Metropol

cdd wrote:Mind you, one fake brand Cocopia chocolate is actaully rather nice. I like the large slabs of white chocolate. I feel bad about buying it on principle, mainly, though.

I think we've been over just how wrong this is before. Cocopia is nasty stuff that tastes as cheap as it isn't.

I can't see what those slabs of fail can deliver that a pint of Ben and Jerrys couldn't.

lukey wrote:Worryingly, the second I picked up that pizza someone behind me pressed a button on something that looked repurposed from reading gas meters, while glaring at the freshly-disturbed shelf.

I'm intrigued by this. Do you mean they were counting who was buying that tat?

Sput wrote:

lukey wrote:Worryingly, the second I picked up that pizza someone behind me pressed a button on something that looked repurposed from reading gas meters, while glaring at the freshly-disturbed shelf.

I'm intrigued by this. Do you mean they were counting who was buying that tat?

It could have easily been a complete coincidence, but it didn't have the feel of a complete stock check assault or anything - just this press of a button while standing by me, before I wandered off. I can't really see why they would need to be counting who picks stuff up at the shelves, so I don't know :p

You have a shady look about you. They might have been summoning security.

Sput wrote:You have a shady look about you. They might have been summoning security.

Well in that case they were still more subtle than Harvey Nicks, who on my first and last visit, kindly dispatched a Personal Guard to follow me at all times.

Tsk @ that. I like leading them round in big circles and back and forth.

lukey wrote: It could have easily been a complete coincidence, but it didn't have the feel of a complete stock check assault or anything - just this press of a button while standing by me, before I wandered off. I can't really see why they would need to be counting who picks stuff up at the shelves, so I don't know :p

Would probably be a gap scan, price label check, or checking the mapping of it all. They don;t, I'm pleased to say, count items off as people take them from the shelves. They've tills to do that for them!

cdd wrote:They are not above creating all new brands and hyping them up with lots of pretension to make you think they are high quality when in fact it's rebranded Tesco rubbish. Their most recent one is a brand of sandwich called "Fresh in the capital" which says it's made for tesco in very small print at the bottom.

Well, as Fresh in the Capital is a Tesco brand, it's hardly surprising it's got made for Tesco on it. It's a range of sandwiches made in London for London stores, rather than the standard range shipped all over the country.

Hymagumba wrote:i went to sainsburys today. they're doing something similar, except the concept is "try sainsburys own brand, just as good but cheaper or your money back". Makes far more sense.

I agree, although I was slightly taken aback by how blatent the "don't buy this, buy this instead" theme is. It just shows the power of the retailer over the supplier when they can stick a big arrow next to somthing like Kingsmills bread, directing you away from it towards Sainsbury's brand, so you can "switch and save".

Must be a few pissed off food manufacturers out there - well, a bit more pissed off than usual.

scottishtv wrote:

Hymagumba wrote:i went to sainsburys today. they're doing something similar, except the concept is "try sainsburys own brand, just as good but cheaper or your money back". Makes far more sense.

I agree, although I was slightly taken aback by how blatent the "don't buy this, buy this instead" theme is. It just shows the power of the retailer over the supplier when they can stick a big arrow next to somthing like Kingsmills bread, directing you away from it towards Sainsbury's brand, so you can "switch and save".

Must be a few pissed off food manufacturers out there - well, a bit more pissed off than usual.

That's been going on in America for years, but far more aggressively. Wal-Mart actually have flashes printed on their own brand products, saying things like "Compare me with Heinz/Kelloggs/Colgate".

I think it's something to do with the stricter laws we have on "comparative advertising".

TV adverts in America are quite entertaining for that reason, using clips from a competitor's adverts and saying "that's all bollocks, buy ours because it's cheaper and just as good". And that's for pills.