Discount Supermarkets Impact on Local Communities

barra79

Heres something you wont hear from Eddie Hobbs -

http://www.oliveoilsource.com/scripts/dictionary.asp?p_do=item&p_id=51

as published by The Olive Source.

"In supermarkets "Extra Virgin olive oils" are offered at dumping prices. We tested eight olive oils using the latest methods in two laboratories.
Results: Four oils from discount stores are mislabeled- they did not hold up to the examinations and have apparently been treated."

As some of you might be aware, supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi are Ireland's equivelent of the rapidly expanding U.S. chain WalMart. You can read more about the effects of WalMart on Local US communities here -

http://www.babelloyd.com/walmart.html
http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/facts/
http://www.intellectualpoison.com/WalMartisPureEvil.html

- a 1995 survey in Iowa revealed what had happened in that state since Wal-Mart had arrived in 1983:

* 50% of clothing stores had closed
* 30% of hardware stores had closed
* 25% of building materials stores had closed
* 42% of variety stores had closed
* 29% of shoe stores had closed
* 17% of jewellery stores had closed
* 26% of department stores had closed

MrPudding

barra79 wrote:

- a 1995 survey in Iowa revealed what had happened in that state since Wal-Mart had arrived in 1983:

* 50% of clothing stores had closed
* 30% of hardware stores had closed
* 25% of building materials stores had closed
* 42% of variety stores had closed
* 29% of shoe stores had closed
* 17% of jewellery stores had closed
* 26% of department stores had closed

But don't worry, we have the Grocerys Order to protect us from this kind of thing. Oh no, wait.......

MrP

mike65

Ah right Lidl and Aldi give Irish shoppers a break and so are chief suspects in selling dud products?

Mike.

Sarsfield

Do you have any association with RGDATA barra?

Though I don't like the WalMart phenomenon either.

Gurgle

barra79 wrote:

supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi are Ireland's equivelent of the rapidly expanding U.S. chain WalMart.

And now a quick reality check:
Have you ever seen / been in a Walmart?
Have you ever seen / been in Lidl or Aldi ?

Did you notice anything different ?
In terms of scale ?
Range of products ?

One of them will sell you anything from a pack of Oreos to a yacht. The other will sell you much cheaper alternatives to common household products that are traditionally sold at higher profit margins.

One follows the business practise of operating at a loss until nearby competition has gone bust, then increases their prices to repay the encrued debt. The other has its prices fixed in every shop in the country by head office.

I shop in Lidl about once a fortnight, stock up on wine, beer, orange juice, apple juice, coffee, nappies and floor cleaner. These are the things I use that are (a) much cheaper and (b) just as good as the traditional big English chains sell.

So take your paranoid panic-mongering delusions and stuff them

Besides, at €2.20 to €2.60 for 0.75l, I'm pleasantly suprised to learn that the stuff even mostly comes from Olives. The whole objection is to the use of the phrase 'Extra Virgin', which I must admit doesn't really mean that much to me.

John R

barra79 wrote:

As some of you might be aware, supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi are Ireland's equivelent of the rapidly expanding U.S. chain WalMart.

No they are not, Tesco's business model is closer to Walmart than Aldi or Lidl.

Besides Walmart are already over here, well UK and NI anyway. Walmart own ASDA.

muffler

barra79 wrote:

-
- a 1995 survey in Iowa revealed what had happened in that state since Wal-Mart had arrived in 1983:

* 50% of clothing stores had closed
* 30% of hardware stores had closed
* 25% of building materials stores had closed
* 42% of variety stores had closed
* 29% of shoe stores had closed
* 17% of jewellery stores had closed
* 26% of department stores had closed

What the f*** has all this got to do with the thread title Olive Oil label fraud

I think you need to post this elswhere

Culchie

muffler wrote:

What the f*** has all this got to do with the thread title Olive Oil label fraud

I think you need to post this elswhere

I'm keeping an eye on it Muffler, in the context of the original post, it has relevance to Consumer Issues.

If Barra79 is representing a particular organisation, a clarification would be welcomed though.

Will edit title of thread.

jimmycrackcorm

There is a Eurospar next to my local Lidl. It seems to have no impact instead as it appears as busy as always. I do notice somehting quite distinct though - nearly every customer in Lidl looks foreign ( could be wrong though ).

I use the Eurospar more than any other shop but when I use Lidl it is for items that I'd typically buy in supperquinn / Tescos / Dunnes e.g. Toilet paper / washing stuff etc.

The savings are nothing short of astounding but you still need the choice hence I don't think it has much of an impact on small convenience shops.

In hitting te likes of Tescos, I think that the arrival of the discounters is a fantastic addition for consumer choice. I don't see any negatives.

Tom Dunne

barra79 wrote:

as published by The Olive Source.

Yes, so thre report is completely objective and unbiased.

barra79 wrote:

As some of you might be aware, supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi are Ireland's equivelent of the rapidly expanding U.S. chain WalMart.

In all my years on Boards.ie, I have never, ever, read a post so misinformed. As the other posters have asked - have you ever been in a Wal Mart? Methinks not.

Consider the size of your local Aldi/Lidl and the range of products they carry. Now consider the size of the biggest hangar at Dublin airport, with an equally large range of products. That is how big Wal Mart stores are in comparison.

Completely and utterly different economies of scale. You have gone suspiciously quiet since the original post. Humble pie anyone?

mike65

jimmycrackcorm wrote:

There is a Eurospar next to my local Lidl. It seems to have no impact instead as it appears as busy as always. I do notice somehting quite distinct though - nearly every customer in Lidl looks foreign ( could be wrong though )

Dem foreign types are often on a budget, if you were a contract worker/immigrant on the minimum wage/welfare where would you shop Lidl/Aldi or Tesco/Supervalu?

Mike.

shayg1971

Having lived in the States for many years, I can state catagorically that the Lidl/Aldi model compares not even remotely to Walmart. Indeed the "Grocery Stores" (i.e. Publix/Albertsons/Winn-Dixi/etc.) in the US are not that impacted by basic foodstuff discounting in Walmart. Even the most expansive Walmart superstores do not have a grocery variety that rivals the major neighbourhood grocery stores. They concentrate on the variety of hardware, cheap electronics, cheap clothes, and a _comparatively_ modest grocery line. The hardware lines are huge and consistent, not relying on the "weekly specials" to pull the punters in with the promise of a very limited time offer.

What you don't see in the states is huge stocks of cheap 'non-grocery' items in the mainstream grocery stores (i.e. TVs, compters, etc.) like you see in the larger grocery outlets here. Maybe that is the power of WalMart. They have that market sewn up.

What is very different in the US grocery stores is the onnipresence of the pharmacy and pharmacutical lines. There's never a need to visit a separate drugstore.

So in conclusion, the model in the US appears to be divergent in many ways from what we have here and in the UK. Its difficult to draw simplistic comparisons, or compare the impact of different stores operating in essentially different models.

MorningStar

BARRA79
It doesn't sound like anybody will agree with you here. People are convinced that Ireland is a rip off and therfore take any chance to get something cheaper. The greed here is amazing instead of increasing the quality of life people are more bothered by increased possesions.
The belief that all competition is good for consumers and the people of a country is know not to be true. Protection of native businesses is needed. WHen fuel prices go up (it will keep going up as the is less of it) we won't be able to import goods so will need to rely on our own production more and more.
How ireland textile companies can deal with a Chineese sweat shop environments has not been found in fact Dunnes no longer gets clothes from many of the companies where it was their only buyer. Some with business relationships older than 30 years. When the the quota with China was reached too early a lot of negosiation had to be done to allow the stores to get supply.
Mislabeled products from discount stores is detremental to all products, suppliers and stores. Effect consumer confiedence in one brand they may never buy that product again.
I avoid Tesco and try to get goods from local business. The food is not more expensive and better quality. Greed for cheaper goods does not mean people are getting a range of goods or good quality.

Gurgle

MorningStar wrote:

The greed here is amazing instead of increasing the quality of life people are more bothered by increased possesions.

Damn stinking liberal capitalists!
If only everyone was like you MorningStar, living on 20% of their income and spending the rest on the poor and needy.

jimmycrackcorm wrote:

I do notice somehting quite distinct though - nearly every customer in Lidl looks foreign ( could be wrong though ).

But why would foreigners shop in Lidl ?
They get free cars, free houses, and free money by the bucketload, they're the only ones who can afford to live on champagne and caviar - See half the threads in the Politics section. [/SARCASM]

Culchie

Gurgle, keep the thread on track please. If you have 'issues' with Irish Immigration policies or any other problems you may have with the Social Welfare system etc... please post them on the relevant forums. [/Seriously]