuff for that lads and it was far better quality than Target.

emma75

What decnet clothes shops do they have then for kids? My sister said the clothes shops are pants and i should buy masses before coming over (Although I do take everything she says with a pinch of salt!)

jad n rich

Safeway is woolworth anyway exactly the same stuff, just different names in different states. Same as Bi lo is owned by Coles. We have aldi but they only carry 1000?? product lines, we by a few basics in there but they sell some really random crap too bike jackets, garden tools, bathroom scales that break after a month, I think it would be really hard to do a full shop there.

Target stuff is certainly not Next IMO, and thats based on often going in one of QLDs biggest target stores and looking on line in Next, totally different range, you probably get the odd item thats similar but the quality is miles apart. Most of the clothes shops in OZ sell a peculiar range of made in china rags, they look really 'daggy' before you even put them on, about as inspiring as trying on clothes you would wash the dog in

I have found my secret shopping place, its an OP shop in a well off area and for some reason it has lots of clothes from overseas, nearly always in a 10/12, I think migrants move here then get aussied up and fat, so they chuck them out. It also has some vintage stuff, the area has a few old people and you get some gems, not often but they crop up. Plus some general bargains, like a pair of brand new RM williams pants for $4. End up with a really nice style nowt like Target As for food we do a market shop on the weekend, a phillipino family there grow their own veg and sell off the suprlus, amazing stuff.

markbhx

Thats the crap that comes out of China for ya! Anyone found any clothes in from Target or Kmart not made in China?
Guess offers the best quality/price, i've found. $120 for a pair of jeans that actually fit well and will last years suits me just fine, compared with $40 jeans that make you look like some american redneck from hicktown and will last 6 months.