i went to do my weekly shop at Sainsburys Millhouses last night at just after 9pm. It was closed. I went to fill up at the Sainsburys petrol station. It was closed too. I went to the Tescos store and petrol station. Both were open, 24 hours. Perhaps this gives an insight into why Tescos are doing so well and Sainsburys aren't.

I'm sorry but what are you asking, opinions on which is better????

For a Zeppelin fan, you are very slow today (as I'm a big Zep fan too, I'll forgive you, particularly as I will admit my post title could have been more specific).

I was making an observation on the competition between Sainsburys and Tescos, the two UK supermarket giants. If you are aware of their current business performance, you will know that Tescos is currently doing very well and Sainsburys is performing poorly. My post was to provide a small personal insight into at least one of the reasons why this might be so.

PS - am I the only Led Zep fan who can't stand 'Stairway to Heaven'?

id have said asda and morrisons were more of the "giants"?

Yeah, my family is a morrisons family.

Dunno why, I know nothing about shopping!

Sorry LordChaverly! :P :?

(You're not the only Zeppelin fan that dislikes Stairway, I like it but only the live versions)

Asda is best, Morrisons always looks scruffy and their fish counter smells bad.

i prefer asda, isnt it owned by mormons now?(walmart)
morrisons is very scruffy - i used to wokr there as a student - not nice, and everyone was everyones aunty or brother or girlfriend or dad - you get the picture. :hihi:

Perhaps the reason the Sainsbury's wasn't open was due to local planning restrictions? I know a Sainsbury's (not round here mind) that is open 24hrs, so I guess it can't be company policy not to open.
Having had a look at Tesco's on Infirmary Rd outside of 'normal' hours, you can see why they open 24hrs - if they weren't open the place would be full of night-shifters stacking the shelves anyway, so why not stick two cashiers on and open the doors, might take in a few bob.
Also, if the leaflets Sainsbury's Online keep sending us are anything to go by, they seem to be fighting to get us to spend money there again!
Bit of healthy competition is good in my opinion.

they sorts crashed and burned with the "home base" thing - not doing so good i hear

I suppose Sainsburys will be suffering now that somewhere even more ridiculously overpriced has opened - Waitrose.

agreed, had to go there other day - got a basket £25 OMG

Originally posted by NatalieSheff
i prefer asda, isnt it owned by mormons now?(walmart)


It's always been owned by Walmart. Asda is the British walmart.

no it hasn't. It was bought out by them about 2 years ago.

Not all stores in any one company are 24 hrs, so comparing individual stores won't tell you much.

yeah they were only bought out a couple of years ago by walmart

On the subject of supermarkets.....

When it says on a packet "if you are not satisfied with this product you can return it for a refund", has anyone ever taken something back, like a pie or something, just because it tasted horrible ? And did they give you your money back ?

ive known people do it, personally i could never be bothered.
although i now check my receipt on way out and always find mistakes by the time i get to the Customer Services desk. its usually only 3or4 £££ but i go every week and it adds up.

Originally posted by NatalieSheff
yeah they were only bought out a couple of years ago by walmart

Oh right, my mistake :? lol

Originally posted by IanMitchell
Oh right, my mistake :? lol
youre forgiven:hihi:

The Sainsbury's on Archer road used to open 24 hours on Friday nights a few years back. It was knocked on the head though. Opening through the night doesn't seem to be too profitable but it is an extra service and stores can simply operate it with a couple of cashiers who can do other jobs in between customers.

Originally posted by Lickszz
The Sainsbury's on Archer road used to open 24 hours on Friday nights a few years back.

I used to work at Sainsburys at Meadowhall about 5/6 years ago, when it was Savacentre, and we opened through the night on Fridays. After about 11pm the place was empty. Bearing in mind that the night shift knock off at about 2am, I don't see how it can be profitable to keep the store open, bearing in mind you need a couple of cashiers and a security guard. Also bear in mind staff get paid a premium for working unsociable hours.

The only time we were busy during 24 hour shopping was when we opened for the week before Christmas.

I found it quite strange finishing work at 2am then being able to push a trolley round! The only problem was alcohol can't be sold after 11pm, which lead to a lot of customer complaints.

Tesco has the largest market share of any supermarket in the uk (around 28%)

Sainsburys has had a very difficult time in the last few years, in particular problems with a new ordering sysstem has led to shelves being empty.losing market share to Tesco.

Sainsburys used to have the largest market share until Tesco overtook a few years ago.

In my opinion Tesco has the better storres but the food is better at sainsburys.

Part of the Tesco market strategy has been debated quite a bit. In particular their move into local communities and small towns with their Express and Metro stores seemingly driving local and small traders out of business. I think Wallmart was accused of something similar in the US.

Originally posted by Andy
II found it quite strange finishing work at 2am then being able to push a trolley round! The only problem was alcohol can't be sold after 11pm, which lead to a lot of customer complaints.
Yes, the alcohol aspect is frustrating. I was in a queue not so long ago around 11pm and several people in front of me had alcohol. Apparently, the checkout refuses to accept it after a certain time and although these people were in the queue well before that time, but because the queue was so long by the time they reached the front the time had expired. They had to leave the alcohol behind as they were not allowed to purchase it.

we shop at morrisons but now tesco as mum prefers it (we only shopped at morrisons cos the other tesco was so far from us at abbydale rd) but when dad is cooking he buys all his ingrediants from waitrose (:loopy: ) cos apparantly they have a wider choice.

When we lived in Peterborough I would plough my way through them all in one afternoon, buying only special offers. I would finish in Safeway and buy anything left on my list, then buy the luxury stuff from Waitrose (staff discount helped a bit though)

Originally posted by Lickszz
Apparently, the checkout refuses to accept it after a certain time and although these people were in the queue well before that time, but because the queue was so long by the time they reached the front the time had expired. They had to leave the alcohol behind as they were not allowed to purchase it.

What we used to do was, at about 22:45, open two or three tills just for alcohol. We'd make tannoy announcements asking customers wishing to buy alcohol to take it to the tills, pay for it and then continue shopping. Staff on the wine aisle would also direct customers to the checkout to pay for their alcohol before 23:00.

However, you'd always get some idiot who would ignore us and then complain. Also some people forget about alcohol in things like hampers or cheese and wine sets.

Friend of mine bought some steak at a co-op supermarket - he didn't thnk it was very nice but ate it anyway. Next time he went in he mentioned to someone on the meat counter that he hadn't enjoyed the last steak much and they were very apologetic and gave him some more free - even though he'd nothing to bring back and no proof! He's told so many people, it must have been worth it to them in good publicity

I'm an M&S food hall man myself but I do like Sainsburys 'Taste the Difference' and Tescos 'Finest' ranges. Having said that I got food poisoning from a Tescos Finest product. (Not about to name which Tescos)