Shopping habits

[RfC77]

meh. If you live in Melbourne just shop at Aldi or Maxi. Still plenty of options.

There's still more choice than there was 20 years ago, not less.

In regards to Coles and Woolies - with innovative products, there's more choice at present of course but in terms of "standard" items which have been around for donkey's years, there's less. It's a gradual change with them.

One thing you haven't mentioned, for all their horrendous duopolising evilness, at least Coles and Woolies profits go to Aussie workers via superannuation. Aldi profits go to the richest man in Germany.

That is 1 way to look at it, there are pros and cons for sure! From an outsider's perspective you'd naturally back the Aussie 2, but internally it's all bonuses & BS politics with them with little regard for the honest workers on the floor - if you want to climb the ladder within those 2 then you have to shaft the guy next to you then shaft everyone under you. Other important comparisons of how all 3 compare in operations can be found in efficiency and environmental responsibility. Coles n Woolies IMO are grossly inefficient in the manner in which they operate, the volumes of food they discard is simply staggering - you have to see it to believe it. Also the manner in which they dispose of waste and their alledged recycling programs is questionable.. from what i witnessed the only thing they recycled was cardboard and small amounts of plastics. Sizeable amounts of plastics and metals still ended up in general waste. Machinery/Refrigeration units are often faulty and break down due to lack of service and maintenance despite the pleas of employees. With Aldi, they audit everything on a frequent basis, you might have already noticed that they sell out of many of their food items which is done on purpose - to keep waste to an absolute minimum. With recycling they are literally obsessed in seperating materials into seperate bins with routine audits done to ensure protocol is thoroughly followed. Overheads are greatly reduced due to the selective layout of both stores and warehouses which in turn easily allows more expenditure on maintenance of equipment thus promoting efficiency once again.

Might i also add that the Aussie 2 wisely planned their moves into the retail fuel market with a hidden agenda to control it and take us all for an epic ride.

 

[Rosy]

Might i also add that the Aussie 2 wisely planned their moves into the retail fuel market with a hidden agenda to control it and take us all for an epic ride.

We have Foodworks here with no competition. They are good supermarkets but quite expensive and have a limited range. Certainly quite adequate for week to week shopping but there's still a need to stock up on certain things when we go to Melbourne.

I've never seen a Maxi shop, in fact hadn't heard of them. I don't mind Aldi but not being a regular I find it a bit hit and miss. It's trial and error getting to know their products. Agree with snakey that some things are a bit odd. Others are wonderful. Their fruit and vegies often leave a lot to be desired. I find their detergents overpoweringly scented. No doubt they are the cheapest place to shop but we rarely have the opportunity to.

I wanted to boycott Safeway cos I permanently stuffed my knee in one of their shops. I tend to shop there a fair bit anyway.

 

[tigergollywog]

But was it nice?

Yeah. sometimes you hit paydirt on a plain brand. I was put onto black and gold mature tasty by a mate. FWIW i laboured at McCains when i was a kid. ne of my jobs was to change the bags from white wing to mccains to plain brand etc. it was always the same chips and dim sims and pizzas going into the bags :hihi .... allegedly.

 

[RfC77]

Yeah. sometimes you hit paydirt on a plain brand. I was put onto black and gold mature tasty by a mate. FWIW i laboured at McCains when i was a kid. ne of my jobs was to change the bags from white wing to mccains to plain brand etc. it was always the same chips and dim sims and pizzas going into the bags :hihi .... allegedly.

i once worked at packing sheds in Upper Beac that supplied coles,woolies(safeway),and Bi-Lo with prepackaged fruit and vegetables.. same product, growers, quality, but different mark-up % - it's all in the Label.

 

[Rosy]

i once worked at packing sheds in Upper Beac that supplied coles,woolies(safeway),and Bi-Lo with prepackaged fruit and vegetables.. same product, growers, quality, but different mark-up % - it's all in the Label.

Not always the same quality on the shelf though. Safeway are far more reliable to count on for f & v than Aldi. Might be to do with turnover and storage conditions. The former fresh and good variety...the latter often sparse and wilted.

On a similar note I was a chef at a pretty exclusive Hobart restaurant. Forget the name of the fish now but it came in big slabs. It was sold as various kinds of fish on the menu depending on the different shapes it was cut into.

 

[RfC77]

Not always the same quality on the shelf though. Safeway are far more reliable to count on for f & v than Aldi. Might be to do with turnover and storage conditions. The former fresh and good variety...the latter often sparse and wilted.

On a similar note I was a chef at a pretty exclusive Hobart restaurant. Forget the name of the fish now but it came in big slabs. It was sold as various kinds of fish on the menu depending on the different shapes it was cut into.

You're generally right about that Rosy, Aldi need to look at getting more refrigeration for certain lines also it has a lot to do with general handling at the warehouse, and grower's locations...some districts have a better climate than others also growers in the more favourable districts usually have exclusive contracts with the big 2 so it means Aldi has to look elsewhere ..there's many variables. The fish you speak of.. it wouldn't be reconstituted Nile perch would it? that fish breeds in sewers!

 

[tigergollywog]

The fish you speak of.. it wouldn't be reconstituted Nile perch would it? that fish breeds in sewers!

:hihi

I had a funny interaction once at a coastal 'restaurant' when I asked what "the fish of the day" on the board was and was told "Nile Perch". At least they were honest and didnt try make up a story the chef had been Barra fishing that morning. However, I was duty bound to give the chef a lecture on the culinary concept of 'of the day'.

How about those weird flowery typhiod and colera -filled farmed prawns you get from vietnam for about $1 a tonne? They make Nile Perch taste like coral trout.

 

[RfC77]

:hihi

I had a funny interaction once at a coastal 'restaurant' when I asked what "the fish of the day" on the board was and was told "Nile Perch". At least they were honest and didnt try make up a story the chef had been Barra fishing that morning. However, I was duty bound to give the chef a lecture on the culinary concept of 'of the day'.

How about those weird flowery typhiod and colera -filled farmed prawns you get from vietnam for about $1 a tonne? They make Nile Perch taste like coral trout.

The waiter was correct in a sense, it was the fish (that was selected from the deep-freeze) on that particular day. I don't know how on earth that stuff passes our health standards.... you'd be better off eating carp caught at the warmies!! I once bought some of those tasteless prawns you speak of..they were supposed to be cleaned but instead half of them still had their entrails still attached.. and the price shops here demand for them isn't too far off the price of local ones.

 

[tigergollywog]

It was the stroke of 4, an acceptable hour for me to enjoy a Tsing Tao rice beer from china i got from ALDI for $9.99 a six pack. When was the last time I got a full strength 6 pack for $10? I was really enjoying it and quietly congratulating myself on my frugality, until a story came on ABC news about 6000 dead pigs getting pulled out of the Shanghi River

 

[Azza]

It was the stroke of 4, an acceptable hour for me to enjoy a Tsing Tao rice beer from china i got from ALDI for $9.99 a six pack. When was the last time I got a full strength 6 pack for $10? I was really enjoying it and quietly congratulating myself on my frugality, until a story came on ABC news about 6000 dead pigs getting pulled out of the Shanghi River

I looked it up TGW, I reckon you're safe. Moreso at least than the good citizens of Shanghai who get most their drinking water from that river.

 

[tigergollywog]

I looked it up TGW, I reckon you're safe. Moreso at least than the good citizens of Shanghai who get most their drinking water from that river.

I would certainly be steering clear of the pork specials in shanghai for the next couple of weeks. 2

 

[MB78]

Good news announced today. New Australian food labelling laws will make it easier to know what you are buying.

 

[TigerForce]

Good news announced today. New Australian food labelling laws will make it easier to know what you are buying.

Don't fall for it MB. Still proves nothing. Just measured in quarters, so if it's 25% Aussie made, where's the other 75% from?

 

[MB78]

Don't fall for it MB. Still proves nothing. Just measured in quarters, so if it's 25% Aussie made, where's the other 75% from?

It would be even better if it was further refined again. However it better than the current system, and easier to understand so that you can make a more informed choice.

So for mine this is a good start.