You know Britain is becoming poorer, the people broke, when

[SpontaneousOrder]

Given that tesco and sainsbury etc are ALOT more expensive (for food) that than buying better quality food from the market, when the supermarket't model means it should be able to sell it cheaper, tells me that we can't really use price as a barometer. People may just be cottoning on that the tescos, etc are a rip.
I only go there because my time fighting through the crowd at market, parking, etc, is worth more to me than the premium the supermarkets charge. Probably the same for most. If other brands can offer the same convenience at a lower price then of course people will go there.

That being said - those cheaper supermarkets are only just starting to open up where I live, so for all I know the food could be crap; but that's besides the point.

[eek]

We're lucky (?) enough to have a very large Tesco, in fact it's the only proper supermarket on this side of town. This means not only does it have an excellent selection of wine, whisky and a decent deli counter, it is also not just full of oiks because the more up-market folks go there two. You're as likely to see a pregnant mum buying Strongbow in 3L bottles as a gaggle of students as a yummie mummy preparing for a wine & cheese evening.

You forgot to point out that with only a Russell Group university and no second tier uni there gaggle of students are usually private school types spending a small bit of daddy's money on proper brand booze rather than Tesco value....

[d000hg]

You forgot to point out that with only a Russell Group university and no second tier uni there gaggle of students are usually private school types spending a small bit of daddy's money on proper brand booze rather than Tesco value....

Yep, we have a better class of student. They really fit in with the northerners. I heard the other year Durham HAD a northern student!

[CheeseSlice]

also no other supermaket does Jaipur IPA.

true, although I prefer their Kipling beer

[OwlHoot]

and Sainsbury's vegetables often aren't what they might be, at least in the branch over the road from me.

Their bagged carrots usually feel damp and sometimes slimy and stinky, their parsnips are skinny, and their "value" tomatoes underripe.

Also at weekends, from friday onwards, their bread section is almost empty.

and one of the sliding doors at their main entrance has been out of action for literally months

[lilelvis2000]

Misses and I have been shopping at one of Lidl, Netto or Aldi for over 10 years now. I haven't stepped into one of the big ones for anything other than milk in years. Mind you, the Tesco beside the office does a very nice breakfast.

[Lumiere]

Lidl have the best sausages and chocolates selection. Sadly the nearest one is miles away.

[minestrone]

Which I also shop at (the shop, not the country) for their awesome platters.

I was in Iceland tonight, clocked a 75 piece dessert platter for 5 quid. I was awestruck.

[SueEllen]

I was in Iceland tonight, clocked a 75 piece dessert platter for 5 quid. I was awestruck.

Chav

[tomtomagain]

Poorer ... are we really poorer?

Britain is awash with stuff.

We throw out half of the food we buy because it's past the sell-by date.

My local charity shop turn away "donations" because they have so much stuff.

I took an old CRT telly to the local dump yesterday, there's a special shed you have to put it in, it was filled wall-to-wall with flat screen TV's.

We are a long way from poor.

We have the longest life expectancy of any generation. The crime rate has fallen year-on-year for the last decade.

We have freedom of speech, free press, free elections. Impartial judiciary. Health care provided from cradle to grave for all of society.

Not only that. We've not had to spank the Germans for 50 years.

Or the French for 100.