I thought I was imagining things until I realised my usual toothpaste ran out a full week early. Then I checked - same price, but 25ml less than last year.
All those observations are so pertinent. Now do a little digging. Check out supermarket profitability - ALL of them. Check out supplier profitability and see that, like us, they are doing no where near as well as the thieving bstards whose shops we frequent.
Unfortunately, society is wed to laziness and welded to apathy. What that means is that unless we divorce ourselves from the crooks and break free of the apathy to seek out independent traders this situation is NEVER going to change. Govt are simply not interested - God only knows what they are interested in though so its down to individual households to change our habits and kick the fix of convenience stores.
IMHO, this whole situation is fueled by the bone idle who pay 50% more than they should so they don't have to get off their entitled ar5es to go to the shops. I look forward to the indignant rants...
I agree with you on one key point: supermarket profitability absolutely deserves more scrutiny. I didn’t really discuss it in this piece, but you’re right that supplier margins tell another important story. When big retailers are squeezing both ends of the chain - consumers and producers - we’re looking at a systemic problem, not just a consumer habit.
Where we might part ways a bit is on the question of blame. I’d caution against pointing the finger at individuals for shopping at supermarkets when many people simply don’t have the luxury of choice. Independent traders are brilliant where they exist - but they’re not always accessible, especially for people in food deserts, rural areas, or working multiple jobs with no spare time.
The issue isn’t necessarily laziness - it’s the collapse of infrastructure, community investment, and regulated markets. Until we address those structural failures, asking struggling families to “kick the fix of convenience” risks sounding like moral purity wrapped in class blindness.
That said, yes, absolutely - we should all demand better, and that starts with naming who’s profiting most from the mess.
I get your reply and understand the perspective. However, shock horror, when we 'let' monopolies build by letting high streets & corner shops die it is indeed laziness. I have three offspring, two millenials & a Gen Z. Only the Gen Z recognises the dearth of choice, only the Gen Z recognises the enforced food poverty disguised as discounts via store cards, only the Gen Z gets off her butt and frequents retail establishments. So, by the do her friends both at home & uni.
The others literally sit with their friends and complain how time poor they are completely missing the irony of it all. This I see everytime we all meet up. I'm not saying for a moment that delivery isn't great occasionally, however when it becomes the default, as it now is for the sectors growth to be so massive, then it can only be sheer laziness.
I hope your cornflakes dont arrive too soggy bud? 😁😁😁
I can’t cut any more from my budget - all the nice things I used to buy, I simply can’t afford. I have to walk around Aldi with my calculator, and I have had to ask the cashier to take a couple of items off my bill, as I do not have an overdraft facility.
I know I’m not alone - I see people in the supermarket doing the same as me. Picking something off the shelf, putting it in their basket, then returning it to the shelf again, with a resigned shrug. It’s the cost of everything that’s making it tough for so many of us.
When I first retired, I used to have spare money - then the price of gas and electricity wiped that out, and in all probability, I’ll never see that spare money again.
I live in Spain now, there has been cost rises here too. Nowhere near as bad as the UK as far as I can find out. We are going back to England for all of August, so I’m going to find out how bad this is very soon. I’m not looking forward to it to be honest.
I’ve heard this from a few people abroad now - that things are tough elsewhere, but the UK feels particularly bleak. I hope the visit in August isn’t too grim a shock.
Please let us know how you find it - honestly, lived experience is a better inflation tracker than half the official stats.
Brexshit has to be the major factor. Supermarket giants were making a killing before 2020. It's customets who've literally paid the price since for UK leaving EU.
I also think the major supermarket chains should have to charge much higher minimum prices for their beer.
Their bulk buying priviliges, translating to very cheap booze (around £4 cheaper per pint than pub prices in many areas) has contributed to the demise of traditional pubs, who are being totally priced (and taxed) out of business.
Don't forget the curse of ever expanding 'shrinkflation' A pack of Lurpak butter used to be 250gms, now reduced to 200gms. More money for fewer goods.
Yes!
I thought I was imagining things until I realised my usual toothpaste ran out a full week early. Then I checked - same price, but 25ml less than last year.
It’s sneaky, deliberate, and bloody everywhere.
All those observations are so pertinent. Now do a little digging. Check out supermarket profitability - ALL of them. Check out supplier profitability and see that, like us, they are doing no where near as well as the thieving bstards whose shops we frequent.
Unfortunately, society is wed to laziness and welded to apathy. What that means is that unless we divorce ourselves from the crooks and break free of the apathy to seek out independent traders this situation is NEVER going to change. Govt are simply not interested - God only knows what they are interested in though so its down to individual households to change our habits and kick the fix of convenience stores.
IMHO, this whole situation is fueled by the bone idle who pay 50% more than they should so they don't have to get off their entitled ar5es to go to the shops. I look forward to the indignant rants...
Morning Dave!
I agree with you on one key point: supermarket profitability absolutely deserves more scrutiny. I didn’t really discuss it in this piece, but you’re right that supplier margins tell another important story. When big retailers are squeezing both ends of the chain - consumers and producers - we’re looking at a systemic problem, not just a consumer habit.
Where we might part ways a bit is on the question of blame. I’d caution against pointing the finger at individuals for shopping at supermarkets when many people simply don’t have the luxury of choice. Independent traders are brilliant where they exist - but they’re not always accessible, especially for people in food deserts, rural areas, or working multiple jobs with no spare time.
The issue isn’t necessarily laziness - it’s the collapse of infrastructure, community investment, and regulated markets. Until we address those structural failures, asking struggling families to “kick the fix of convenience” risks sounding like moral purity wrapped in class blindness.
That said, yes, absolutely - we should all demand better, and that starts with naming who’s profiting most from the mess.
Mornin.
I get your reply and understand the perspective. However, shock horror, when we 'let' monopolies build by letting high streets & corner shops die it is indeed laziness. I have three offspring, two millenials & a Gen Z. Only the Gen Z recognises the dearth of choice, only the Gen Z recognises the enforced food poverty disguised as discounts via store cards, only the Gen Z gets off her butt and frequents retail establishments. So, by the do her friends both at home & uni.
The others literally sit with their friends and complain how time poor they are completely missing the irony of it all. This I see everytime we all meet up. I'm not saying for a moment that delivery isn't great occasionally, however when it becomes the default, as it now is for the sectors growth to be so massive, then it can only be sheer laziness.
I hope your cornflakes dont arrive too soggy bud? 😁😁😁
Brexit…Brexit….brexit!
Forsaken foreskin made me laugh too…thank you for leaving it in…
Ha! So glad that landed - “foreskin” was one of those phrases I nearly edited out twice, then left in out of glee and caffeine. And yes… Brexit.
The gift that keeps on subtracting.
I can’t cut any more from my budget - all the nice things I used to buy, I simply can’t afford. I have to walk around Aldi with my calculator, and I have had to ask the cashier to take a couple of items off my bill, as I do not have an overdraft facility.
I have never felt this poor before.
That line - “I’ve never felt this poor before” - makes my heart sore.
I’m so sorry you’re in this position.
The fact that you have to walk around Aldi doing mental triage with a calculator says everything about how broken this system is.
You shouldn’t have to cut more. You shouldn’t have to explain. You deserve better than this - and you’re absolutely not alone.
Thank you, Bear.
I know I’m not alone - I see people in the supermarket doing the same as me. Picking something off the shelf, putting it in their basket, then returning it to the shelf again, with a resigned shrug. It’s the cost of everything that’s making it tough for so many of us.
When I first retired, I used to have spare money - then the price of gas and electricity wiped that out, and in all probability, I’ll never see that spare money again.
Thank god, i thought it was just me.
It is never just you.
That’s half the point of writing these - to remind the rest of us that it’s not all in our heads, and we’re not losing the plot.
You’re very much not alone.
My wage rise is 2% this year so it's 12 months playing catch-up. Still I'm lucky to have a job, pity those in Universal Credit
Twelve months of catch-up for a 2% rise - yep, that hits hard.
And you’re absolutely right: it’s even rougher for those on UC with no bargaining power at all.
We shouldn’t have to feel “lucky” just to be treading water.
I live in Spain now, there has been cost rises here too. Nowhere near as bad as the UK as far as I can find out. We are going back to England for all of August, so I’m going to find out how bad this is very soon. I’m not looking forward to it to be honest.
I’ve heard this from a few people abroad now - that things are tough elsewhere, but the UK feels particularly bleak. I hope the visit in August isn’t too grim a shock.
Please let us know how you find it - honestly, lived experience is a better inflation tracker than half the official stats.
I will let you know how it goes.
Brexshit has to be the major factor. Supermarket giants were making a killing before 2020. It's customets who've literally paid the price since for UK leaving EU.
I also think the major supermarket chains should have to charge much higher minimum prices for their beer.
Their bulk buying priviliges, translating to very cheap booze (around £4 cheaper per pint than pub prices in many areas) has contributed to the demise of traditional pubs, who are being totally priced (and taxed) out of business.