The Lemon Fool

Unfortunately...

(Probably now my favourite word, indeed my favourite word of the decade. The century?)

...come the new year, my local Aldi has seemingly rejigged it's product line. This meant that early today I - wait for it! - went shopping in my local branch of Sainsbury's!

Yes, I know I shouldn't, but what can you do?

Early in the morning it wasn't crowded, I kept my shopping list minimally short, I was soon at the tills. A customer, wanting to be served. (God: In Sainsbury's?). Should be easy enough, only one till open of course, but only a couple of shoppers with very little shopping. I move in for the kill! Natch, I'm beaten to it by a Sainsbury's staff member. Much more important issues are at stake: such as how to put your SIM in a new phone? How to work your new phone? Whatever. Nothing to do with me, I'm only a customer, remember? Want to be served around here: "Shudda gone to Specsavers"?

I make a decision (big mistake) I make a break for... the machines! (God: In Sainsbury's?) Yes I know but this is the act of a desperate man. It is early, very few are in use - this could work (God: In Sainsbury's?). But I only use the ones on the end (another day...). I end up with the machine I used last time I was here. It seems to work (like it did last time...) until it doesn't (like it did last time...). At this point my nerve fails. I raise my hands to my ears and stagger off in a random direction clutching my head: You know that painting by Munch, "The Scream"? Fortunately the scream is silent, so no need for the police to be called.

A Sainsbury's worker asks me "Are you alright?". "No" I reply, "I'm shopping in Sainsbury's" - short and to the point. She finishes dealing with the rest of my shopping. Of course, for her the machine mysteriously works (like it did last time). I hastily pay and practically run from the shop.

All in all, a pretty average shopping experience in my local Sainsbury's - I'd say.

XFool wrote:All in all, a pretty average shopping experience in my local Sainsbury's - I'd say.

We shop at Sainsbury and have encountered none of those difficulties. It's just simple, efficient straight in and out with no need to ask anyone for help.

Goodness knows why you have such an unfortunate experiences.

Aldi and Lidl, on the other hand, I've used once or twice and have always come out swearing not to go back. Both are truly dreadful places to be in which do nothing to make shopping a pleasant experience.

Arb.

Arborbridge wrote:

XFool wrote:All in all, a pretty average shopping experience in my local Sainsbury's - I'd say.

We shop at Sainsbury and have encountered none of those difficulties. It's just simple, efficient straight in and out with no need to ask anyone for help.

That is what most people say to me. Some think I must be making it up. I wish I were...

Arborbridge wrote:Goodness knows why you have such an unfortunate experiences.

By now I am even prepared to consider psychological explanations: Am I in some strange way making it happen? Certainly, for years now, if I go into the Sainsbury's I am expecting these things to happen - it is definitely a 'thing' with me now.

Arborbridge wrote:Aldi and Lidl, on the other hand, I've used once or twice and have always come out swearing not to go back. Both are truly dreadful places to be in which do nothing to make shopping a pleasant experience.

Why did I make Aldi my local supermarket for shopping in person? Simple: Because it isn't my local Sainsbury's

Arborbridge wrote:

XFool wrote:All in all, a pretty average shopping experience in my local Sainsbury's - I'd say.

We shop at Sainsbury and have encountered none of those difficulties. It's just simple, efficient straight in and out with no need to ask anyone for help.

Goodness knows why you have such an unfortunate experiences.

Aldi and Lidl, on the other hand, I've used once or twice and have always come out swearing not to go back. Both are truly dreadful places to be in which do nothing to make shopping a pleasant experience.

Arb.

Totally with you on that, Arb. Local Sainsbury's is big, has wide aisles, scan while I shop and can be in and out for a weekly shop in 30 minutes.
Aldi/Lidl I totally hate. Narrow aisles, long queues for the checkout (often only one open). I only go there if my wife begs or threatens me,

--kiloran

We shopped at SBRY on Saturday evening. There were no checkouts open, it was a case of DIY. The staff were their usual semi helpful self (eg if you've bought wine or drugs ( paracetamol) the red light flashes..thou shall not pass Go, though shall not check out) - they have a way of being able to ignore the red light until my stares are just about to burn a hole in their back...at which point they sally over with their magic key to make the red light go away...having established I'm over 18. ( moisturiser ain't working)

I know what you mean about being behind a staff member at a check out...they do like to have a good old natter. Surprisingly, my out loud speculation on how long I've got to go before reaching state pension age are to no avail. Check out is a leisurely activity.

When you think about it..
1. Put stuff in a basket
2. Remove stuff onto the conveyor belt
3. Put stuff back in basket ( into bags...plenty of time for this in SBRY and TSCO...but don't dare try it in Aldi)
3a swipe the plastic ( several times, don't forget the reward card, points and prizes)
3b swipe the plastic again as 3a didn't work first time
4. Put bags in car
4a put trolley back...well 50% bother
5. Drive home, remove bags
6. Remove stuff from bags and pack away
7. Flake out on the sofa with a cup of tea and that Belgian Bun ( not a euphemism....the pastry with a cherry on top)

It's a chore. Mrs M is a strong advocate of letting the TSCO mountain come to Moh..Monabri (mon abri) and cutting out a few operations.

kiloran wrote:

Arborbridge wrote:We shop at Sainsbury and have encountered none of those difficulties. It's just simple, efficient straight in and out with no need to ask anyone for help.

Goodness knows why you have such an unfortunate experiences.

Aldi and Lidl, on the other hand, I've used once or twice and have always come out swearing not to go back. Both are truly dreadful places to be in which do nothing to make shopping a pleasant experience.

Totally with you on that, Arb. Local Sainsbury's is big, has wide aisles, scan while I shop and can be in and out for a weekly shop in 30 minutes.
Aldi/Lidl I totally hate. Narrow aisles, long queues for the checkout (often only one open). I only go there if my wife begs or threatens me,

Everything you are saying makes complete sense to me. I understand the pov completely. But...

I just cannot understand the situation myself. I find shoppinbg in Aldi to be like... shopping. I don't like it, but it has to be done.

Over the years I have found shopping in my local Sainsbury's to be a genuine repeating nightmare. I have even had fantasies that perhaps it is all some kind of elaborate ongoing, long term, psychological research project!

Sainsbury's is a fairly large open supermarket, Aldi is a much smaller shop. I don't like crowds but find negotiating the more crowded, smaller Aldi much less stressful than I do the larger areas and spaces of the Sainsbury's. Why?

Years ago now I can even remember when the Sainsbury's POS terminal systems were so unreliable that it was a question of "Will I get to the end of the queue before the till OS crashes?". In the late 1990s my then credit card kept failing in Sainsbury's POS machines. I kept cleaning it against my shirt before trying again. Then I thought, "I don't have this trouble in other shops" and I looked at the card. A CC with an Expiry date in the 21st century... millennium bug? I used to try their self service tills when they were new, often they were not working or, when I tried them, switched into supervisor mode and asked me to enter the password.

"I just want to be served and get outta here!"

monabri wrote:I know what you mean about being behind a staff member at a check out...they do like to have a good old natter. Surprisingly, my out loud speculation on how long I've got to go before reaching state pension age are to no avail. Check out is a leisurely activity.

Absolutely. Chatting to their friends and mates always seems a higher priority then serving customers.

monabri wrote:We shopped at SBRY on Saturday evening. There were no checkouts open, it was a case of DIY. The staff were their usual semi helpful self (eg if you've bought wine or drugs ( paracetamol) the red light flashes..thou shall not pass Go, though shall not check out) - they have a way of being able to ignore the red light until my stares are just about to burn a hole in their back...at which point they sally over with their magic key to make the red light go away...having established I'm over 18. ( moisturiser ain't working)

I know what you mean about being behind a staff member at a check out...they do like to have a good old natter. Surprisingly, my out loud speculation on how long I've got to go before reaching state pension age are to no avail. Check out is a leisurely activity.

When you think about it..
1. Put stuff in a basket
2. Remove stuff onto the conveyor belt
3. Put stuff back in basket ( into bags...plenty of time for this in SBRY and TSCO...but don't dare try it in Aldi)
3a swipe the plastic ( several times, don't forget the reward card, points and prizes)
3b swipe the plastic again as 3a didn't work first time
4. Put bags in car
4a put trolley back...well 50% bother
5. Drive home, remove bags
6. Remove stuff from bags and pack away
7. Flake out on the sofa with a cup of tea and that Belgian Bun ( not a euphemism....the pastry with a cherry on top)

It's a chore. Mrs M is a strong advocate of letting the TSCO mountain come to Moh..Monabri (mon abri) and cutting out a few operations.

I'm so glad you do that, because it keeps you out of the quick scan lane, or whatever it's called. I scan everything on the way round and getting out is quick and easy. Haven't seen a conveyor belt or queue in years.
And as for assistance for wine etc: they are always lurking and quick to respond. SBRY and Waitrose are both good in that respect.

Arb.

Arborbridge wrote:

monabri wrote:When you think about it...

I'm so glad you do that, because it keeps you out of the quick scan lane, or whatever it's called. I scan everything on the way round and getting out is quick and easy. Haven't seen a conveyor belt or queue in years.

In Adi? - "Yes". In Sainsbury's? Shudder...

But that's a whole other bunch of bananas.

Now..if we are talking seriously about check outs....what are the views regarding check outs at "The Range" ?

My life drained before me in the queue to check out. One would serve less time for robbery than having to queue up there.



https://www.therange.co.uk/

Was a Piece of Cod on your shopping list?

I can understand where you are coming from. You wonk get as stressed if you grow your own or make your own.

Mainly because you won't have time.

Have you been to one of those new/revamped M&S where you now have to scan the clothes you buy.

monabri wrote:Now..if we are talking seriously about check outs....what are the views regarding check outs at "The Range" ?

My life drained before me in the queue to check out. One would serve less time for robbery than having to queue up there.



https://www.therange.co.uk/

I was in one of The Range stores yesterday ( N Ireland) and, yes, the queue had doubled back on itself, two tills ‘open’. I was too far back to know what the holdup was but eventually joked to the lady in front of me that they were deliberately slow hoping to tempt us with all the rubbish sweet stuff along the aisle. She’d reached the limit of patience and declared it was the worst store management she’d ever seen. Up to now, I’ve barred myself from Matalan where you must segregate into a cash or self-service card payment queue —which WILL mess up and expose you as incompetent to everyone behind, and I won’t go near Asda till I forget the hour-long circus it took to return one item I’d ordered online.

Jeez, do it on the komputa and a nice man or lady brings it to your door at a time of your choosing.

I bet Aldi and Lidl won't do that for ya!

If you are going to go back to S**y's - download their Smartshop app and scan-as-you-shop on your phone. Bought goods straight to your own bags. Only interaction with the "machines" is to pay.

Go on- you know you want to try it. And inquiring minds want to know how you get on.

PS I use Smartshop, and my only issue with it is remembering what it is called. I keep looking from something called Sainsbury***, but a least it is close enough alphabetically to find.

Mike4 wrote:Jeez, do it on the komputa and a nice man or lady brings it to your door at a time of your choosing.

Sainsbury's? I know, I have, I did. I have an online Sainsbury's account.

Yes, that usually works, when I used it (strictly post pandemic!). But:

1. I need/want what I wanted today, today.

2. I only needed a very limited number of things - not the £40 or more of grocery shopping online which is delivered for £1, out of hours.

There is always an explanation. Why do not more people realise this?

Arborbridge wrote:Aldi and Lidl, on the other hand, I've used once or twice and have always come out swearing not to go back. Both are truly dreadful places to be in which do nothing to make shopping a pleasant experience.

It depends.
Don't use Lidl, but our localish Aldi is our weekly alternate with Waitrose.
A different world. the store, the customers (us excluded).
They don't have 64 varieties of olives, but they have a lot of British meat & veg, and of course the centre aisle which is a magical mystery tour, a jumble sale, a rummage,

The checkout is super quick. You plonk your goods back in the trolley as they come through the checkout lady, then go to the side and pack them into your bags. None of the genteel dawdling that characterises Waitrose.
It's a race.
The survival of the fittest. Don't like it? Don't go then.
Sainsbury... just another supermarket, of no particular merit.

V8

orangepekoe wrote:Have you been to one of those new/revamped M&S where you now have to scan the clothes you buy.

Thankfully not, and M&S is my go-to shop, along with Waitrose. But a new trend in the US is removing self-scan paydesks as the shoplifting that happens as a result is through the roof. It always struck me as trivially easy to do that here as well and I can only assume that the resultant loss due to "shrinkage" is less than what is saved by not paying human cashiers.

88V8 wrote:The survival of the fittest. Don't like it? Don't go then.
Sainsbury... just another supermarket, of no particular merit.

V8

Quite: Sainsbury? Excellent supermarket. Don't like it? Don't go then.

Occasionally one has to try things to find out what you prefer.


Arb.