To the cyclist riding through Waitrose, Trumpington carpark

[GrumpyGregry]

Our local Waitrose in Newmarket's Ok, though I may be imagining it but some of its punters seem to have an awful air of smugness about them. Turn up on your bike and you may as well have arrived by spaceship. The enormous piles of Daily Mails says it all really. And there's a fair few elderly ladies who slightly overdo the talcum powder before heading out which can be a bit overwhelming! To be fair though the staff there are brilliant- friendly and dead helpful.

and what, may I ask, is wrong with that? We work very hard for our money, dontchaknow,and we are "considerable richer than yow!"

seriously, only smugness I emanate is derived from cycling down there.

 

[Jezston]

Cycle Trolleys?

 

[jonny jeez]

That's shocking.

An Alfa Estate!

 

[Glow worm]

and what, may I ask, is wrong with that? We work very hard for our money, dontchaknow,and we are "considerable richer than yow!"

 

[Arch]

Apparently we're getting a Waitrose soon, York will be complete...

 

[mangaman]

Apparently we're getting a Waitrose soon, York will be complete...

Waitrose is spreading North I gather. (One of my family is involved in their business strategy). They like to pretend they're the caring, superior supermarket but I think they're all much of a muchness in their business models and the way they treat their producers.

My take - buy raw ingredients cheap (markets/farms) and cook something >>>>> Waitrose premium range or Tesco's finest or anything else.

 

[PK99]

Waitrose is spreading North I gather. (One of my family is involved in their business strategy). They like to pretend they're the caring, superior supermarket but I think they're all much of a muchness in their business models and the way they treat their producers.

My take - buy raw ingredients cheap (markets/farms) and cook something >>>>> Waitrose premium range or Tesco's finest or anything else.

I'd agree that Farmers markets etc is the preferred route, but of the main Supermarkets Waitrose is the most ethical both in its dealings with customers and suppliers.

The one side i know a bit about - wine - illustrates the point : they are the on supermarket universally respected by the wine trade for their selections and pricing. Tesco and Sainsbury are both well know in the wine trade for their BOGOF - £9.99 down to £4.99 wine offers. It IS £4.99 wine that has been on the bottom shelf of a distant shop for the statutory number of days at the higher price. Waitrose discounts on wine are generally in my observation real discounts off an already fair price.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Cycle Trolleys?

[churchilldogvoice] oh yes [/churchilldogvoice]

see http://www.bikehod.com/bike-hod/shopping.html and their web site

Waitrose loans cycle trailers

Waitrose is introducing cycle trailers to help customers transport their shopping home by bike. Equipped with large canvas shopping bags, the trailers will be loaned out free of charge to customers who wish to use them. Available at selected branches, please ask at the welcome desk of your local branch for more details.

 

[Svendo]

Apparently we're getting a Waitrose soon, York will be complete...

I'm in Rochdale, we don't even have a Sainsbury's! small M&S food hall is the only thing posher than Tesco round here

 

[PK99]

I'm in Rochdale, we don't even have a Sainsbury's! small M&S food hall is the only thing posher than Tesco round here

Hell man, eat one of the pigeons! Send the whippet after a rabbit!

 

[Crankarm]

Our local Waitrose in Newmarket's Ok, though I may be imagining it but some of its punters seem to have an awful air of smugness about them. Turn up on your bike and you may as well have arrived by spaceship. The enormous piles of Daily Mails says it all really. And there's a fair few elderly ladies who slightly overdo the talcum powder before heading out which can be a bit overwhelming! To be fair though the staff there are brilliant- friendly and dead helpful.

Perhaps many many years ago when I used to work for them . But not now. Their punters seem to be the ones with more money than sense and the staff are arrogant and couldn't give a monkey's. Waitrose are successful in that they are only interested in the well healed retired middle class customer who doesn't shop around.

They are also guilty of price fixing as the one in Peterborough has on their price lables "same price as Tesco" or "Price match against Tesco". Blatant price fixing. I've had some awful service from staff at John Lewis in Peterborough and Cambridge. The staff seem to think they are superior and the service they give is superior and it some how justifies their astronomical prices. I was in their store looking at dishwashers, ovens and hobs. The kitchen department was deserted apart from me but it still didn't stop 4 of the staff ignoring me, laughing and jeffing with themselves. Well I had the last laugh as after waiting patiently, glancing across to them regularly whilst looking in some detail at and inspecting the appliances for about 20 minutes without one of them approaching me to see if I needed any help or even trying to sell me an appliance, I left. But before I left, I happened to find the store manager, explained how I was ignored by his staff in the kitchen department and was it a good business model to ignore a customer with money burning a hole in their pocket clearly interested in the products to let them leave the store? Either they were making so much money they didn't care to let business walk out the door or their customer service was not as good as they were reputedly famed for. He was most apologetic and seeing that I had a kitchen plan and brochures from competitors in my folder realised that his staff could have lost John Lewis a big sale, he became very keen to identify who these staff were. He even had the cheak to ask if I wanted to order the items there and then. Errrr ........ no, I don't think so. This is one you let slip through your fingers, bye!

 

[Arch]

They are also guilty of price fixing as the one in Peterborough has on their price lables "same price as Tesco" or "Price match against Tesco". Blatant price fixing.

That's what all supermarkets do, isn't it? Just the latest gimmick...

 

[GrumpyGregry]

That's what all supermarkets do, isn't it? Just the latest gimmick...

Waitrose are trying to bust the myth of being more expensive than the others. ime the quality is better hence you end up comparing apples and pears.

As for John Lewis' store having astronomical prices.... "Never knowingly undersold" is their pledge isn't it? I've often bought white/domestic goods via Oxford Street, and the on line store, and they've always price matched any real, in stock, items against the likes of comet euronics dreamland etc.. We have a major online retailer of lah dee dah kitchen equipment with it's flagship store in the 'Sham. Their response is often "Yes John Lewis do sell it a lot cheaper than us....."

And John Lewis haberdashery department is the benchmark by which others are judged.

Not retired. Not middle class.

 

[Jezston]

[churchilldogvoice] oh yes [/churchilldogvoice]

see http://www.bikehod.com/bike-hod/shopping.html and their web site

Waitrose loans cycle trailers

Waitrose is introducing cycle trailers to help customers transport their shopping home by bike. Equipped with large canvas shopping bags, the trailers will be loaned out free of charge to customers who wish to use them. Available at selected branches, please ask at the welcome desk of your local branch for more details.

Oooh ... and ... bah. My local Waitrose doesn't do them

How much do those bike hods cost anyway? With my bike lacking the ability to attach panniers I could do with something like that for my shop. EDIT £300?!? Cripes effing blimey!!!

THREE HUNDRED POUNDS?!?!?!

 

[BentMikey]

Not retired. Not middle class.

Aussie with pretensions?