I’ve just done the week’s shopping online. I’ve ordered store cupboard items and various one-offs this week, so the total isn’t particularly informative, though it’s substantially up from where it used to be.
What I have noticed is a general rise in prices. Marmalade, for instance, seems to have gone through the roof. It’s one of those things – you can do without heat (just add another layer) or meat (we were cutting down anyway) but there are very few scenarios where marmalade can be replaced with an acceptable substitute.
At one time there was a range of quality and price available, the two things generally going hand in hand. Pay more, get better quality. That doesn’t seem to be happening now, as the cheaper brands seem to be adopting the prices of the more expensive brands. The expensive brands, meanwhile,, don’t seem to be going up that much. I suspect this is one of those cunning price rise strategies we are seeing in operation.
Cheap supermarkets, according to surveys, are putting prices up more than expensive supermarkets. And own-brand food is going up more than other similar food. It might be that they are having to put prices up more just to survive at that level, but my view of modern retail is so jaded I favour cynical manipulation of customers. I’ve seen very little from retailers over the years that persuades me they are determined to give me a good deal unless forced to. Cheap food is about competition and cutting quality, not about feeding people on good food. However, as the consumer seems to favour low cost over high quality who is really at fault?
Plum Jam