Everything to do with Shops

[Ian]

Hmm. Obesity is inextricably linked to poverty, which won't helped by tinkering.

[SteveH]

The retailer has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators while it tries to secure extra funding.

Advisory firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has been lined up, but not yet appointed, to handle the administration of the company.

The company said it had "begun promising conversations with interested parties" and that its 272 stores would remain open for now.

Orders will continue to be fulfilled, but the firm will not be providing any refunds. Instead, alternative products can be offered and earlier deliveries arranged.

Kevin Barrett, boss of Nestware Holdings, which owns Carpetright and several other retailers, said its restructuring plans were hit by a slump in April trade caused by a cyber-attack.

"This has resulted in the company seeking a period of protection whilst sale negotiations proceed."

He added that its main priority was ensuring that "as few customers and colleagues are impacted as possible".

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckkgl3zz1v6o

Address: Unit 3d, Within Bensons for Beds, Mostyn Champneys Retail Park, Llandudno LL30 1YR

Phone: 01492 550299

[SteveH]

Update on above.....

13 Carpetright stores to close in Wales in shock announcement including Llandudno

Flooring retailer Tapi has agreed to buy the Carpetright brand, intellectual property, 54 stores and two warehouses in a pre-pack administration deal. 13 Welsh stores will be affected.

cont https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/13-carpetright-stores-close-wales-29592601?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Asda is going to put more staff on checkouts after admitting it has reached a limit with self-service tills.

The supermarket said while self-checkouts work well for customers, it wants to invest additional hours into having manned checkouts.

“We know that our customers like to have the choice of how they complete their shop which is why we have self-checkouts, manned checkouts and scan and go at most of our larger stores.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3w6q4x99pwo

[DVT]

About time ... very annoying to get your shopping then find only two assistants on the tills - yet see more than two helping the shoppers using the self-service tills!

[Hugo]

That's a very good and valid point DVT and I'm sure that a lot of people would like to be served by a person rather than a machine.    In M & S the assistants all seem to direct you to a self service till but if you don't want to shop that way then ask the assistant if the till does cash back.     It doesn't, so you'll be directed to another till and will be served by a human instead of a machine

[mull]

Is it just me becaus I am an old man, that everytime I try to use a self service till I end up having to ask for assistance ?
Given up trying now no matter how long the Q I will go though a check out.
Support the workers otherwise they will end up out of work just like counter staff in a bank.
The world has gone mad and we are all helping it along.

[Hugo]

I'm the same as you Mull,  I've given up on the self service tills and if the assistant says it is easy and they'll show me how to do it, I just ask them if it does cashback, which of course it doesn't
It just saves any confrontation with the assistant.
I have spoken to a younger person who always uses the self service till and he has told me how easy it is to cheat that till and pay less for the goods.
Although he has never done it I wonder how many other people have stolen goods in this way and that Asda have eventually realized how widespread the theft is from these self service tills?

[DVT]

I have spoken to a younger person who always uses the self service till and he has told me how easy it is to cheat that till and pay less for the goods.  Although he has never done it I wonder how many other people have stolen goods in this way and that Asda have eventually realized how widespread the theft is from these self service tills?

I have often wondered that ... you are left to scan your own items, so quite easy to miss scanning one or two!

[SteveH]

Kellogg's Corn Flakes shrink in size but not price leaving consumers fuming
It's another example of shrinkflation where brands and supermarkets reduce the size of the products while charging the same amount

Whatever size box you buy, half of the Kellogg's brand's pack sizes of the iconic breakfast cereal have dropped in weight, by a whopping 50 grams.

That could mean you could be left with a whole bowl less per box. A 720g box of Kellogg's Corn Flakes has dropped to just 670g and 500g boxes have decreased by 10% to 450g, reports WalesOnline.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/kelloggs-corn-flakes-shrink-size-29752331

[DVT]

I bought my Corn Flakes in Asda last Tyuesday ... the 1kg box cost only a little more than the 670g box, so grams per pence quite a difference.

[SteveH]

To add to the above Shrinkflation, I saw on TV a new term.........Skimpflation

What is ‘skimpflation’ and how is it different from ‘shrinkflation’?
Skimpflation and shrinkflation seem to be on the rise as supermarkets have been quietly reducing the quality of products

Shoppers who have already had to come to terms with rising prices and shrinking pack sizes now have to deal with "skimpflation". Guardian Money has reported that supermarkets and manufacturers have been quietly changing recipes and reducing the size of some of their products to keep shelf prices down.

It began investigating supermarket prices after being approached by a reader who had noticed that the Aldi spread he had bought contained only 10% olive oil when previously it was 21%.

Another shopper, on the Tesco website, says: “These tissues have changed. They are now nothing like the description. They are not luxury, soft, gentle and definitely NOT extra-large. Very inferior.”

Sue Davies, the head of food policy at the consumer group Which?, called it worrying that people could be “inadvertently paying more for less”.

She added: “While shoppers may be deterred from buying a product if they can see the packet getting smaller or the prices going up, they are less likely to notice manufacturers and supermarkets quietly changing the ingredients of products.

“If you are concerned about the ingredients of your favourite items, be sure to check the label carefully when shopping and compare with other brands of the same product to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal.”

What is skimpflation?.... https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/what-is-skimpflation-supermarket-food-drinks-prices-b1105037.html

[SteveH]

Home Bargains recall notice as 'do not use' warning on eight items
The retailer has issued active product recall warnings

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/home-bargains-recall-notice-do-29805239?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589


Have supermarkets reached peak self-scan?
After years of encouraging shoppers to scan their own groceries, some supermarkets are checking out a move back to traditional tills.

Asda said it would put more staff on checkouts, while Morrisons admitted it might have "gone too far" with self-scan. Northern upmarket chain Booths has got rid of them altogether.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj08m35q3l9o

[SteveH]

 

[SteveH]

Retailer John Lewis is bringing back its "never knowingly undersold" price pledge from Monday, two years after abandoning it.

It will also apply to online sales for the first time, whereas it previously only applied to in-store shopping, and will use AI to match the prices of 25 top retailers.

The department store chain has been trying to win back customers after a tough few years that has seen it cut jobs and close several stores.

It swung back to profit earlier this year, but is expected to continue shedding jobs as it seeks to revive its fortunes.

The decision by John Lewis' new managing director Peter Ruis to restore the price pledge marks a change of direction from his predecessor.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62r9371jddo