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supermarkets

Do you shop locally and support small businesses or do you use mainly supermarkets?
What do you think the effect of supermarkets have on local economies and small businesses, not to mention farmers?


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/5115990.stm
http://www.bananalink.org.uk/index.p...mid=52&lang=en
http://www.actionaid.org/index.asp?page_id=915
http://www.sovereignty.org.uk/featur...h/smarket.html

the only good thing i can see about them is they can be cheaper than some independant stores for some things, but the main reason people use them is for convenience of having it all under one roof and they can park their car outside. I find that generally its cheaper for me to buy my meat from a butcher and my fruit and veg from a greengrocer or the market, yet often i still find myself picking it up at the supermarket, cos im there already buying other stuff such as milk.
Ive been trying to cut down supermarket usage where I can, but old habits die hard.
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I shop at supermarkets because they're open all the time.;)

    Seriously though, I do prefer to shop for an hour in an evening after work, rather than spend my whole day off wondering round the locals shops. I think that supermarkets offer a more efficiant service, which means lower prices overall (there may be a few things you can get cheaper from elsewhere, but as a whole, it's cheaper to go to a supermarket).

    I don't think a great deal about the effect on farms and such, but I know for one, I wouldn't like to go back to the days when 90% of the population has to work in fields just to feed everyone. I think that more efficiant production and delivery of food is inevitably going to reduce the number of farms and workers needed in these roles. And if there's already too many farmers (I don't know if there is) then they will obviously not be getting a good amount of money for their produce, because there will be loads of it around. Lol, that's the limit of my knowledge on the subject.:(
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    We will at some point probably have to import most of the milk we consume because of the way supermarkets pay farmers, and thats just one example.

    They delay payment, they force promotions on small suppliers and make them pay the cost of it... the list goes on.

    I try and shop locally or at places where I know they wont totally abuse the farmers and suppliers but Tesco's dominance of everything is sometimes hard to avoid. The quicker they are forced into two or more seperate companies by the Competition Commission the better.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Honestly, i buy at supermarkets as i don't have time to go to several different shops.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What is wrong with convenience?
    What is wrong with being able to buy everything under one roof?
    There is no such thing as mon-fri 9-5 anymore and the local stores are not open 24hrs. There are different shopping trends.
    Also, Sainsbury's and ASDA use a lot of local sourcing - meaning they use the local farmers and produce growers in terms of fresh food, and both sides are happy.

    If you can find everything at one place, then you can spend less time shopping and spend more time either with your family or doing something you actually like.
    Hell, I am tempted to do internet shopping...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    it is a matter of convienience unfortunatly, I do think if people had the time they would support local traders. I try to eat out in restaurants that source there ingredients locally, if I ever open my own restaurant it would be using exclusively local produce.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I shop locally wherever possible, but as people have pointed out the convenience of supermarkets is a large pull. I’m lucky enough to have a really good local butcher and fishmonger so I only usually have to shop at supermarkets for fruit and veg.

    I think that supermarkets have a massive potential to do good by local farmers and producers but mostly choose not to. Waitrose et al are going someway to addressing this but they do tend to be a supermarket more for the affluent.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm another who shops locally and at small, indepedent places whenever possible. I'm very concerned about and aware of food miles and always try and work out the way I can get what I want without taking the absolute piss.

    I get all of my fruit, veg, dried goods from small and local greengrocers and the absolute wealth of ethnic foodstores around where I live. I love going to the farmer's market, too, SO much more interesting and satisfying than schlumping around under the fluorescent strip lighting in Tesco being invited to partake in the offer of treated, dyed and really unpleasant looking offers at the fish counter. I balked at the price of a turnip last time I was in Tesco, who are they trying (and seemingly managing) to kid? Also, 60p for a tin of chickpeas in sugared, salted water? You're alright, I'll buy a sack of them for a pound at my local shop, cheers :wave:

    In terms of their relationship (or lack thereof) with local farmers and producers, I'd have to agree with CptCoatHanger that their potential to forge great, ethical and environmentally sound links with local farmers is far, far greater than their inclination to do so. It's really worrying, as it's an untenable situation for pretty much everyone - we can't go on transporting food halfway round the globe, ignoring our local producers and burying our heads in the sand forever. It's frightening how much people don't care.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There are no local butchers/greengrocers where I am at the moment so I mainly get stuff at Waitrose, partly as I get staff discount there, sometimes go in M&S too. And I also use the 24/7 Tesco at night when I'm driving back from somewhere. I guess I am in the category of despising Tesco yet sometimes shopping there.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    this is the thing with supermarkets, an example there could be a field next to your house growing mixed salad leaves, they get picked packed and sent of to germany to get packaged, from here it is transported to a warehouse belonging to the supermarket, here it is transported to a regional distrubution warehouse belonging to the supermarket, from here it is sent to your supermarket which is a mile from where you live. So your product has travelled thousands of miles to come back home again. Anything being carted around in this manner can't help its quality surely.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Anything that has to be fresh or so forth, i buy at a proper market as thats where my family work and shop too and i supply them. But other stuff, tins, packets, etc i buy in supermarkets as its easier.
  • Indrid ColdIndrid Cold Posts: 16,688 Skive's The Limit
    It depends. If I'm looking for few and specific things and there's a small shop closer to home than a supermarket, I'll go to the small shop. If I also need stuff that it doesn't have and I know that from before, I'll make the extra way to the supermarket.
    Whichever is more convenient.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i use supers most for buying alcohol.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i use supers most for buying alcohol.

    That's the last thing I use 'em for. Local offie is far cheaper.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blagsta wrote:
    That's the last thing I use 'em for. Local offie is far cheaper.
    not here mate.
    occasionaly yes ...and i buy then.
    the small offys are all but gone here and the bargain booze types just aint anymore.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    We get most of our stuff from lidl, but during the week we go to our local shop to get stuff like milk and bread or whatever.
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