Atlantic Xpat

Frank, is not impressed...


Image didn't post first time.

BristolUK

I wondered who Frank was.

caretaker

Frank is a handsome boy. I just got back from a flashfood raid on Superstore, and snagged a block of imported cheddar, some sliced smoked gouda, 2 dry Roquefort salami, a little thing of pate, tub of macaroni salad and a loaf of pumpernickel for $15.09. I watched and waited until there were enough things I like at the right price to make it worth the drive up to the north end (4km each way).

Teaandtoday5

that Scottish cheddar has been our regular cheese since it went down to $10 for a two pack at our nearest superstore

Frank is gorgeous

caretaker

$5 a great price for 400g of cheese, even domestic! I paid $4 and I think that was well below half price at Superstore here.
I bought Mario canned corned beef for $2.50 overnight. They said it was half price, but I've never seen corned beef at $5/can unless it was Palm brand. I know it's gone up (the days of $2.50 or $2.75 on sale are gone), but I can't believe it's gone up to $5. Wholesale Club doesn't have regular sales on stuff like that, as they are geared to commercial customers as well as private, so lots of things are a little cheaper at No Frills or Superstore.
Edit: I couldn't find the Scottish Cheddar on the Superstore Canada website, but their other Bradbury's cheeses are all $6.98/100g.

christmasoompa

And that's (a) Tesco's, and (b) picking things like a sourdough loaf rather than 'normal' bread. If you did the same at Lidl the whole lot would be about £3.50.

mdonald1987

True and if Aldi (not that keen on Lidl) did delivery, we’d switch immediately. And I tried to match like-for-like on the shopping list to keep things comparable and that did include a sourdough loaf. I’d never think of buying such exotic items of course

christmasoompa

They do click and collect, not in all stores though. But if your local one does it, saves you having to actually go in to the shop which is always a bonus.

Shard

I think part of it is that Britain has a highy highly competitive grocery sector. There are many big retailers (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Asda, Morrisons, Lidl, Aldi, Occado) all competing in a densly populated area (Britain!) with excellent transportation and logistics. We take it for granted, but the retailers have squuezed costs to a minimum in order to compete with each other, and have a huge international supply chain.

Jerseygirl

Having groceries delivered is fine, in this Covid world, but I like to select my own fresh food. Went to the grocery store this morning when they opened at 7 am. 2 other shoppers in the store.

BristolUK

Plus if you're not careful, shopping on line can cost you an arm and a leg.

On the Instacart website I was picking bananas. One of the few fruit/veg things that are much the same price on the site as in-store.
The price listed was $1.90 and you could order as kilo or items. Obviously it was $1.90 per kg but I chose 8 and clicked items. (I have done it this way many times before, no problem) Total price $15.20
So I changed it to weight and went for 1.5kg. We had 10 bananas delivered for $3.

Mind you, I have been in stores where they might have, say plums @ $2.99/lb and others @ $4.99/lb and they look identical.

When I check the PLU stickers I have found the numbers on both sets of plums are the same and, of course, correspond to the $4.99 ones. It's quite a shock if you didn't make the discovery in-store and only when you're at home you see the price on the receipt.

Shard

I've used online delivery several times, but I also prefer an in person shop. Even with a set shopping list I find items that I hadn't thought of or good deals.

Jerseygirl

Me too. . I usually go shopping midweek, mid morning, as I find that the quietest during Covid.

In normal times I usually keep a pretty good stock of essentials and things we use a lot. Since last March I have been getting a little extra each time I shop or place an order, because I anticipated lockdown this winter.

Shard

Package of Roquefort (sealed) in the fridge. I assumed it lasted forever, but it turns out use by October. Still ok? Or is blue cheese asking for trouble?

christmasoompa

I'd eat it quite happily. But I completely ignore use by dates etc, so perhaps not the best person to ask.

If you're worried you could turn it in to a pasta sauce or use it in a soup so it's heated first?