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Supermarkets - for the Thrifty or the Lazy?
Do supermarkets really offer the good value we all assume they do?
Supermarkets are often blamed for forcing small, independent, locally owned businesses to close. Well that's obviously because the big supermarkets can sell produce more cheaply because of their economies of scale - or is it? Do we ever stop and think that we, the consumers, might actually be better buying from those small businesses? Be honest now...
Follow up:
I'm going to go all girly for a moment if I may. I'm making dinner tonight. I'm making fajitas, which meant a trip to Tesco to buy the ingredients. Remembering having paid 60p or so for a red pepper the other day, I was surprised to see a 3 pack on sale for £1.28 in Tesco's fruit and veg section (there is a point, bare with me). As I was walking home I realised I'd forgotten to get an onion, so called into the greengrocers on the way home. Before I found what I was looking for a noticed a distinctly similar pack of peppers to the one I'd just bought in Tesco on sale for 98p. D'oh!
I then noticed a fridge with milk - 2 litres for 79p - excellent, except I'd just bought milk from Tesco where it costs £1.02. For 2 items that cost £2.40 in Tesco, I could have paid just £1.77 in the smaller greengrocer shop. I realise 63p doesn't sound like a lot but that's a 25% saving which I'm sure would add up to a lot if it carried over to more items.
So despite claims that the big supermarkets force smaller traders out of business, and squeeze the profit margins of the poor farmers supplying them to almost nothing, Britons still pay well over the odds to buy huge amounts of produce from supermarkets every single day. When you buy from a small greengrocer you get the feeling your supporting at least one extra local business - and you can do that and save a fair whack of money at the same time!!
So just why do people still pay so much more to line the pockets of supermarket shareholders? Fair enough, many people have a subconscious impression that the supermarkets are the cheapest place to buy most things - they've obviously done a good PR job on that front - they really go overboard on the price comparisons with each other, but perhaps that's ignoring the real competition. In reality , the only reason I can think of is the convenience of getting all your shopping done under one roof. Considering I walk past the greengrocers to get to the supermarket anyway, I'd have to be beyond lazy to not make more use of it. I just wonder how many people in the country act in the same way?