ALDI for Callan - again!!

Dan Jaman

I saw ESB vans on site last week, so power is going in. Perhaps the historical artefacts turned out to be nothing more than an old chamberpot and a couple of pig bones.

nhg

Great to see diggers busy on the site today

foxcoverteddy

Yes, there was a great deeal of work going on, at that rate will we have it open by Christmas, I hope so.
I wish the boys would take more care of the store, I really do try to shop as much as I can, yesterday was one of those prime examples not too, my lad wanted wedges, no problem until one got to the hot counter, I would not have given what was purported to be wedges to my dog.
Given there are going to be quite a few workers in Callan with the building oh why are they not taking care.
Saturday morning bread is a joke, Keogh's bread appears to be thrown in same loaves different dates, and that is not funny.
Well at least we will have an alternative.
Nice to hear from you regards to all Foxy

nhg

I'd say if its open by St Patricks Day we will be doing well, seemingly from when the work gets going it will be aprox 16 week to open & between the rain (today for a prime example) & Christmas holidays, well everyday they are able to work is a day sooner to having ALDI in Callan & not having to travel to do a grocery shop.

Dan Jaman

Today the ESB were re-routing an overhead line that crossed the site and burying it. In the back of the SupaValu car park were a couple of ESB vans and a huge silent gen set on a truck/trailer, which must have been supplying the shops and houses the re-routed line was originally going to.

Gypsy Roman

Wish it was a Tesco,madness that there is no Tesco in the whole of Kilkenny.

frankie2shoes

Last week I found myself in the super value in clonakilty. Now I know clonakilty is is a tourist town with a larger population than Callan but the difference between the stores was unbelievable. Fully stocked shelves. Fresh fruit and veg area clean and stocked. Great butchers. An olive bar! An olive oil bar! Fresh produce everywhere. Fallon and Byrne would be envious Its incredible how two stores have the same sign out front but look and feel completely different inside. I hope the arrival of Aldi drives them to improve or drives them out altogether. Perhaps a small dunnes like the one one that used to be on high St in KK or a tesco local could better suit the needs of Callan and its catchment area

Gypsy Roman

frankie2shoes wrote: »

Last week I found myself in the super value in clonakilty. Now I know clonakilty is is a tourist town with a larger population than Callan but the difference between the stores was unbelievable. Fully stocked shelves. Fresh fruit and veg area clean and stocked. Great butchers. An olive bar! An olive oil bar! Fresh produce everywhere. Fallon and Byrne would be envious Its incredible how two stores have the same sign out front but look and feel completely different inside. I hope the arrival of Aldi drives them to improve or drives them out altogether. Perhaps a small dunnes like the one one that used to be on high St in KK or a tesco local could better suit the needs of Callan and its catchment area

Agree 100%, and not to mention the prices of Supervalue,u buy a handfull of items and it runs into the same as u wud almost get a weeks stuff in Lidl or Aldi. Super Value in name only.

pueblo

Gypsy Roman wrote: »

Agree 100%, and not to mention the prices of Supervalue,u buy a handfull of items and it runs into the same as u wud almost get a weeks stuff in Lidl or Aldi. Super Value in name only.

Not to be pedantic or anything but it's actually Supervalu.......should really be pronounced Supervaloo :rolleyes:

barneygumble99

frankie2shoes wrote: »

Last week I found myself in the super value in clonakilty. Now I know clonakilty is is a tourist town with a larger population than Callan but the difference between the stores was unbelievable. Fully stocked shelves. Fresh fruit and veg area clean and stocked. Great butchers. An olive bar! An olive oil bar! Fresh produce everywhere. Fallon and Byrne would be envious Its incredible how two stores have the same sign out front but look and feel completely different inside. I hope the arrival of Aldi drives them to improve or drives them out altogether. Perhaps a small dunnes like the one one that used to be on high St in KK or a tesco local could better suit the needs of Callan and its catchment area

Even super value in loughboy is years ahead of callan in terms of customer service. The staff in callan seem uninterested to be honest. only for the nice fresh keoghs bakery products , i would not go in there.

Our man in Havana

Because SV are the only game in town they can get away with appalling service.

This won't work in the city as people can go elsewhere such as Lidl, Dunnes etc.

road_high

barneygumble99 wrote: »

Even super value in loughboy is years ahead of callan in terms of customer service. The staff in callan seem uninterested to be honest. only for the nice fresh keoghs bakery products , i would not go in there.

Christ, it must be bad so!

barneygumble99

mfitzy wrote: »

Christ, it must be bad so!

i would compare it to celtic tiger era where bad customer service was common place.

kk23

bad service comes from poor management , sounds like a bit of a dive!

nhg

But the thing is, the majority of people don't do their weekly shop there, they only pick up the bits and pieces there, they go to Kilkenny or Clonmel for the grocery shop where they can incorporate the visit to ALDI/LIDL.

If they got their act together & had a properly stocked store, especially with ALDI coming to town people could/would do their grocery shop in Supervalu Callan.

curiouskid

I can't believe the negativity of people, WE are trying to get the place together and infact the place is looking 100 times better. Yes its going to take a few weeks after the face lift to get it back on track but the fruit and veg is well stocked offers always there. There is no olive bar or salad bar now as people don't shop from it anymore we were losing money. Bad customer service why complain on here why not go to the management and complain to them instead of bitching and running down the place. Yes I am a staff member there and yes its gets frustrating when we have to listen and read stuff like this, at the end of the day its our jobs that you are putting on the line, jobs that we need to pay bills feed our families and to meet people. I'm actually sad or hurt that people of Callan feel like this.

road_high

curiouskid wrote: »

I can't believe the negativity of people, WE are trying to get the place together and infact the place is looking 100 times better. Yes its going to take a few weeks after the face lift to get it back on track but the fruit and veg is well stocked offers always there. There is no olive bar or salad bar now as people don't shop from it anymore we were losing money. Bad customer service why complain on here why not go to the management and complain to them instead of bitching and running down the place. Yes I am a staff member there and yes its gets frustrating when we have to listen and read stuff like this, at the end of the day its our jobs that you are putting on the line, jobs that we need to pay bills feed our families and to meet people. I'm actually sad or hurt that people of Callan feel like this.

Yes but the shop is meant to be a business not a charity. eople are voting with their feet. Can't blame them. Better options elsewhere.

Dan Jaman

curiouskid wrote: »

I can't believe the negativity of people, WE are trying to get the place together and infact the place is looking 100 times better. Yes its going to take a few weeks after the face lift to get it back on track

Re-instate the crossing points in the aisles and I notice there are still no spice refill packs.

foxcoverteddy

Oh dear, poor old supervalu. Well firstly Aldi looks well on the way.
However I do not have any vested interest in Supervalu, except that we need it badly, Callan would be poorer without it.
Supervalu is small compared with many other supermarkets, which I believe was down to planning regulations regarding the size of such stores. Once built it is perhaps difficult to build on.
However there is an awful lot of negative talk, give the boys their due they are trying, the store needed a revamp, we have one, yes it may take some getting used to but at least give it a try.
One comment about no breaks in the aisle's, is there in Dunnes or Superquinn or Iceland, no, nor in Tesco, which are all much bigger than our Supervalu, they have used the space to maximise stocking, now you cannot argue with that, how many have moaned they haven't got this or that.
In truth i cannot see why this will not work, as for can't find this or that and it is done to make us buy more, it is a yes and no answer.
No, it is difficult to re-organise a store, the logistics of moving stock are mind boggling, yes the spice's well no doubt that will be sorted, as a tip the best place for spices is Superquinn, it is brilliant and reasonable.
The whole concept of supermarkets is to encourage you to buy, I seldom come out with what I went in for, but I love shopping and get carried away, you might say but I have over spent, well yes but make a list and stick to it, my wife swears it is the only way, this will apply to Aldi, so beware.
The store is not dirty, just think of the number's going in, the meat, Nigel runs a fair counter, and my favourite fruit and veg area is as good if not better than most, but remember other Supervalu's may outshine ours but they will be larger and newer.
Yes the store in Clonakilty is a brilliant example, as is Loughboy.
Pricing, again the discounter's win, just look at the number of stores they own, their buying power is fantastic, but do not get carried away they are not necessarily cheaper on all items.
I would say do not winge, enjoy your shopping, and try and buy Irish produce, I was amazed to read lyon's tea was actually english.
This is why it takes me so long to shop checking from where the food comes from, do you check your bananas? Bet you can't say what variety you are buying? Clue apparently 5here is mainly one variety, famous cyclist. Have fun. Foxy

Dan Jaman

foxcoverteddy wrote: »

do you check your bananas? Bet you can't say what variety you are buying? Clue apparently 5here is mainly one variety, famous cyclist. Have fun. Foxy

I've never heard of a Wiggins banana.

foxcoverteddy

try mark Cavendish, have a nice day

curiouskid

mfitzy wrote: »

Yes but the shop is meant to be a business not a charity. eople are voting with their feet. Can't blame them. Better options elsewhere.

As for people voting with there feet I have to disagree with you there, we have had a very busy 2 weeks more so then normal, which means the options are improving inside. as for a charity thats not what i was getting at, but the more you knock a place off the worse the publicity and the less chance we have of competing. And if you can't find something please ask, its taking us time to get used to where things are too. And foxy the moving of stock was not easy, its only now our back store is getting back to normal. I know Callan might need something extra like aldi but please don't keep knocking supervalu if there is something wrong or something you would like improved or done tell us and not a public forum.

barneygumble99

personally i have no complaints about the shop layout , stock etc itself, but when you go to the till and there is a queue with six people in it and only one person serving, then surely another till operator should be called. then the employee and customer start talking about what they did at the weekend. this happens a lot and not just with the same employee. its called customer service for a reason, to serve the customers. people are entitled to discuss this on a public forum but its also well known amongst a lot of the older generation who have no access to the internet, that the customer service is poor.

foxcoverteddy

tell you what, Aldi doesn't have an afinity with its customer's like supervalu.
Okay it may take a little longer at the checkout, are you in that hurry.
Curiouskid beware some people who don't evenb come to Callan will post utter rubbish.
I always find if there are a few waiting aN OPERATOR WILL BE SUMMONED.
It is a brilliant store with brilliant staff.

barneygumble99

foxcoverteddy wrote: »

NHG you are a dream thanks a million and to everyone else who supported us, will be out looking for the digger, oh happy days. Foxy

foxcoverteddy wrote: »

NHG -Thanks for the info was not in Callan to-day, big sigh of relief, it was a long job but we got there in the end, many thanks to you for the support, see you in Aldi

foxcoverteddy wrote: »

However, unless Musgraves can do something about their deliveries, they will bne sending people into Aldi's arms, yesterday about 11am, I was disappointed to see the cold veg store looking bare, especially as it is aloways kept spic and spam.
Milk, joke, there was one carton of supervalu low fat milk, seeing I won't pay avonmore prices I would have been off to Aldi, the cold food fridge display looked more like it had been raveged, very sparse for somethings, go round the otherside ham, well just.
Come on Dermot and Martin get to grips with Musgraves, when Aldi come you cannot let the stock down, we depend on you both, so do the staff.
The packet of cereal Golden Nuggets had been opened, but not the actrual bag inside, there wasn't another, I like granola, is there any, no, Aldi sell it,
We want to support supervalu help us for goodness sake, you can't sit back, Help the people, help yourselves and help Callan

foxcoverteddy wrote: »

Saturday, Supervalu Callan.
Well if the boy's Dermot and Martin really are serious about keeping their customer's, they are going a funny way about it.
Normally the greengrocery part of the store is meticulously cared for, oh dear the young lady responsible must have been off on saturday, had Aldi been open, even I would have run round to get my greengrocery.
There were empty shelves, there is no way one can expect to succeed, Saturday is a busy shopping day to find it in the shambles it was, both disappointing and no wonder everyone goes to Kilkenny.
One must realise Callan shopper's are no longer at the bottom of the pile, they want and expect the same as those who live in Kilkenny or c.lonmel.
We had all the chat about the small shop keeper's but Supervalu's management are not much better, come on we expect and demand better than your current effort's.
Some people can shop on Friday or the day's deliveries arrive, there are many who only have Saturday, are they suggesting you must shop when it suits them? I have tried shopping in the evening, hardly worth the effort.
By not looking after your customer's what are you doing for your staff?
We both depend on your expertise, come on.

foxcoverteddy wrote: »

However another visit to our only store last night, gave the impression that the boy's could have given up the fight, apart from the lack of greengrocery,l the down at mouth look of the fish and meat, and wor4se of all the lack of checkout facilities, queue's at 6.30, no one really wants that after a hard days work.

foxcoverteddy wrote: »

Come on Supervalu, why can't we have a freshly stocked store on monday instead of waiting until mid-day Tuesday for stock to arrive from Musgraves.
Aldi is supposed to be an alternative, a freedom of choice but the way it is going it looks like Supervlu will be there to give a choice from aldi.
For goodness sake why can't we get fresh deliveries Sunday ready for Monday other stores appear to, i can't shop in a store that is lacking in fresh veg etc, I want to shop when i want not at the whim of a store owner.
Is it any wonder customers from Callan can be seen in kilkenny and clonmel, I flatly refuse to buy stock that has sat in the store over the weekend, unless of course it was marked down, and it isn't.
Grief, the staff are dependent on you to manage the store, you are reputed to be the experts, come on, the checkouts are bad enough, how old are they?
By the way the fresh bread section on saturday looked like it had been hit by an avalanche, sorry not good enough, no wonder people want Aldi, the way it's going they will want Lidl as well,

foxcoverteddy wrote: »

Yes, there was a great deeal of work going on, at that rate will we have it open by Christmas, I hope so.
I wish the boys would take more care of the store, I really do try to shop as much as I can, yesterday was one of those prime examples not too, my lad wanted wedges, no problem until one got to the hot counter, I would not have given what was purported to be wedges to my dog.
Given there are going to be quite a few workers in Callan with the building oh why are they not taking care.
Saturday morning bread is a joke, Keogh's bread appears to be thrown in same loaves different dates, and that is not funny.
Well at least we will have an alternative.
Nice to hear from you regards to all Foxy

foxcoverteddy wrote: »

tell you what, Aldi doesn't have an afinity with its customer's like supervalu.
Okay it may take a little longer at the checkout, are you in that hurry.
Curiouskid beware some people who don't evenb come to Callan will post utter rubbish.
I always find if there are a few waiting aN OPERATOR WILL BE SUMMONED.
It is a brilliant store with brilliant staff.

Foxy , Ive really enjoyed your updates on this thread going back along and you've been a fantastic campaigner for Super Value but i've highlighted your own first hand experiences above of super valu to familiarise youself with what others have also been experiencing in the store. I for one, will still continue to shop in super value for the fresh bread alone and possibly more but sadly you reap what you sow, and bad customer service does not lead to sustainability in this era. Hopefully the completion of Aldi will have seen a complete turn around in super value's credibility and both stores can continue side by side.

nhg

ALDI is well and truly 'up out of the ground', they started erecting the wall panels yesterday with a crane, (somehow they did'nt manage to get the base level, after the heavy rain, all the water seemed to be lodging at the chapel lane side, but I'm sure they'll sort it with floor levelling compound when tiling)

foxcoverteddy

That post took quite sometime to put together, well done.
However remember the grass looks greener on the other side of the valley, gthat is until you get there and then the reverse happens.
Yes, i will support supervalu, I tell you for why, staff customer relations are in the main superb, despite what some people say they have time to talk to customer's, it is important, shopping should be fun.
A bit back to front perhaps but your groceries are not thrown at you by the checkout staff, equally you are not harrassed at the checkout, you can pack youir bag in comfort.
You don't get asked before you have completed the transaction how are you paying.
Complaints are dealt with straight away.
When Erin is in the fruit and veg section is a delight, it is clean and neatly laid out and one can buy with confidence.
Again, Nigel takes great care of the meat and fish section, it shows to a degree when he is not working.
Then we come to the cold food, maybe it is the customer's but I do not appreciate varying sell by dates, i.e mixed up, I really do not need to check every item's sell by date, don't rub your hands with glee yet, whilst I have not commented on any other store, it appears an Irish problem, so far I have not found a store that manages it's stock correctly, somewhere you will find out of date food or short dated in with long dated.
I will not name them but be forwarned, so Supervalu is no worse in that respect.
The fresh bread, I hate it when it is so accessible to childrens hands, got em, unfortunately no, one well known store has fresh bread on display, I watched an old couple try many loaves by squeezing them, no gloves, only god knows where their hands had been prior to this.
We are lucky in Callan one can pop down to billy Keogh and get an untouched loaf or roll.
If Supervalu was larger we would not need another store, well that is not true, one needs to have a choice.
As long as Aldi support Irish jobs we wish them well, equally without Supervalu where would Callan have been, dead for sure, so I say thank you to all the staff and the two boy's for the servicde they have given to the people of Callan.
Not everyone is going to agree, but that is what life is about.
Before you rush out to make great savings, make sure you do your homework, quality is important, check the weight of items are they the same, and also the ingredients, you might be surprised.
Do check Erin 's fruit and veg, it will be difficult for any retailer to beat Supervalu, Nigel will cut meat for you as you want it and give advice, okay it might cost a few cent's more, then again it might be less.
Do not be fooled by advertising.
One last word if Sainsbury's ever come to Kilkenny that is where you will find me.
Happy shopping, Foxy

Cabaal

foxcoverteddy wrote: »

A bit back to front perhaps but your groceries are not thrown at you by the checkout staff,

I've been shopping in Lidl and Aldi for years, never once has anything been thrown at me.

You don't get asked before you have completed the transaction how are you paying.

Nothing wrong with being asked this, its a perfectly relevant question and ensures a faster service to all customers.

Complaints are dealt with straight away.

Lidi/Aldi are known for very good customer service when it comes to problems with items. They even have selected items back due to a change of mind, legally they don't have to do this!

I've had issues with supervalue in the past where they made the whole issue of them selling me out of date meat as a inconvenience to them.
:rolleyes:

Supervalu where would Callan have been, dead for sure, .

err, that is questionable.

You have to remember when Supervalue came to Callan it massively affected the smaller shops so it certainly wasn't all good, in addition had Supervalue not come to town and built on the old cinema site then somebody else would have.

One last word if Sainsbury's ever come to Kilkenny that is where you will find me.

So you care about local stuff and you care about Irish jobs and supporting Irish producers but if a big UK supermarket comes to Kilkenny basically supporting Irish on any level means nothing to you?

Makes sense to me
:rolleyes:

Sky King

I would *love* to see an Irish supermarket adopt the efficient approach of Aldi and Lidl. I would switch over to it in a second, but until that day comes i will stick to Aldi, who sell a lot of Irish produce anyway.

I love how efficient they are in there. It's fantastic. I don't mind that they shove the groceries at you, they want to get you the fk out of their shop as quickly as possible. Basically, everything in Aldi is designed to get you out of their shop as quickly as possible.

This suits me great, because it aligns perfectly with my own desire to get the fk out of their shop as quickly as possible too.

I don't go in there for a chat about the weather, nor do I enjoy standing behind someone chatting about the weather. i also don't want to stand around in a queue watching people pack their bags. Aldi quite understandably don't want to pay a cashier to sit there and watch eejits packing their bags when they could be running through sales on a till.

It keeps their costs down. We have the very same interests.

And despite this (necessary) perceived abruptness of the staff in the Kilkenny one, I have always found them friendly.

Dan Jaman

"don't get harassed at the checkout in SupaValu".
Eh? It's calmed down a bit now, but I was growing heartily fed-up of being harassed by charity bag-packers and charity collectors at the doorway, inside and out. I give to charity already, and I do occasionally throw something in the bucket, when I've got it spare, but I object to the seemingly endless procession of charity collectors that were allowed to set up shop in SV. Not just SV, of course; there are many other stores that allow this, where it is also a pita.