bazzer70

I’ve just been to the local Carrefour and once again my hackles rose….
In the UK I always check my printed receipt in case on anomalies because at one stage these were numerous - very rare these days however
Anyway I’ve started checking my French till printouts and am starting to get a little ****ed off because there are ALWAYS anomalies - minor detail (or so I used to tell myself) but one item today was clearly marked at €2.07 yet I’ve been charged €2.35.
The pennies (or cents) add up.
Has anyone else experience of this - I tell myself that it’s probably that prices (worldwide) or increasing by the minute and the supermarkets just can’t keep up with their labelling?

dmu

AFAIK, if an item is marked €2,07 on the shelves, then you only pay that sum, whatever the reason for the increase in price at the till via the bar code. I would take the item back to Carrefour, with the till printout, and ask the reason why. The increase by 28 centimes is a high percentage....
P.S. I'll check my own receipts in future!

G-J-B

Although it generally happens a little less these days, I find it's a pretty common problem. I nearly always check the receipt after purchase, and if there's any discrepancies go back to the cashier (no doubt to the annoyance of the next customer in the queue)... The other thing to be aware of in France, is that just because the same product is sold in a larger packet, doesn't mean buying larger is cheaper. Always check the price per kilo as quite often it pays to buy several smaller packets instead.

Listen Very Carefully

The other thing to bear in mind is that some prices are only available to loyalty card holders but I do not know if that applies in Carrefour as we are not posh enough round here to have one

bazzer70

Yes - I’ve noticed is is often better value to buy the smaller packs - odd!
I do have a loyalty card with Carrefour but haven’t worked out what the benefits are yet - but I religiously get it scanned each shop!
As for special deals these are very hit and miss with the notices etc - I often buy cocktail olives and the first time I bought 2 packs I was given a discount even though there was certainly nothing to indicate this would happen - so a day or so later I checked - still no notification but this time I didn’t get the discount - however - as said, I often buy these and weirdly the discount is applied sometimes but not others - quite a mystery! My favourite beer, Pelforth, was on special the other day, and the only way I knew this was from the till receipt! Swings and roundabouts I guess.
While we’re talking shopping We are quite astounded at how cheap the UK is for most groceries - I used to baulk at buying expensive beef tomatoes not not now I see how costly tomatoes are here. As for beef - and meat in general, certainly makes one appreciate the occasional steak or joint now!
I think it’s generally accepted that our groceries in general are about 25% cheaper in UK than France but then you can’t have everything in life! The house we Bought here would’ve cost at least twice the amount in UK.

G-J-B

Bazzer70 - it very much depends on where you live too. I'm out in the sticks these days, and the prices are okay. Last month I returned to Paris where I used to live, and many of the same items are 30-40% more expensive.

EuroTrash

I know I'm a bore about this cos I keep saying it - though I don't think I have for a while - but I have never understood the logic of comparing prices in two different currencies.
If the French price was exactly the same and the UK price was exactly the same but the £ was worth 1,50€, or even 1,70, as once it was, you would be saying how cheap France is.

bazzer70

Of course ET it depends on many factors but for me I am paying for French groceries with Sterling that I have converted at the current rates and also earned on a UK salary - so it’s really £ that I am spending and simply that’s how I can compare.

dmu

I've got one, too, and I occasionally get a Voucher snailmail (I don't have an appli), for example 8€ off if I spend 40 €. Otherwise IMO Carrefour's present TV advert on the loyalty card is one step away from being stupid, but then so many are....
I've also got an Intermarché loyalty card which is much simpler. You see on your till receipt how much "credit" you've got and can ask for it to be deducted from a bill any time.
Happy (economical) shopping in these inflational times!

cyrian

The Auchan loyalty card gives you instant discount on promoted items and also saves money into your cagnotte which you can use to part-pay at the cash desk.

G-J-B

In my local town we have a Hyper-u, Leclerc, Aldi, Lidl, bicoop, Picard, Noz and one or two smaller ones, so a lot of choice. Noz buys in clearance items, it's limited in scope, but it's a great way to get inexpensive products from all over Europe - English, Italian, Spanish, German etc. Picard is a little pricey, and I buy the occasional thing from biocoop, but for a big shop it's only for the rich! Once a year LeClerc do some amazing promos (e.g. 50% off their own brands, as store credit), and if you have the budget and space, you can stock up and make good savings. Lidl is usually my go to for many things as the prices are pretty decent and the quality isn't bad. I grow a lot, so I don't buy an awful lot. I always found shopping at Tescos a lot more expensive than getting the groceries in France, but then I also buy through local cooperatives, and local producers, where the prices are much better than the supermarkets, as is the quality.

Chatter Static

Anyone that likes decent fresh veg should use Grand Frais if you have one. They also have good cheese selections nice meats etc. They only sell food.

One of the big differences between UK and French supermarkets is in France most are franchises with the exception of Aldi and Lidl

baroudeur

UK Aldi is operated by Aldi Sud and French Aldi by Aldi Nord - two very different companies.

Having shopped in many I find French Aldi shops rather dingy and uninviting compared to UK Aldi shops.

EuroTrash

My local Aldi had a makeover earlier this year. It's absolutely massive now and has a much wider range than it did before, dingy and uninviting aren't really the words that spring to mind.
I guess it must depend store to store.

Chatter Static

im aware of that but the point I was making was the franchising of French supermarkets.