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Thread ID: 119861	2011-08-13 20:53:00	Supermarkets are putting 800 per cent mark-ups on some fresh fruit and vegetables	pctek (84)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1223009	2011-08-14 01:21:00	@Wolf : when you consider the volume of product shifted and the fact items are very rarely out of stock, the supermarkets do a very good job. Consider also, they are like a mini-bank. It is a complex business of logistics. There is no denying that. My 'idiotic' comments were a little facetious - but I have experienced buying practices within supermarkets (not the produce section) that raised an eyebrow or two. I realise product isn't bought to throw away, and the rate of spoilage would actually be very low if you took everything in the supermarket into account. To pick on the rate of spoilage in one of the 2 fastest spoiling areas isn't looking at the whole picture. I also think your example of throwing up to half of something away would be the exception rather than the rule.	andrew93 (249)
1223010	2011-08-14 01:27:00	The Supermarket chain moves into an area and sells produce etc at a low price, people change their habits and go there because prices are lower than their traditional smaller local shops because the Supermarket have economy of scale. Part of the problem there is the convenience factor. I knew a guy who had a poultry farm 20 odd years ago and when all the little local post offices closed he lost a lot of his business because the local butchers and green grocers stores closed because people had to go further afield to get their money so ended up buying at the super markets . The ramifications of the closure of the post offices was rather large. Local businesses closed which caused others to falter and people ended up driving where they would have walked.	mikebartnz (21)
1223011	2011-08-14 01:28:00	That's pretty much spot on Andrew. And because I'm not going to be posting all this again the next time we have a fruit and vege price thread I'm gonna make sure everything anyone wants to know is in this thread. Two examples of the mark up we were making when I was working there (really the only ones I can remember now because I bought them so often, so don't think I'm just picking cheaper ones) (Both prices are just roughly what it would've been on average at the time) Bananas cost: $1.20kg Bananas sell: $2.49 - $2.89kg Apples cost: $1.99kg Apples sell: $3.49 - $3.99kg Also just quickly, bananas are a really good example of waste because they'd make up probably the most waste (don't have numbers for this, just from my experience) Most commonly: (small attack on customers here, but some of them seem to have no brains whatsoever) They are put onto the shelf and customers will constantly pick them up, push them over to get to other ones, drop them, break single ones off (which ripen quicker and don't sell) etc. Everyone knows bananas bruise easily. Often we'd sell them as salad bananas but for the most part we'd be throwing a hell of a lot of bananas out at the end of the day. ESPECIALLY when they are on special (99c for example) Another example is they get sent to us either green or over ripe. Green they don't sell as well and overripe they turn black very quickly.	--Wolf-- (128)
1223012	2011-08-14 01:29:00	There are to many middlemen taking their cut by the time it gets to the supermarket the price is already high. That is what pushes the prices sky high. Growers -> Turners and Growers -> Foodstuffs/Progressive -> Supermarket $0.20/kg (Generally ripped) -> $0.60/kg (Large MU) -> $1.20/kg (Moderate MU) > $2.40+/kg (Whatever they can get away with)	Netsukeninja (13296)
1223013	2011-08-14 01:34:00	Complete nonsense on your part. No the complete nonsense is on your part.:groan:	mikebartnz (21)
1223014	2011-08-14 01:42:00	They are put onto the shelf and customers will constantly pick them up, push them over to get to other ones, drop them, break single ones off (which ripen quicker and don't sell) etc. Everyone knows bananas bruise easily. Often we'd sell them as salad bananas but for the most part we'd be throwing a hell of a lot of bananas out at the end of the day. ESPECIALLY when they are on special (99c for example) Customers that just throw produce around and don't put it back where they get it from really get up my nose. Some of the check out operators have no understanding of how some things will damage and will just drop things on top of bananas etc rather than leaving them until last and treating them carefully. I love the self check outs.	mikebartnz (21)
1223015	2011-08-14 02:16:00	Customers that just throw produce around and don't put it back where they get it from really get up my nose. Some of the check out operators have no understanding of how some things will damage and will just drop things on top of bananas etc rather than leaving them until last and treating them carefully. I love the self check outs. I often prefer to buy prepackaged fruit as I know this has had minimal handling. you do quite often see customers picking through loose fruit with their hands. They select the best fruit which is a natural thing to do. Another pet hate of mine is the way that check out operators handle bread. I usually stand the bread so that the operator can easily grab the bead by the twisted cellophane at the top. I feel like screaming when they grab the loaf in the middle and crush the slices.	Bobh (5192)
1223016	2011-08-14 02:32:00	Twelvevolts come down to Christchurch after the earthquakes and see how little competition and lack of regulation there is. We lost at least 3 major supermarkets that I know of and now the remaining ones are perpetually busy. Prices are going through the roof. Biscuits that used to be around $2 are now selling for $3 for example. There is no competition whatsoever they are all putting their prices up. The only thing that hasn't gone up in price is 2Litres of milk from the local dairies (some of them) @ around $3.45. that is cheap compared to the rip-off supermarkets.	zqwerty (97)
1223017	2011-08-14 02:37:00	I often prefer to buy prepackaged fruit as I know this has had minimal handling. you do quite often see customers picking through loose fruit with their hands. They select the best fruit which is a natural thing to do. Ack, would never buy the pre-bagged stuff myself. Almost always works out to be more expensive and the quality is often lower, not including the rotton ones you'll sometimes get in there. If you pick your own, just grab from the back of the display, take home and wash.	--Wolf-- (128)
1223018	2011-08-14 02:46:00	Twelvevolts come down to Christchurch after the earthquakes and see how little competition and lack of regulation there is. We lost at least 3 major supermarkets that I know of and now the remaining ones are perpetually busy. Prices are going through the roof. Biscuits that used to be around $2 are now selling for $3 for example. There is no competition whatsoever they are all putting their prices up. The only thing that hasn't gone up in price is 2Litres of milk from the local dairies (some of them) @ around $3.45. that is cheap compared to the rip-off supermarkets. Also 12v is not considering the smaller centres where only one super market would be viable.	mikebartnz (21)
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