Domino

In the UK we had 6 day market. Despite the low overheads, low rent etc their prices and quality was below that of Tesco's across the road.......

at the end of the day its where you are and what you want to pay for it.
Your Choice.

Domino

In many parts of Spain you have to provide the Quality Control.
If you don't like it you don't buy it.
You don't have the same size/colour enforced on you, you can buy newer about to ripen produce whilst "at home" it is ready to eat within 5 days or forget it.

Its fine having a major supermarket across the road, but even in the UK there are still people without transport who cannot get 20miles to shop when they have to.

As I posted a little earlier, the depth of product now available must reduce at some point due to cost of delivery to point of display. Cost of space on a shelf has been a major retail factor for many years, sales volume vs price deciding how much shelf space. If it doesnt sell it will be taken off the shelf never to return.
The worst part is being at the receiving end of the personal desires of Retail Buyers and Merchandisers, enforcing their own personal food and fashion on me.

.

tex_ritter

"The worst part is being at the receiving end of the personal desires of Retail Buyers and Merchandisers, enforcing their own personal food and fashion on me"

How so? Their personal choice and fashion only really applies if you are buying ready meals, do you?

I cook my own meals from scratch.

jamiest

You've made me smile. I had to go to UK to do a refurb on a property, I took the car with a few 5l agua fuertes from Mercadona, when I showed a builder what it could do with the lime scale on a bath he nearly fell over in surprise.

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

mikelincs

When we lived in Spain, we used the local supermarkets, can't call them Spanish as there were other ones like Aldi and Lidl. We found the quality of fruit and veg excellent, and there was none of this all tomatos the same size etc, hey sold uneven shaped and sized ones, which were much tastier than the ones we now get in the UK. Other goods, the local brnds were just as good as UK ones, and if you look at amny of the soap powders etc they are global brands, just look at the pack design and the manufacturers, and all that you can get in the UK is available, just a different name. We used Brit shops occasionally, but for limited things only.

Domino

Tex please note I said "food and fashion".
I have bought ready meals, but they seemed too small for my big appetite, but that isnt the problem in food, its the stuff they bring in at great expense from all over the world to a "supermarket near you".
I have seen so much sitting there on the shelf with only a day left on the sale by date and think about the waste - especially when there are so many people going hungry. We need more essentials and less luxury - especially if it means importing at cost to the £.

Fashion nowadays is decided by youngsters in offices whose taste depends on where they went on holiday this summer. The likes of high street shops stuffed full of clothing that most people actually don't buy, even in the sales, is another example. Whats the use of skimpy shorts, skirts and blouses to a woman in freezing UK, especially when the only sizes are 2 sizes less than she can get on ?/
Most high street fashion is female orientated, even my local Boots had more space given over to nappies or lunchtime sandwiches than to mens products.

jackytoo

I would have loved a place like Boots or Superdrug when we were in Spain. somewhere where it was possible to browse. I am suprised the owners of Superdrug never thought of setting up a branch on the CDS as they had a house nearby mine and spent a lot of time there. Perhaps they had more sense

evamar

jajjaaa... just back from Spain, I have brought a suitcase full of Spanish goodies, including jamón serrano and other embutidos and queso manchego (okay if they are properly vacuum packed). Also some olive oil, good wine, chocolate a la taza, some crema catalana liquor, sweets, tinned seafood....

Unfortunately for me most of it has already gone to my in-laws!!!

The other way round, I only take some tea with me and a Welsh cream liquor for my parents.

Lynn R

As far as cosmetics and skincare products are concerned, I find Primor an acceptable substitute here, and my preferred Clarins products are quite a bit cheaper there than in the UK as well. We have quite a big branch in the centre of town and I can pass time browsing in there quite happily!

Retired in Euskadi

Apart from weird food like Marmite, one of the few things you cannot buy in Spain is Seville oranges, if you're into making marmalade!!
We're 1hour from the French border & Leclerc has them in now.
What you'd do if you live down south is collect the oranges from the trees that line the roads in villages or towns. Nobody seems to mind & nobody picks them.

snikpoh

We also make our own marmalade but luckily have our own tree.

We asked about 'sour' oranges (as they refer to them) and found a shop that sold them - so they are available. The problem with the trees by the roadside, at least 'round here, is that they are sprayed with chemicals. I for one would not use these in anything I was later to eat! Also, we were told that we were NOT allowed to pick them anyway.

Retired in Euskadi

I'd imagine during the course of the year that the "naranjas amargas" would also be sprayed, & maybe more than once,unless you knew the farmer was "ecologico".
Obviously there's a difference between living in the Valencia area & up here in Euzkadi, where there are no British shops; not that I'm complaining about that!
I'm surprised that so may Brits seem to shop in Iceland. I reckon what you can't get, you don't really miss.
I'll remain "innocent" until found guilty about picking them from trees, but thanks for the info. The nearest places from here with orange trees are villages south of the Sierra de Gredos!!
France is nearer!!!

jdr

Not only Brits in Iceland, loads of Spaniards shop there too.

Rosemary

I live near to Valencia city and there are no Brit shops anywhere near me.

Rosemary