Re: Groceries
 

That would account for periods where nothing seems to happen.
That's like IMDB sometimes - like suggesting you might like The Brady Bunch because it contains the same word as in The Wild Bunch. :lol:
I've got so used to particular shoppers now, sometimes I just feel I can let them get on with it although I often say "no replacement".
Absolutely. Having said that the last few shops they don't say anything unless I do.
The downside - my end - is when it's a big order, like my MIL tends to do, I find I am stuck in front of the computer for quite some time...especially when I get the message that they are "shopping" but it's 40 minutes before anything happens.
This is why I have taken to doing a couple of smaller shops instead of a big one. Works out out cheaper, has the advantage of knowing if you miss something you can try again in a couple of days and it's less time being "with" the shopper.
I only use the computer - not the available app - and to the customer it's very clear when it's a single item even before you see the price. 57c for apple is very obviously not going to be one pound. :lol: Mind you, I put 4 green peppers in the cart last week, the site said 87c each. A day or so later when I came to finalise the order, the pricing structure had changed to some bulk deal and it was more than $200. :eek:

But often, the site is unclear, although this is usually store specific - Wholesale Club. Right now, for example, Red peppers are listed as $37.35 each.
Now t hat's very obviously not a single one and it can't be a pound. But what is it? It just doesn't say. Probably a case, but how big is that?

Definitely do that. Walmart crusty loaves are very nice and brilliant value. We'll order 3 whites and 3 wheat ones and I'll add a note to say that 6 total in any combo is good.
What the customer needs to be aware of, though, is the note stays in there for that item and on a future order the note may make no sense. eg the next time you want 2 white breads and 1 wheat version, but the note still says something about 6 in total. The leftover instruction does not automatically display.

Re: Groceries
 

Is Worcester / Worcestershire Sauce prevalent in Canadian supermarkets?

Now that we’re less than a month from moving over, these are the kinds of all consuming questions we’re grappling with.

I’m currently working as a temporary manager at Tesco so am wondering whether to use my discount to buy a couple of bottles for the suitcase. There aren’t many UK foods I’m going to miss, but that’s one of them.

Re: Groceries
 

I can't tell you if its the same in Canada taste wise, but its available here, seen it at Super Store and Wal-Mart, and I would imagine most grocery stores have at least one brand.

Lea & Perrins, French's and store brands seem to be the most common.

This is for BC, but I would imagine other parts of Canada also have it.

I say taste wise as some products with the same names in Canada can differ taste wise between countries.

Re: Groceries
 

Perfect, thanks. From the brands you mentioned, I’d guess it’s the same thing.

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It is readily available here in Canada. Don't worry about that unless you're moving to the middle of nowheresville. Keep in mind that many 'cradle' Canadians will horribly mispronounce Worchestershire.

Re: Groceries
 

Ha, thanks!

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Buy only Lee and Perrins, have made that mistake in the past in other countries, and all I can say is that the only thing that compared was the name, the actual stuff was unpalatable.

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Thanks, good to know! A bottle or two will be crossing the Atlantic with us then!

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The Lea & Perrins in the store in Canada has made the same trip. According to wiki the UK version is sold in Australia and Canada; the American (made in Pittsburgh) version is sold in the US. I got up and checked, and Made in England. I buy it in the big bottle, and it's time to get more.

Re: Groceries
 

As I say I’m not generally bothered about the prospect of missing food from home, but as the move draws nearer it’s tempting to use my staff discount, while I still have one, to stock up on a few small essentials.

I’d be irritable for example if I knew I had to go a year without a chocolate digestive or two.

Re: Groceries
 

From reading posts on here I know availability of some things is dependent on area so you may want to bring some of your favourite biscuits. If you say where in Canada you're going and ask about a specific product, someone will likely tell where they've tried to source it, and if they've been successful.

Re: Groceries
 

‪Said to me at work yesterday as I was straightening the tins of beans & spaghetti:‬

‪“Excuse me, I know you work on beans & spaghetti, but do you know where the pesto is?”‬

I hate being pigeonholed like this! Given the chance I can do sweetcorn, coffee, even Weetabix!

‪#supermarketworker #beansandspaghettimanager

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I would have opened a tin of Alphagetti and spelled out to her what she could do.

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It’s all I can do to reign in my sarcasm with customers. I have a feeling it might all come out on my last day, which is two weeks yesterday.

A guy asked me in a very irritable tone yesterday why we had sold out of San Miguel. I had to stop myself replying that it was because someone more organised than him came in and bought it.

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That is a lovely photo AC...if I were a betting woman I’d wager a fair sum on you not getting to put mint sauce on those particular ba lambs!

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Costco here sells it in quite large bottles (surprise surprise). I've never heard anyone on this forum worry about Worchestershire...usually it is Club or Penguin biscuits, some beer or a type of cheese or crisps.:thumbsup:

https://www.costco.ca/lea-%2526-perr...100417915.html

Re: Groceries
 

Lea and Perrins Lime Cordial is also here. Sadly this one isn't


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...2d5ae2052b.png

Re: Groceries
 

568ml, $6.87 CDN (Wholesale Club). Good for another 5 or 6 months, depending on Bloody Mary's.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...365fba3d9c.jpg

Re: Groceries
 

Lee & Perrins is available just about everywhere - no need to bring it in your suitcase :D

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Today I bought rocky biscuits, monster munch and matchmakers. Feels like Christmas :thumbsup:

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Sorry to disappoint you but unless they bring back Coffee Matchmakers I'm not coming round. :lol:

Re: Groceries
 

The joy of being here long enough, is that you just forget the things that you miss, I think. I will miss forever, I fear, a proper London sandwich shop that makes exactly what you ask for...corned beef with anchovies, mustard and tomatoes on whole wheat, never even raising an eyebrow...I would like to visit a Gregg's Bakery as well before this long tricks over...but that might just be an uncertain memory...it would be awful to be sadly disappointed :unsure:

Re: Groceries
 

:(

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i still miss the stottie shop nearest the campus, and the ‘everything’ pizza in the Union bar. It’s best to just miss some things :nod: , unless they’re made of chocolate, in which case you should go to every effort to track them down.

Except coffee matchmakers :sick:

Re: Groceries
 

What’s a stottie?

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:eek:
I’m sure there must be an actual geordie around to explain better

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Matchmakers were sfistikated, coffee ones moreso :nod:

mint ones were good too...like after eights.

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Could almost pass for ciabatta !

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Completed an Instacart order last night from Walmart today. MIL wanted to "add a few things" and it tripled the cost :lol: But never mind, she's paying.

5 minutes after delivery I was giving the 5* rating and upping the tip to take account of the bigger shop than originally planned and I noticed a 'sales' category that I'd never seen before.

There was a pack of my razor cartridges of choice for a ridiculous price. Since the price might change tomorrow I had to get them. MIL naturally suggested a couple of other things, made a quick order and 34 minutes later delivery was taken.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...0af41f64d3.gif
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...84a90cd19f.gif

Re: Groceries
 

You love the instacart :p

I bet you tip better than most in Vancouver too, our average tip last week was $2.87, of course we only got 11 batches all week so not a huge amount. Batches have been in short supply since majority of shoppers appear to have started to go shopping again rather than use instacart.

Doesn't help IC will choose stores way too far from the delivery address (IC chooses the actual store location) no IC, I am not driving 12km to the store, to drive 12km back for $10 and no tip, stupid thing is to get to the location on some of these batches you pass other locations of the chain your going to...weird system they have sometimes, pass a Wal-Mart to go to another Wal-Mart only to pass the first Wal-Mart to do the delivery.

Re: Groceries
 

Not as much as I like IGA. I can make almost the same savings with them that I can normally, in person, with Superstore/Sobeys because they do charge flyer prices, unlike instacart. They also have stuff the main stores here don't have.
I've decided that Superstore using instacart is a dead loss. At least with Walmart some of the stuff via instacart is the same as you'd pay if actually there.
Maybe it's different for me not being a driver. There's normally a cost to me in getting my groceries back by taxi that a driver doesn't have. So even though the higher prices make the instacart method of shopping more than it would be in person, I feel I can offset that a bit and make a bigger tip.

Even though nobody is there to see me, I'd be embarrassed to give the sort of tips you mention. I don't have to wear a mask, I don't have to take a chance on other people, I don't have to go out in the rain or heat (and snow/ice if it continues) and as long as they do a decent job (they do) the least I can do is make a decent tip.

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I am quickly learning vancouverites for the most part do not like to tip....:rofl:

But I have only delivered in Vancouver area, dunno how others are tip wise.

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My IGA delivery receipt today showed the food cost me $108 saving just over $70, or 40%.

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Looking forward to trying some Canadian Kraft


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...32199b6ac.jpeg

Re: Groceries
 

Instacart has added Costco to its choices here.
But I'm not impressed.

The regular Instacart prices there are mostly more than the regular Instacart prices for equivalents in the other stores.

One I did find was a multi-pack of Sensodyne toothpaste - the Repair one which is never on sale here - that saves 60c a tube but I'd probably have no teeth left before I got to the last one. :lol:

Re: Groceries
 

From another thread...
I got my reply from Instacart and I have to say it does indeed seem like a bot of some sort rather than someone reading and selecting codes or something for an answer. "Thank you very much for alerting us about this. We always value shoppers who are keen to give us their feedback. I will be sure to pass on what you have told me to our managerial team" in no way matches what I was asking them and their response about the prices looks like one of those stock responses too. Like you might get on one of those 'ask us a question' features on some sites where you'll get a selection of answers to just one word that's not even a question. :rofl:

So Galen it is then. Or at least Loblaws which I just did.

Re: Groceries
 

When I go in the grocery store I keep my eye open for reduced price stickers, and sometimes find things I really like. Yesterday I downloaded the flashfood app from google playstore, and it shows reduced items in all the local Loblaws chain stores, except our No Frills. I think I'm going to saddle up for 8 o'clock and check a couple of places out. The salami and the cured ham are in different stores.... but I may go anyway.

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Yay for pink stickers. Especially in the bakery and meat areas.
We used to have a co-op and on Wednesdays it seemed half their packs of meat were half price.

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I misunderstood how flashfood works. You choose your items on the app, pay for them using credit or debit, then go to the store and pick the stuff up in the "flashfood zone" and confirm your order at customer service on the way out. https://www.flashfood.com/
It's probably better that way, actually. Someone isn't going to snipe your stuff while you're driving to the store. And so I'm in.
Edit: Just prior to stores opening, most of them reloaded the items in the app. At Superstore south, three 100g packs of Tapas Bilbao Style Salami @$1.50 and a tub of field greens and baby spinach for .40.... it says I save over $16. Superstore east (not updated yet) has the buns I want, but not going to drive out there to save a couple of dollars. The Independent in the northwest has updated, but they still have the Serrano Ham for half price ($3) and Limburger for $4.49 instead of $8.99.... but I think I'll pass. I'm cold-cut rich (No Frills has mortadella on sale), and I know I'll only eat half the Limburger and have to throw the rest out. While I'm picking up my salami and greens, I'll just keep an eye out for some kaisers or nice burger buns for later. Burger comes out of the freezing compartment now.
Edit: I just had to check the app one more time, and they'd updated, so I added a half price pizza for $3, now it must be time to go.

Re: Groceries
 

One good thing about Regina is that on a holiday or during off-peak hours, you can drive anywhere in town in about 15 minutes. I went to the south end, picked up my order and was home in less than a half hour. Here's what I got for under $10 first time out on flashfood. Some of the lovely soft bocconcini I bought last week, and a little of that salami should dress that pizza right up.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...edcad5818d.jpg