Tesco 24 days of Advent/Dunnes 12 days of Christmas

iguana

Is this not happening this year? Dunnes would have to start today as it's now 12 days until Christmas eve but I can't see anything about it on their website of facebook page.

leck

iguana wrote: »

Is this not happening this year? Dunnes would have to start today as it's now 12 days until Christmas eve but I can't see anything about it on their website of facebook page.

But, but ... the Twelve Days of Christmas is supposed to start on December 25 and end on January 5. Are these shops now re-inventing the Christian calendar?

iguana

Well they have been for the last 3 years-ish so they certainly used to. God, if Dunnes aren't doing their 12 days, does that mean that there will be no satsuma, melon, pineapple and sprouts price war? I was looking forward to stocking up on 5c fruit and veg.

Jakel

iguana wrote: »

Well they have been for the last 3 years-ish so they certainly used to. God, if Dunnes aren't doing their 12 days, does that mean that there will be no satsuma, melon, pineapple and sprouts price war? I was looking forward to stocking up on 5c fruit and veg.

Supermarkets agree to avoid Christmas vegetable price war

11:35, 17 November 2014 by Michael Brennan, Political Correspondent

Discount supermarkets Aldi and Lidl have promised to avoid the Christmas price war which saw Brussels sprouts on sale for five cents a bag last year.


The selling of vegetables below production costs to draw in shoppers led to protests from vegetable growers, who said that it was putting their livelihoods in danger.


Farmers bought up some of the cut-price onions, potatoes, carrots and Brussels sprouts and gave them away for free to shoppers in protest.


Minister of State for Agriculture Tom Hayes responded by holding a series of meetings with major supermarkets, including Aldi, Lidl and Tesco. He also spoke by phone with Musgraves, the owner of Supervalu and Centra.


All of the supermarket chains agreed that they would not run similar promotional campaigns this Christmas.


The only supermarket which has so far not given such a pledge is Dunnes Stores. A spokeswoman for Hayes said he had invited Dunnes Stores to meet him, but the company had not taken him up on his invitation “to date”.


Fianna Fáil TD Eamon O’Cuiv, who has been meeting with vegetable growers, called on Dunnes Stores to sign up to the agreement to avoid below cost selling of vegetables at Christmas.


"If one supermarket breaks it, the rest will follow. We had a ceasefire at Christmas in 1914 and we need a ceasefire on vegetable prices in 2014," he said.


Around €433 million worth of Irish fruit, vegetables and potatoes were grown here last year, with over €300 million of it sold through supermarkets.

iguana

Aww! But also fair enough and understandable from the point of view of the growers.

O'Cuiv wrote:

"We had a ceasefire at Christmas in 1914 and we need a ceasefire on vegetable prices in 2014," he said.

This however is one fuçking stupid statement.:pac:

kn

Surely the Minister is in breach of the competition act?

FrStone

kn wrote: »

Surely the Minister is in breach of the competition act?

Sounds very much like the Minister is trying to set up a Cartel!

I reckon I'll be sending a letter to register my disappointment in the Minister. If Dunnes Stores do sell dirt cheap vegetables, I will do my whole Christmas shop in Dunnes to help support the free market and competition.

feelgoodinc27

FrStone wrote: »

Sounds very much like the Minister is trying to set up a Cartel!

I reckon I'll be sending a letter to register my disappointment in the Minister. If Dunnes Stores do sell dirt cheap vegetables, I will do my whole Christmas shop in Dunnes to help support the free market and competition.

Below cost selling means Irish producers going out of business and Irish jobs lost, all the supermarkets care about is money in their pockets. Do you really want to eat something that was produced purely from a cost perspective as opposed to quality?

FrStone

feelgoodinc27 wrote: »

Below cost selling means Irish producers going out of business and Irish jobs lost, all the supermarkets care about is money in their pockets. Do you really want to eat something that was produced purely from a cost perspective as opposed to quality?

I'd like to hear how below cost selling means Irish producers go out of business when they are paid the full price for their produce. The supermarkets sold them as loss leaders.

To be honest I don't care if the vegetables are Irish or not, I buy the cheapest fruit and veg. I don't subscribe to this rubbish of supporting local producers. Local producers should be able to compete with foreign competition.

castle2012

Disappointing no 12 days of Christmas this year. I'll be doing my shop in Aldi this year

newholland mad

kn wrote: »

Surely the Minister is in breach of the competition act?

I think you will find o"cuiv is not a minister and hopefully never will be !!

The_Conductor

feelgoodinc27 wrote: »

Below cost selling means Irish producers going out of business and Irish jobs lost, all the supermarkets care about is money in their pockets. Do you really want to eat something that was produced purely from a cost perspective as opposed to quality?

The issue is in many cases- the price paid, doesn't even cover the cost of picking or harvesting the fruit or vegetables. We often supplied sprouts and other vegetables at below cost- rather than see them rot in the field- but spare a thought for the pickers out at 4AM under spotlights, picking sprouts- when the price being paid to the owner- doesn't even cover the cost of the crew picking them........ Its not good- its not sustainable- and ultimately- like us- farmers will just move on- why produce consistently at a loss- when even leaving the field fallow is financially more viable.

castle2012

The_Conductor wrote: »

The issue is in many cases- the price paid, doesn't even cover the cost of picking or harvesting the fruit or vegetables. We often supplied sprouts and other vegetables at below cost- rather than see them rot in the field- but spare a thought for the pickers out at 4AM under spotlights, picking sprouts- when the price being paid to the owner- doesn't even cover the cost of the crew picking them........ Its not good- its not sustainable- and ultimately- like us- farmers will just move on- why produce consistently at a loss- when even leaving the field fallow is financially more viable.

This is a bargain alert forum. Where here to check deals/bargins. Please go to the farm section if you want to rant about the poor farmer. Thanks

The_Conductor

FrStone wrote: »

I'd like to hear how below cost selling means Irish producers go out of business when they are paid the full price for their produce. The supermarkets sold them as loss leaders.

To be honest I don't care if the vegetables are Irish or not, I buy the cheapest fruit and veg. I don't subscribe to this rubbish of supporting local producers. Local producers should be able to compete with foreign competition.

You really think the Irish farmers are paid 'full price for their products'?
Often- we have no idea what price we're going to be paid- until months after the produce is supplied- and in addition to this- the producer is supposed to pick up the cost of any promotions that the supermarkets decide to embark on. So- the BOGOF on vegetables- is funded by the farmer- not Tesco (or Musgraves or whoever).........

The supermarket may sell it as a 'loss leader'- but if you imagine this means the producer is even getting his or her costs covered- you are sadly mistaken......

You say local producers should be able to compete with foreign competition- well, show me another country where brussels sprout pickers get a tenner an hour- or indeed where producers invest time and effort in traceability- so we can show consumers exactly where there food is coming from. Its not a level playing field- whether you realise it or not- Irish produce in general, is globally acknowledged to be among the highest quality produce you can buy. You may not appreciate it- but wait till you live even in other EU countries for a period of time- and aren't able to get fresh fruit and veg on tap- as you can here- or your cuts of meat really are not to a standard that you consider normal- and the penny will slowly drop.

We have remarkably high quality food here. Consumers expect it. They don't necessarily even realise that their food is as good as it is- until, the day comes, where its no longer available...........

If you want price to be everything- the flipside of the coin- is you have a race to the bottom- and end up with a purely commoditised production process- where volume is everything, and quality is non-existent...........

The_Conductor

castle2012 wrote: »

This is a bargain alert forum. Where here to check deals/bargins. Please go to the farm section if you want to rant about the poor farmer. Thanks

Wrong- its a zombie thread- from last year- where people are now lamenting the fact that supermarkets aren't supplying 5c/kg fruit and veg. It is not a bargain alert. It may have been a year ago- have a look at the posts- this is a thread that someone choose to resurrect- its a case of nothing to see here, please move on............

henryporter

The_Conductor wrote: »

You really think the Irish farmers are paid 'full price for their products'?
Often- we have no idea what price we're going to be paid- until months after the produce is supplied- and in addition to this- the producer is supposed to pick up the cost of any promotions that the supermarkets decide to embark on. So- the BOGOF on vegetables- is funded by the farmer- not Tesco (or Musgraves or whoever).........

The supermarket may sell it as a 'loss leader'- but if you imagine this means the producer is even getting his or her costs covered- you are sadly mistaken......

You say local producers should be able to compete with foreign competition- well, show me another country where brussels sprout pickers get a tenner an hour- or indeed where producers invest time and effort in traceability- so we can show consumers exactly where there food is coming from. Its not a level playing field- whether you realise it or not- Irish produce in general, is globally acknowledged to be among the highest quality produce you can buy. You may not appreciate it- but wait till you live even in other EU countries for a period of time- and aren't able to get fresh fruit and veg on tap- as you can here- or your cuts of meat really are not to a standard that you consider normal- and the penny will slowly drop.

We have remarkably high quality food here. Consumers expect it. They don't necessarily even realise that their food is as good as it is- until, the day comes, where its no longer available...........

If you want price to be everything- the flipside of the coin- is you have a race to the bottom- and end up with a purely commoditised production process- where volume is everything, and quality is non-existent...........

Totally agree that below cost selling of fruit and veg is destroying the business of producing high quality food - anyone who tries to grow a nice bunch of straight healthy looking carrots knows that €1 or €2 per bag does not reflect the effort required to produce it. Offering bags at 10 cent in a war to get customers through the door is an insult to the producers.

One question - is fruit and veg production in any way subsidised by the tax payer? If not then it is miraculous how producers survive at all

myshirt

Farmers are awful men for An Beal Bocht though, and always have been. Many, many farmers have done very well in this country over the years while other sections of society have suffered socioeconomic disadvantage.

I think to be honest, they need to put the hand in the pocket, cover the cost, and roll with these cheap vegetables for consumers. There is an element of a brass neck about it from them. The source of the problem is not a less than favourable deal now, but moreso the mismanagement of a very, very good deal over a longer period. I'd have no sympathy for the farmers.

The_Conductor

henryporter wrote: »

Totally agree that below cost selling of fruit and veg is destroying the business of producing high quality food - anyone who tries to grow a nice bunch of straight healthy looking carrots knows that €1 or €2 per bag does not reflect the effort required to produce it. Offering bags at 10 cent in a war to get customers through the door is an insult to the producers.

One question - is fruit and veg production in any way subsidised by the tax payer? If not then it is miraculous how producers survive at all

No- tax payers do not subsidise the below cost production of fruit and veg. In general producers of fruit and veg probably wouldn't qualify for EU single farm payments- or other subsidies- so the simple answer is- no- there is no taxpayer subsidies involved.

The_Conductor

myshirt wrote: »

Farmers are awful men for An Beal Bocht though, and always have been. Many, many farmers have done very well in this country over the years while other sections of society have suffered socioeconomic disadvantage.

I think to be honest, they need to put the hand in the pocket, cover the cost, and roll with these cheap vegetables for consumers. There is an element of a brass neck about it from them. The source of the problem is not a less than favourable deal now, but moreso the mismanagement of a very, very good deal over a longer period. I'd have no sympathy for the farmers.

Farmers have had a good few years- with very good milk prices- but that ship has sailed. As for fruit and veg- it is increasingly impossible to produce at cost in this country- which is why the volumes being produced are falling at an alarming rate. Why do you think farmers should supply artificially low cost fruit and veg to consumers? The only people who gain in these type situations- are the middlemen- the supermarkets and their ilk.

If you want a race to the bottom- so be it- but the idiom, to be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it- has never been truer......... Wait until you can't buy Irish potatoes any longer (which is entirely forseeable)- or indeed apples- or other produce that you consider to be quintessentially Irish..........

You may have a picture of a wealthy farmer in your mind- and indeed- there are many wealthy farmers- however, for every wealthy farmer- there may be 4 or 5 farmers who can't compete any longer. In your world- you're probably saying to yourself- if they can't compete- abandon it and move on? This, sadly- is not an option for most. Off-farm employment is supporting a lot of the selling of below cost produce- that is the fact of the matter...........

Its not an us versus them argument- many farmers are past the point of break-even production- and are surviving solely because they can subsidise your carrots or sprouts- by doing a days work elsewhere, ontop of producing your fruit and veg.........

feelgoodinc27

castle2012 wrote: »

This is a bargain alert forum. Where here to check deals/bargins. Please go to the farm section if you want to rant about the poor farmer. Thanks

I just wanted to let people outside of the farming world know that this bargain did not come from the generosity of tesco, dunnes and the other supermarkets, but from forcing their suppliers to accept not even enough money to pay the bills in the run up to christmas. Merry christmas everyone!

Cats.Whiskers

Just back from dunnes, picked up a bag of easy peeler satsumas and a pineapple.

Both 49 cent each.

They did have sprouts, parsnips, carrots and onions on special also.

Dan Chipowski

Dunnes do have very good weekly wonders this week.

Boxes of Tayto/King crisps for €3.95 each and 18 cans of coke for €5.95.

Blade

Please stay on topic folks!

KingJamsie

Dan Chipowski wrote: »

Dunnes do have very good weekly wonders this week.

Boxes of Tayto/King crisps for €3.95 each and 18 cans of coke for €5.95.

Got 2 packs of 8 cokes for €5...slightly better I believe

pokerface_me

any idea what Mondays deal in Dunness or Tesco will be? Thanks