Today I'm angry about.....

[boltonboris]

But if people didn't want that, they wouldn't sell so bloody much of it.

[Lord Kangana]

If that was truly the case, then bobo would have found a wonderful array of fabulous cheeses laid out in front of him from, after all, thats what he wants.

Sadly, thats not entirely true. Supermarkets aren't demand driven, they are product driven. Over many years, as AT has pointed out, they have (purposefully) scaled down the expectations of consumers by small increments at a time. They don't suddenly change a product line overnight, it goes through a series of small changes. Changes that substitute what we want for what is cheap. Study the history and ubiquity of breakfast cereals (for example), do you really believe they are a consumer driven product?

[BWFC_Insane]

I don't blame the supermarkets per se. They just stock predominantly what people buy.

It just reflects how lacking in imagination a lot of people are with food in this country.

This board is definitely not representative.

I see it very differently. The supermarkets erode choice, but try to make you believe you have more choice through their marketing etc. Supermarkets are only interested in selling 1,000s and 1,000s of items. This means they drop or don't sell lots of stuff that would be viable still. In days gone by an individual shop would have been happy to sell a 10lb block of cheese over a week and as such sold a variety of stuff and made a profit. Supermarkets killed much of the competition through convenience and the choice gradually disappeared. Cheddar, always a popular choice is then bought in massive bulk and then packaged under different labels, with different prices. A lot of it is the same stuff.

A generation has grown up knowing only what the supermarket sells and tastes have changed as a result. The UK has some amazing food that can compete with France, Italy and anyone else. You just can't buy it in Tesco and most folk these days take the path of least resistance and buy what is easiest.

Which was my broad point. I don't see supermarkets as evil, they are a certain type of business that we all use from time to time, probably most people regularly.

They have a model and broadly reflect consumer trends. I appreciate that they may be more interested in high volume than a full range. But thats the nature of their business. If people bought a bigger variety and therefore there was a demand, it would be stocked.

The flip side is that they sell under one roof a load of items that years ago, you'd have struggled to find anywhere, let alone all in one place.

But they can't buy what isn't stocked, so how do the supermarkets know there's a demand?

Don't tell me the process of them trying a bit of product here and there, I know that bit.

They certainly lead the supply as much as listen to the demand.

I suppose its a chicken and egg type situation. I know what you're saying.

But I don't believe that supermarkets would not stock popular products.

I buy my meat from the butchers, my fish from the fish market (usually).

However, I still use a supermarket for things such as fruit and veg, juice, spices, fresh herbs, cupboard stuff like spices and condiments, pasta, rice, etc etc....

The convenience of the supermarket for getting all those things in one place, and a massive variety of choice as well, is great. The effect they have had on local shops less so, however, I can't be hypocritical as I use em....

In terms of LK's comment, supermarkets do stock a lot of stuff that is not loaded with "carbs, fats and sugars" as well......

[General Mannerheim]

dont get many euro's for yer quid these days do you!? jeez, basically a straight swap!

[Lord Kangana]

about 1.20/£ general?

[Bruce Rioja]

dont get many euro's for yer quid these days do you!? jeez, basically a straight swap!

Que? It's the best it's been for years, man (and is fecking us up at work). You should be looking for around €1.272 to the £1.

[Bruce Rioja]

This (From t'BEN)

A FORMER Bolton man who cheated the benefits system out of £33,443 has been given a suspended prison sentence.

A judge suspended the four- month term given to Peter Maher for 12 months and ordered him to carry out 80 hours unpaid work . Maher was also given an electronic tag between 10pm and 6am for a month Maher aged 57, formerly of Mill Lane, Bolton, now of Upholland, had been convicted of two offences of failing to notify a change in circumstances by a Liverpool Crown Court jury after a trial last month. The offences involved income support and council tax benefit.

80 hours turning flowerbeds over in return for £33K +? That'll be £418.04 an hour then!

feck this turning in for work malarkey. I'm off to defraud the benefits system in return for top Dollar. Champagne, anyone?

[thebish]

feck this turning in for work malarkey. I'm off to defraud the benefits system in return for top Dollar. Champagne, anyone?

go on then! bet you don't!

[Bruce Rioja]

feck this turning in for work malarkey. I'm off to defraud the benefits system in return for top Dollar. Champagne, anyone?

go on then! bet you don't!

Truth be told, I wouldn't know where to start

I'll look into it.

Ah, scrub that - I've found it.

Hmmmmmmm.

Total Entitlements £8,033.12 £154.06 weekly

The estimate includes an amount for interest payments on your mortgage.

Actually, I don't think I'll bother afterall

[BWFC_Insane]

This (From t'BEN)

A FORMER Bolton man who cheated the benefits system out of £33,443 has been given a suspended prison sentence.

A judge suspended the four- month term given to Peter Maher for 12 months and ordered him to carry out 80 hours unpaid work . Maher was also given an electronic tag between 10pm and 6am for a month Maher aged 57, formerly of Mill Lane, Bolton, now of Upholland, had been convicted of two offences of failing to notify a change in circumstances by a Liverpool Crown Court jury after a trial last month. The offences involved income support and council tax benefit.

80 hours turning flowerbeds over in return for £33K +? That'll be £418.04 an hour then!

feck this turning in for work malarkey. I'm off to defraud the benefits system in return for top Dollar. Champagne, anyone?

But presumably he's had/having to give it back?

[Bruce Rioja]

But presumably he's had/having to give it back?

I'd like to think so but I see no mention of it. If the thieving bastard's potless then I don't see how he can.

[BWFC_Insane]

But presumably he's had/having to give it back?

I'd like to think so but I see no mention of it. If the thieving bastard's potless then I don't see how he can.

Presume they deduct it out of future benefits?

[malcd1]

But presumably he's had/having to give it back?

I'd like to think so but I see no mention of it. If the thieving bastard's potless then I don't see how he can.

Presume they deduct it out of future benefits?

Yes right. If he has spent it, he will not have anything to pay it back with. There are no repercussions for benefit cheats so why not. Get him to sell his house, car, big TV and everything else he owns to pay back as much as he possibly can. Of course they will say they cannot punish his family even though they would also have benefited from this theft.

[boltonboris]

Send the bailiffs in. It seems the less people work, the more ridiculously large gadgets they fill their house / empty lives with.

[bobo the clown]

Yes right. If he has spent it, he will not have anything to pay it back with. There are no repercussions for benefit cheats so why not. Get him to sell his house, car, big TV and everything else he owns to pay back as much as he possibly can. Of course they will say they cannot punish his family even though they would also have benefited from this theft.

Noooo. You don't get it at all.

He had a difficult birth & was abused as a child. His family are all ill, one even spent a week in the army.

Anyway, it's all Daily Mail bullshit & he's really not done it at all.

Society is to blame and anyway he was entitled to it.

Let's have a whip-round.

[thebish]

Yes right. If he has spent it, he will not have anything to pay it back with. There are no repercussions for benefit cheats so why not. Get him to sell his house, car, big TV and everything else he owns to pay back as much as he possibly can. Of course they will say they cannot punish his family even though they would also have benefited from this theft.

Noooo. You don't get it at all.

He had a difficult birth & was abused as a child. His family are all ill, one even spent a week in the army.

Anyway, it's all Daily Mail bullshit & he's really not done it at all.

Society is to blame and anyway he was entitled to it.

Let's have a whip-round.

roll up... roll up... and watch bobo wrestle the invisible shiboleth!!

[BWFC_Insane]

Yes right. If he has spent it, he will not have anything to pay it back with. There are no repercussions for benefit cheats so why not. Get him to sell his house, car, big TV and everything else he owns to pay back as much as he possibly can. Of course they will say they cannot punish his family even though they would also have benefited from this theft.

Noooo. You don't get it at all.

He had a difficult birth & was abused as a child. His family are all ill, one even spent a week in the army.

Anyway, it's all Daily Mail bullshit & he's really not done it at all.

Society is to blame and anyway he was entitled to it.

Let's have a whip-round.

Let's go and get some of those paediatricians, the bastards.....

[Lord Kangana]

I blame the pedestrians myself...

[Gary the Enfield]

It's the fecking podiatrists you've gotta watch out for. Evil, greasy, smelly anorak wearing bastards!

[Bruce Rioja]

£40 a ticket to watch Lisa Stansfield? £40 a ticket to watch Ultravox (in the Gods with restricted legroom). Pop music - poke it up your bottoms!#

Squeeze £50:75 REAR stalls