Tesco price increases

Victor_M

After reading the 'Tesco declare war on Aldi/Lidl' thread I though that Tesco's latest round of recession busting covert price increases could justify it's own thread.

Tesco must really think that Irish shoppers are stupid!

I was told over the weekend by a family member that works in the heart of the retail industry that Tesco's have increased the prices on almost every one of their products slowly and discreetly over the last few months, they have been trying to create the illusion that they are as cheap or cheaper than the German retailers by choosing like for unlike product comparisons (e.g. price of 35% fruit jam in Tesco is same price as 50% fruit Jam for Aldi ,except the are selectively leaving out the fruit content stats).

The insulting thing is that Tesco "every day low prices" that they proudly display all over the stores are the worst offenders, these every day low prices are increasing almost every day, they presume that the customer will see a big sign saying its a low price and take it at face value and believe it.

Also, many of their suppliers that they have been squeezing to death slowly for years have been abandoned as soon as the market gets tough and they are bringing in a their supplies from the UK (Uni Lever being one of the larger examples)

It's a disgrace and commercial suicide in this economic climate, I think they deserve to be exposed, if anyone wants to compare for them selves pull out a Tesco receipt from 3 months ago and compare the prices with a recent receipt.

I do my shopping in Lidl/Superquinn/Dunnes and the local Butcher (only buy my meat from a Butcher or Superquinn)

Rant over, but I won't step foot into A Tesco ever again if I can help it.

As I said if you want to confirm this yourselves look at your receipts - Lots of companies have been boycotted for less.

tallaghtoutlaws

Victor_M wrote: »

After reading the 'Tesco declare war on Aldi/Lidl' thread I though that Tesco's latest round of recession busting covert price increases could justify it's own thread.

Tesco must really think that Irish shoppers are stupid!


Also, many of their suppliers that they have been squeezing to death slowly for years have been abandoned as soon as the market gets tough and they are bringing in a their supplies from the UK (Uni Lever being one of the larger examples)

Unilever created alot of jobs here and have 2 big plants in this country. Unilever are a distributor and still use Irish products the likes of HB and Lyons tea two examples. Go to their website you would see this. A friend of mine worked for them for years and Unilver bought out a fair few Irish companies and made them part of the Unilever family.

There is nothing wrong with this type of practice once they still use Irish goods which they do. Im not defending Tescos here or any of the supermarkets as in fairness they all have things about them that will piss people off but what can you do. If you don't like them don't shop there. always people giving out about prices. You know you don't have to put up with it. Solution don't shop there simple as.

ejmaztec

All of the retailers put their prices up so they must all think that consumers are all stupid. The manufacturers and wholesalers also put their prices up, so they must think that the retailers and the consumers are all stupid. We'll all just have to be less stupid and shop around.

snubbleste

I've noticed the tesco price increases as well and they are significant!
Tesco Value OJ gone from 69c to 99c Diet Kick gone from 92c to 119c

I would expect prices to fall due to competition and the value of sterling, but no! I remember the big hoohaa early last year about their 10,000 price cuts www.tesco.ie/pricenews2007/index.html
Expect the same next january.

Victor_M

ejmaztec wrote: »

All of the retailers put their prices up so they must all think that consumers are all stupid. The manufacturers and wholesalers also put their prices up, so they must think that the retailers and the consumers are all stupid. We'll all just have to be less stupid and shop around.

So all of the retailers are putting their prices up in the middle of a "We're cheaper than Aldi & Lidl" campaign - Rubbish.

Tesco are saying one thing and doing the opposite, they are conning their customers.

ejmaztec

Victor_M wrote: »

So all of the retailers are putting their prices up in the middle of a "We're cheaper than Aldi & Lidl" campaign - Rubbish.

Tesco are saying one thing and doing the opposite, they are conning their customers.

So you think that Tesco is the only retailer increasing prices and pretending to be cheaper than Aldi/Lidl?

Our local SuperValu also tells us that it is cheaper than Lidl. :pac:

We're being conned by all of them - that's what marketing is all about.

As I keep trying to explain to people, if it were not for foreign retail invaders, we would all be crucified by Musgrave/SuperValu and all the rest of the home-grown talent, as has been going on for decades.

I'd like to see a few more foreign retailers here, REWE for instance, another German retailer. An item that I spotted there a few weeks ago, not even on special offer, was a tube of Pro-namel toothpaste for €3.35. In Ireland all of the retailers, foreign or otherwise, were selling the same stuff for at least €2 more.

When the recession really grabs people by the throat, some foreign retailers will be buying one-way tickets out of the country, then it will be back to robbery as usual by the old faithful.

Dman001

I've noticed that their DVDs have gone up too. They use to be €19.90 for the chart DVDs and now some of them are €22-€24.

Kershaw.D

They will put all the prices up slowley then come jan they will announce a like 10000 price cuts when realy its just the same price
same with argos they always say stuff about price cuts but when putting some prices down they are then putting others up

bmaxi

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

Unilever created alot of jobs here and have 2 big plants in this country. Unilever are a distributor and still use Irish products the likes of HB and Lyons tea two examples. Go to their website you would see this. A friend of mine worked for them for years and Unilver bought out a fair few Irish companies and made them part of the Unilever family.

There is nothing wrong with this type of practice once they still use Irish goods which they do. Im not defending Tescos here or any of the supermarkets as in fairness they all have things about them that will piss people off but what can you do. If you don't like them don't shop there. always people giving out about prices. You know you don't have to put up with it. Solution don't shop there simple as.

I would wager that the amount of jobs Unilever have created in Ireland is minimal compared to those they've got rid of. Unilever have a policy of, if you can't beat them, buy them up and close them. I, along with many others, have first hand experience of this policy.

tallaghtoutlaws

bmaxi wrote: »

I would wager that the amount of jobs Unilever have created in Ireland is minimal compared to those they've got rid of. Unilever have a policy of, if you can't beat them, buy them up and close them. I, along with many others, have first hand experience of this policy.

Yes but that is not the point and how do you know that type of buy out has never affected me either?

The point I made to Victor_M was that Unilever are not solely British they are a world wide company and where in Ireland since the 80's so this BS about Tesco killing Irish business by using a British Company is BS as they have been in ireland since 1984.

If someone is going to use examples at least do some homework on the example before b*ll****ting your way to a point in a rant about Tesco. If you don't like Tesco simply don't shop there simple solution.

Oh by the way history of Unilever.

Here

Mods I dont work for unilever but im trying to prove a point and know alot ab out them. Victor_M made a point about tesco basically going to large british companies. So I just showing unilever is a bad example.

mikemac

snubbleste wrote: »

Diet Kick gone from 92c to 119c

Yep, was gonna post this when I saw the thread title.
Was 92c for ages, then went to 1.05 for maybe one month and wham, up to 1.19.

And this is a Tesco own brand product so you'd imagine they'd have serious power with the manufacturer

Nody

micmclo wrote: »

And this is a Tesco own brand product so you'd imagine they'd have serious power with the manufacturer

Depends on who's making it, is it Unilever doing it on spare capacity in their factory or a small factory shipping 80% of their stuff to Tesco etc.; or to put it in another way, do you think the other company would rather sell their own brand and make a 20p profit or the Tesco one and make 5p (and the rest of the profit going to Tesco)?

Victor_M

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

Yes but that is not the point and how do you know that type of buy out has never affected me either?

The point I made to Victor_M was that Unilever are not solely British they are a world wide company and where in Ireland since the 80's so this BS about Tesco killing Irish business by using a British Company is BS as they have been in ireland since 1984.

If someone is going to use examples at least do some homework on the example before b*ll****ting your way to a point in a rant about Tesco. If you don't like Tesco simply don't shop there simple solution.

Oh by the way history of Unilever.

Here

Mods I dont work for unilever but im trying to prove a point and know alot ab out them. Victor_M made a point about tesco basically going to large british companies. So I just showing unilever is a bad example.

You are missing the point I'm making about Unilever - They are no longer using Unilever Ireland as a supplier of goods they are importing directly from Unilever UK taking advantage of the currency conversion - They are totally mercenary!

They squeeze the life out of the suppliers - far worse than any other retailer in Ireland and take their business else where at the drop of the hat, why? So they can offer cheaper goods to the consumer? No! So they can buy the products for less and still jack up the prices for the consumer, they are taking us for a ride - Prices are going down in the retail sector in most cases due to increased competition and the fact that the public are spending less.

Tesco are bucking the pricing trend by inching the prices up to keep the books balanced, much like the banks, as I mentioned in the OP I have heard this from a source who is in the business and knows the difference between across the board price increases and individual company strategy.

So to say they are all at it is in some part true, but Tesco and their current marketing campaign which suggests that they are the cheapest out there whilst they are increasing prices deceptively is what has prompted me to start this thread, they are totally misleading the consumer.

Jip

Victor_M wrote: »

I have heard this from a source who is in the business and knows the difference between across the board price increases and individual company strategy.

You will also have heard from your 'source' that Tesco do their upmost to use an Irish supplier were possible.

bmaxi

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

Yes but that is not the point and how do you know that type of buy out has never affected me either?

What's not to the point? You said they've created a lot of jobs and I said they haven't. You are right, I don't know if you've been a victim of Unilever's buy out policy but I do know that I have, and many hundreds more like me. People, who had given years of service to their respective employers, dumped on the dole at the stroke of a pen and their jobs exported to the U.K.

Victor_M

Jip wrote: »

You will also have heard from your 'source' that Tesco do their upmost to use an Irish supplier were possible.

Unless they can source that product cheaper in the UK

foggy_lad

many price increases are across the board and are due to increases in prices of orange juice coffee beans paper etc but i have noticed where some items have increased in price in tesco's the increase is less in lidl/aldi

calex71

i noticed over the weekend that even some of the uber cheap tesco value range has gone up

tesco value sweetcorn 29c --> 39c
tesco value food wrap 79c --> 1.19

and they seem to have tweeked that the 14c the 6 pack of yummy tesco value chocolate waffers scanned at was wrong in the rathfarnham branch.

/shakes fist at having to pay 59c for them now :mad:

Wertz

Funny I was in Tesco yesterday getting a few things and happened across their basic sausage rolls 8 pk that I used buy (but went off eating)...last time I bought them about 2 months ago, €1.79 for the packet...yesterday's price? €2.49
This is only one item and one I just happened to notice...I don't buy much in tesco anymore, preferring to shop in the lidl next door...lack of music is a big bonus too.
IMO Tesco have been doing this for years (at least since the £/€ switch) and it's only noticable now because people are looking at prices more and spending with a tighter budget.

simplybetter

Victor_M is right, I just went through a receipt from 3 months ago from tesco and one from last weekend. Everything has gone up, I mean everything all by 2/3 or even 10 cents each.

they will do the usual in January by doing a big press release saying they have dropped thousands of prices etc.

I also had a look at a dunnes receipt from 2 1/2 months ago and from 2 weeks ago. They have kept the price more or less the same across the board.

Tesco are trying to fool everyone, Eddie Hobbs gave out about irish retailers like Dunnes 6 months ago, but I don’t hear him saying to boycott Tesco and go to Dunnes now.

quad_red

simplybetter wrote: »

Victor_M is right, I just went through a receipt from 3 months ago from tesco and one from last weekend. Everything has gone up, I mean everything all by 2/3 or even 10 cents each.

Scan them! Put em up here. The media are on here, let them see proof.

tallaghtoutlaws

Why do people still complain about something that has been going on for years by alot of retailers. Seriously if you don't like tescos prices dont shop there who cares if they raise and lower their prices. Its not like they are the first and they sure as hell wont be the last. If you really want to stick it to them stop going there and then coming on here telling us how much they have increased prices, especially during a so called recession. Whos to know suppliers in both UK and Ireland havent increased their prices? And any company can lower or higher their prices if they want. its called trying to make a profit.

tallaghtoutlaws

quad_red wrote: »

Scan them! Put em up here. The media are on here, let them see proof.

Apologies Quad_red

Victor_M

tallaghtoutlaws wrote: »

How is it a scam? They have the right as a retailer to increase their prices. 3 months is quite reasonable for a price increase.

He said Scan them not Scam!

You seem quite vocal against people who come on here trying to give others the heads up about sneaky business practice. And by sneaky I mean Tesco and their hundreds of thousands spent advertising how they are as cheap as Lidl, then when they have lured the public into a false sense of value they start creeping the prices up when their competition aren't (so it's not rising costs)

The 5c off petrol scam is insult to injury, in spending over €100 with them to get the 5c off you have already paid much more than you would if you just bought the petrol in a normal garage and did your shopping elsewhere.

They are gangsters and we should all stop shopping there.

Jip

I have to laugh at all the various threads of this ilk on this forum. Everyone is doing it be it Tesco, Dunnes, Lidl, Aldi, Superquinn etc etc and have been doing it forever and will continue to do so. Just as you're under no obligation to continue shopping there, they're under no obligation to keep their prices constant. People don't whinge when prices are dropped but you can bet your life they'll do so when raised, be it for a valid economic reason or just to make a profit.
I think it's called doing business or something like that.

ejmaztec

Jip wrote: »

I have to laugh at all the various threads of this ilk on this forum. Everyone is doing it be it Tesco, Dunnes, Lidl, Aldi, Superquinn etc etc and have been doing it forever and will continue to do so. Just as you're under no obligation to continue shopping there, they're under no obligation to keep their prices constant. People don't whinge when prices are dropped but you can bet your life they'll do so when raised, be it for a valid economic reason or just to make a profit.
I think it's called doing business or something like that.

I see that the British government is telling all of the UK players that there is no need for any price increases and to pass on any savings to the consumer. Does the Irish government ever try to exert any influence like this?

tallaghtoutlaws

Victor_M wrote: »

He said Scan them not Scam!

You seem quite vocal against people who come on here trying to give others the heads up about sneaky business practice. And by sneaky I mean Tesco and their hundreds of thousands spent advertising how they are as cheap as Lidl, then when they have lured the public into a false sense of value they start creeping the prices up when their competition aren't (so it's not rising costs)

The 5c off petrol scam is insult to injury, in spending over €100 with them to get the 5c off you have already paid much more than you would if you just bought the petrol in a normal garage and did your shopping elsewhere.

They are gangsters and we should all stop shopping there.

Quite vocal yes. So what if they increase prices. Live with it and shop somewhere else. And how is raising prices sneaky. No shop has ever advertised they are cheaper by name than others. So again how is it sneaky.

You seem quite vocal about giving out about tesco. Seems quite personal if you ask me. Put it this way if you dont like tescos prices or whoever dont fooking shop there simple as. No one forces you. I myself shop around for prices and will always find the best price. Tesco has items cheaper than dunnes, dunnes has items cheaper than tesco, tesco has items cheaper than aldi/lidl, aldi/lidl has items cheaper than tescos...... See where im going with this? They all do it and again Tesco are not the first and sure as hell wont be the last.

And quad_red my apologies i thought i read scam again I apologise.

Jip

What's that got to do with anything ? A business is entitled to do a business as it sees fit. The UK companies can tell the UK government to go stick their opinion where the sun don't shine if they want, they're under no obligation to do as they say. And if the government, be it Irish or English, try force it upon them you can be pretty sure they'll he hauled before the EU courts.

ejmaztec

Jip wrote: »

What's that got to do with anything ? A business is entitled to do a business as it sees fit. The UK companies can tell the UK government to go stick their opinion where the sun don't shine if they want, they're under no obligation to do as they say. And if the government, be it Irish or English, try force it upon them you can be pretty sure they'll he hauled before the EU courts.

Calm down, or you'll have a seizure. I'm sure that the EU bods would listen sympathetically to a business that wants to charge unjustifiably high prices (not).

These businesses realise that, when it comes to things like planning permission, grants etc etc, they won't want to piss of the government by ignoring the criticism.

As far as I can see, no Irish government has ever been pro-consumer, the only pro-consumer legislation here being that originating in Brussels. Perhaps too many politicians have vested interests in businesses across Ireland to worry about the Irish consumer.

Jip

ejmaztec wrote: »

I'm sure that the EU bods would listen sympathetically to a business that wants to charge unjustifiably high prices (not).

Basic economics really. A business can charge as much as it wants without needing to justify it to anyone. If people pay that amount that's all well and good for that business and they'll continue to do so. If people don't they drop their prices until they do start selling it at a particular price.

The only way a business can get some form of a slap on a wrist is if that company is a monopoly, which supermarkets couldn't be further from.

snubbleste

Jip wrote: »

Basic economics really. A business can charge as much as it wants without needing to justify it to anyone. If people pay that amount that's all well and good for that business and they'll continue to do so. If people don't they drop their prices until they do start selling it at a particular price.

The only way a business can get some form of a slap on a wrist is if that company is a monopoly, which supermarkets couldn't be further from.

Tesco are advertising themselves as 'Irelands biggest discounter' and at the same time increasing prices.
The OP was pointing out that there are ongoing significant price increases in Tesco stores