Cash and Carry

Sunday - generally a day of rest but actually a day battling the twin evils of Heartburn and Headache.

I had to go to the CO-OP, I only really needed dog food but had a poke about looking for reductions. I was pretty angry to see that even more of the fresh vegetable area has been taken up by drinks and snacks, and - to my disgust - chocolate. They had about 100 multi-packs of Kit Kat where the soft fruit is supposed to be.

I was in the new Sainsbury's local at the station the other day and was impressed and relieved - a nice range of fresh green stuff, in fact a bigger range of most things despite a smaller store. The problem is demographic. Sainsbury's know that their customers are mostly train passengers, students at the new college of people going home from work at the bus station - and people who buy food on the way home are either single or a young couple who have a life and don't travel out of town to a weekly shop. Hence better food in smaller portions, better wine and more toiletries - no giant packs of beer or bumper packs of crisps and no aisle upon aisle of sweets and biscuits. The CO-OP is for people lower on the social scale who probably live locally and don't drive - but are quite happy to eat shit - most of the queue is obese and has bloodshot eyes from all that cheap beer ( and that's just the kids ), anyone higher up the social scale near me is settled in a larger house and will drive to a superstore - buying more, less often, for less money. For example - yes, they have fresh pasta - in large packs, too much for one meal - and it goes off quickly so half is wasted, Sainsburys has half sized packs perfect for one large or two small meals - no waste, better value.

 I'm going to get a couple of panniers fitted on the bike and do all my shopping at Sainsburys when term starts, or find out if there are safe cycle racks at the ASDA