Nipped in to Aldi on the way home on a long trip for some chilled fruit and noticed that the price labels were small electronic panels.
They look like e-ink devices.
Not sure that I'm keen. What happens if the price changes between when you put the item in your trolley and get to the till (I suspect offer and acceptance rules apply - so the price at the checkout is what the shop is offering to sell the product to you for).
I can imagine surge pricing being introduced. Lamb joints - £20, on the day before Easter Sunday. The last one in the store at 7:50PM, £60 as they know you desperately want it.
I also see some shops are allowing shoppers to scan goods with their phones to check out as they go. What's stopping them removing the pricing and offering different prices to different customers (I recently booked a 3 day spa trip for Mrs Z and her sister - the price on my iPhone was £50 more than the price on the laptop - caches cleared on both devices).
|
Very continental.. I'm sure I've seen those over in France for ages... as you say there must be an advantage to the retailer, hopefully it won't affect the 'yellow sticker' offers.
|
We had them back in Safeway which would have been early 2000s.
We used to do price change batches on Sun evenings. Depending on where you were on the promotional calendar, you could be going around with 1500 shelf edge tickets replacing the old ticket with the new one. There was then a batch “applied” which changed all the scanning prices to the new prices. Which was very problematic if, for whatever reason, you did not have the manpower in on a Sunday night you then had to try and do it before opening in Monday otherwise you were trading illegally.
Then they introduced these digital ones in trial stores. So at a flick of a switch (obviously outwith trading hours) the shelf prices changed and nothing was left for humans to do. However, it did not extend further than the trial stores so I guess the IT side of things must have still required a lot of work.
|
Thanks to Bobby for giving us the insider's take.
I love the Scots 'outwith' which, albeit no Scottish blood I'm aware of, I slip into conversations, and posts here/there, when the urge takes me.
|
|
I've met and worked with dozens of scots, can't say I've ever heard that word spoken.
|
>> I've met and worked with dozens of scots, can't say I've ever heard that word
>> spoken.
Noticed it first forty or so years ago.
In Scottish Youth Hostels you were allowed to use down or similar sleeping bags outwith the season - ie not in summer.
They were normally banned for hygiene with a requirement to use your own or a hired sheet bags and blankets.
Caledonian Macbrayne ferries on one route or another had different routings/timings 'outwith the summer season'.
It just stuck with both Mrs B and me.
Retirral, as in the retirement of, is another similar usage.
Stushie or Scramash (both being a minor fight/brawl) cropped up in a report from a Scots colleague twenty or so years ago.
There may be other oddities too.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Thu 20 Jul 23 at 21:29
|
>> >> I've met and worked with dozens of scots, can't say I've ever heard that
>> word
>> >> spoken.
>>
>> There may be other oddities too.
>>
>>
Doesn't ring any bells, perhaps it's a local/regional phrase.
|
Are you saying "outwith" is a Scottish only word? Or just in that context?
Understandably I have never thought of it that way!
|
>> Are you saying "outwith" is a Scottish only word? Or just in that context?
To me, Englishman born and raised in Yorkshire but worked in London and lived there or daily travelling distance for 35 years, I'd regard it as a purely Scottish usage.
Scots English if that's a thing.
Same with other examples I mentioned.
|
|
I remember hearing outwith when working in Scotland for extended periods. Mind you, I couldn't understand much of what they were saying in Glasgow!!
|
>> We had them back in Safeway which would have been early 2000s.
>> to do. However, it did not extend further than the trial stores so I guess
>> the IT side of things must have still required a lot of work.
i was part of the IBM/Safeway EPOS development and support* team back at their hayes head office when this was being trialled. Safeway were leaders in all things EPOS/Inventory back in the day, then Morrisons came along who were rooted n the IT dark ages.
We had one Safeway store in the West Midlands that would random scan items at half the tills.
Was there late one sunday afternoon, trying to ponder it out, all the tills signed in but inactive. Suddenly one till beeped and scanned an item. A double deck bus had gone by, and the late evening sun through the passing upper deck windows, strobed sunlight and shadows on the lane.
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 20 Jul 23 at 15:33
|
I can remember going to a 'Retailers' exhibition at Earls Court in the 80s where they had part of the hall set aside for cash register and POS manufacturers.
IBM were demo'ing a barcode supermarket checkout and some wag walked up and swiped a can of coke over the reader which rang up a tin of beans or something. There was a look of horror on the IBM salesman's face until the guy revealed he'd covered the coke barcode with his finger and had the barcode label from a can of beans tucked in the palm of his hand.
|
I led a team which installed barcode reader and card machine in Screwfix many years ago. After mucho testing we finally tripped out to a store early doors to install the first live pilot. It felt like half of Screwfix senior management were there onsite too to see how it went.
Despite it being early in the day and fairly busy, we had to wait a good twenty minutes before the first builder cam along who wanted to pay using a card rather than from a grubby roll of banknotes...
|
>> Despite it being early in the day and fairly busy, we had to wait a
>> good twenty minutes before the first builder cam along who wanted to pay using a
>> card rather than from a grubby roll of banknotes...
Would that still be the case today???
|
>> Would that still be the case today???
Nah, they pay for materials by card, and you pay them half by bank transfer and half in cash.
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 21 Jul 23 at 10:43
|
|
Just thought, it was Travis Perkins not Screwfix...
|
Interesting Zero!
I render one if the glitches of our system was if someone bought 5 cans of Coke and the cashier scanned it once and then manually pressed the over ride to change to 5, the Stock Management statement didn’t identify that 5 items had left the store.
I used to spend every morning with my Stock management reports that gave loads of information and you could analyse everything. Also used this for our security controls in liquor department. “Watertight “ Was the name of the process. The top 20 spirits were put on item movement so each day you counted physical bottles on shelf, got a note at end of day of sales and then checked physical stock count of shelf again to see what had been stolen.
And then Morrisons came in and ripped it all up and went back to manual orders. Literally, without a word of a lie, printed sheets that you put on clipboard and went out into aisle and counted how many you had, looked at the sales history on your sheet, and then decided how many you wanted to order in for your next delivery which might have been 72 hours time. Unbelievable!
|
Like others I've seen these in France for many years.
I assume there's a protocol whereby prices are not changed during trading hours. But then again there's nothing to stop the printed shelf edge price we've had for years bein changed between you picking your joint and getting to the checkout.
|
Ticketing is a PITA for all retailers, the shops have to download them, print them, and put them on the shelf edge. They get lost, delayed, put in the wrong place, or forgotten/missed off altogether.
Just been to the newish Sainsbugs in Aylesbury, they are getting better but their ticketing has been patchy from opening. It has been common to pick up an item and not be able to find the price. I have just started using scan as you shop which I don't like but at least I see the correct price when I put it in the basket.
I found a couple today that were wrong, in my favour - each had a lower 'nectar price' that wasn't shown on the ticket - presumably because they haven't got around to putting the new tickets on.
They can't ditch price displays altogether because it's a legal necessity.
Having digital tickets will help, but won't ensure that the right item is next to the ticket.
|
I have another bone to pick with them as well. I decided to buy 4 soft white baps today. I picked up a packet, and saw it was labelled "best before 20 Jun" i.e. today. 99% of the items on about 3 metres of shelf by the bakery were the same. Why would I buy something that was best before today? Answer, I won't. I eventually found two packs of tiny wholemeal rolls, BB 22nd, and bought one of those.
This is real Meldrew material, I know. But why can't they just do stuff properly?
Last edited by: Manatee on Thu 20 Jul 23 at 15:14
|
>> This is real Meldrew material, I know. But why can't they just do stuff properly?
RFID tags is the way to go- automatic pricing, stock control & rotation all on the go with readers on the shelves. Alas it needs to be along the entire logistics chain, and the implementation cost for low profit margin high turnover stuff makes it prohibitive.
Talking of Logistics, Waitrose have to be the pits right now.
|
Unfortunately the answer is always to dumb down somebody's job by removing the opportunity for them to do anything wrong.
I have worked for 3 large retailers/groups. Whilst I have always had respect and sympathy for the folk in the shops, who don't usually have it easy with crappy unsocial hours and rostering, I used to think there were 3 versions of a store procedure - what it said in the operating manual, what HO thought that they actually did, and what they really did.
|
|
Inflation and price volatility will have massively increased the number of times prices need to be updated.
|
|
According to the Express, prices should be going down because inflation has fallen to 7.x %
|
>> According to the Express, prices should be going down because inflation has fallen to 7.x
>> %
>>
And I expect most of their readership believe it!
Falling inflation means slower price rises, not price reductions, unless there is deflation.
|
>> Falling inflation means slower price rises, not price reductions, unless there is deflation.
Some folks really struggle with that. My Mother was still fuming over her teaching colleagues inability to grasp it in the mid seventies.
|
"Falling inflation means slower price rises, not price reductions, unless there is deflation."
Overall yes, but certain food prices e.g eggs bread, dairy foods and chicken have fallen slightly recently
|
>> Talking of Logistics, Waitrose have to be the pits right now.
I was in Waitrose yesterday and could not see the own brand item I wanted which I regularly purchase.
A partner was filling the shelves so I quizzed him re the item.
The reply was " Sorry out of stock. It has been out of stock for a few weeks. We do not know when it will be back on the shelves. "
Followed by "They are still discussing prices with the supplier and so far cannot agree so the wait goes on"
At least I got what I thought was an honest answer even if management would have preferred BS.
I will have to revert to buying a branded item elsewhere.
|
This is real Meldrew material, I know. But why can't they just do stuff properly?
>>
If you mean reduced price, in the shop they won't be allowed to until a certain time. Controlled by head office/hq etc.
|
>> Why would I buy something that was best before
>> today?
Maybe the softbake stuff only has a 1 day shelf life.
|
>> Maybe the softbake stuff only has a 1 day shelf life.
May do but I doubt it even if it's softbaked in house; too many factors can screw it up.
|
>> >> Why would I buy something that was best before
>> >> today?
>>
>> Maybe the softbake stuff only has a 1 day shelf life.
>>
So why is it on the shelf? I assume it wasn't baked this morning, or it would have been best before it was made. If they are continually selling yesterday's bread the they need to sort themselves out.
|
> So why is it on the shelf?
If it's not a use by date, someone may well buy it and reduce the amount of food thrown away.
|
>>I picked up a packet, and saw it was labelled "best
>> before 20 Jun" i.e. today. 99% of the items on about 3 metres of shelf
>> by the bakery were the same. Why would I buy something that was best before
>> today?
...I've always understood (and I've just checked the general opinion via the web) that the "Best Before" date is really the "Best Before End" date.
Much of the in-store baked products in various local supermarkets are dated "Best Before" the current day, having been baked overnight, or earlier the same day.
There usually are one or two batches of the less quick selling/longer lasting ranges that are baked somewhat in advance that have longer dates (in line with your experience often the wholemeal or similar items).
Much supermarket standard bread doesn't last very long off the shelf - it's noticeable compared with own-baked items.
|
|
Tesco sliced bread lass for quite a few days usually. Our delivery is usually on a Saturday and it's still pretty fresh tasting for pork sandwiches on Mon/Tues. Though I particularly like what I think is called batch seeded (brown).
|
Buy bread - sliced already or when one gets home.
Put bread in freezer.
Take slices of bread from freezer as required.
Result - bread always fresh and no waste.
If one accumulates a number of crusts after a period of time - make bread pudding.
Last edited by: Duncan on Fri 21 Jul 23 at 07:30
|
|
You are Mrs Beeton, and I claim my 5 Guineas
|
>> You are Mrs Beeton, and I claim my 5 Guineas
>>
A copy of which I have recently inherited. I understand it was a wedding present for my great gran at the end of the 19th century.
|
When I stacked shelves in Tesco as a lad, all the fresh bakery products fell under the category of "Morning Goods". No preservatives were used in the in-store bakery, hence the short shelf life and regular restocks.
Each day's supply of freshly baked bread rolls were often gone by mid-afternoon.
|
|
I had a Saturday job in Tesco in the mid sixties when they were very much at the cheap and cheerful end of the market. No sell by dates then. My first job in the morning was to trim any mould off the cheese and repackage it
|
|
What did you sell it as? :-)
|
|
...back in those days, repackaged mould was regarded as a decent Sunday dinner....
|
>...back in those days, repackaged mould was regarded as a decent Sunday dinner....
You were lucky!
|
|
...it only needs two more Yorkshiremen now....
|
Friend of mine used to work for a food distributor, that sold food to places like top hotels in London, catering events, etc.
One of his jobs was to change sell by dates on the frozen food upon date expiry. The cellophane was removed, and they were given a quick visual inspection before being rewrapped in fresh cellophane and a new date applied.
He told me one day a request came in for 5 fresh chickens by a certain hotel in London. He was told to get 5 chickens out the freezer and place them in front of the portable calor gas heater to defrost them.
How some of these food establishments manage to get 5 stars from Scores on the door is anyone's guess.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 24 Jul 23 at 11:27
|
>> One of his jobs was to change sell by dates on the frozen food upon
>> date expiry. The cellophane was removed, and they were given a quick visual inspection before
>> being rewrapped in fresh cellophane and a new date applied.
In my experience there's reasonable latitude in sell by/use dates. If it smells OK it probably is OK.
Chicken needs care to ensure it's fully cooked. Once cooked it needs to be either properly refrigerated or kept hot.
|
>> >> One of his jobs was to change sell by dates on the frozen food
>>
In my experience there's reasonable latitude in sell by/use dates. If it smells OK it
>> probably is OK.
>>
>> Chicken needs care to ensure it's fully cooked. Once cooked it needs to be either
>> properly refrigerated or kept hot.
>>
If it's frozen it won't smell of much. Not much of an indication if it's good or not.
|
Our depot would do a temp check on deliveries from suppliers. If temp too high delivery was refused.
Which just meant supplier took it back to base and included the stock in the next delivery out when they would make sure the temp was correct!
|
In Safeway all the in store bakery loaves had a one day code on them. If they didn’t sell they were taken off, sliced, and re wrapped and ticketed for another day.
Another Morrisons story. In Scotland we have what is known as well fired rolls. To southerners they may look burnt but we like them.
English Morrisons regional manager was up doing visits and insisted that all these rolls across all the shops were removed and would never be sold in a Morrisons again.
By the next week they were back on sale.
|
...it's easy to overlook the past and how things have moved on.
Back in the late 60's when I did holiday work for BR at Doncaster, there was a local supermarket chain, Fairway, which absolutely nailed the opposition on pricing.
Before the availability of barcoding (and POS systems) it was common for even supermarkets to price-label individual items (with those small, gun-applied sticky labels that still seem to be in use, but not now in supermarkets). There is obviously a cost to this, and it makes stock-repricing labour intensive.
Fairway simply avoided the issue by putting a single price label on the shelf, and expecting the checkout girls to remember the price of every individual item in the not-to-sparse stock offering.
And remember they did! It was very rare to be wrongly-charged for anything. I wonder what would happen if that was tried today.
(Whatever, certainly whilst Fairway traded and before being taken over, the practice contributed to the success of the business. Always the most busy in Doncaster, and, though many work colleagues travelled significant distances from home, it was common practice for many of them to be deputed to do the main shopping in Doncaster, simply on a cost/price basis).
|
>> Fairway simply avoided the issue by putting a single price label on the shelf, and
>> expecting the checkout girls to remember the price of every individual item in the not-to-sparse
>> stock offering.
Wasn't it like that in Aldi when they first started in the UK?
|
Think so!
We had a chain called Shoprite before Aldi and Lidl appeared.
Cashiers memorised the prices but I think they were helped by block pricing eg. All tins of beans/soup / peas etc were all the one price.
|
All tins of beans/soup / peas etc were all the one price.
Poundland just took that concept one stage further.
|
>>Poundland
On seeing a Poundland store, a contractor from the USA thought it hilarious as apparently “to pound” has a naughty alternative meaning there.
|
Supermarket Digital Price Labels - Rudedog
