Nespresso compatible pods Lidl €1.99

ted1

bk wrote: »

So basically it sounds like Robert Roberts are charging the same as Nespresso, but much easier to get.

Just goes to show how silly Nespresso are with their limited distribution model.

It's called product life cycle, it's been a CAS cow it'll now. Up until recently the successfully protected their patent, however the recent ruling allows for other people to make non aluminium pods.

maxwell smart

bk wrote: »

So basically it sounds like Robert Roberts are charging the same as Nespresso, but much easier to get.

Just goes to show how silly Nespresso are with their limited distribution model.

It is anything but silly, I think you will find that the level of contact with their customers through this model (making them part of the 'club', the exclusivity factor) is a fundamental part of their customer proposition. They are not aiming at being all things to all people.

I have tried the Lidl capsules in my Citiz and found them to stick, definitely an inferior quality product (and personally the taste is poor). .Haven't tried the robert roberts ones yet. But if they are plastic I don't hold much prospect of them being much better

bk

ted1 wrote: »

It's called product life cycle, it's been a CAS cow it'll now. Up until recently the successfully protected their patent, however the recent ruling allows for other people to make non aluminium pods.

Sure, but if they were smart, when they lost the ruling, they should have immediately started putting in place agreements with Tesco, Dunnes, Starbucks, etc. to carry their pods. Instead they will now be giving up market share to Robert Robert and others.

maxwell smart wrote: »

It is anything but silly, I think you will find that the level of contact with their customers through this model (making them part of the 'club', the exclusivity factor) is a fundamental part of their customer proposition. They are not aiming at being all things to all people.

Actually I found Nespresso customer experience to be pretty awful last weekend.

So with my new found interest in Nespresso, I decided to get a Nespresso Aeroccino (a device for frothing milk for Lattes, etc.).

- First I went to D.I.D. (I have a €50 voucher from UPC for them). They do sell Nespresso machines, but they hadn't a clue what an Aeroccino is!

- Next I went to Arnotts, in fairness, Arnotts had two staff waiting right there in the Nespresso machine section, waiting to help out and very friendly and very well informed. However they told me that sorry the Aeroccino could only be bought in Brown Thomas or online on the Nespresso site.

- So I trudge over the river to Brown Thomas. Now get this, no Aeroccino's on display, no indication if they sell it or how much it might cost! But worse, they don't even have a sales person standing by the machines to help!!! Just the two guys standing behind the till and selling pods. So I have to queue up at the till and wait for them to finish selling the pods to others before they could sell a machine. Now yes it turns out they do have the Aeroccino, hidden away out of site behind the tills!!

Really poor customer sales service IMO.

To be honest the whole Nespresso thing reeks of false exclusivity. Basically take a mass market product, jazz it up with some fancy marketing and overcharge for poor service and sell it as some sort of "exclusive" product to the middle class mass market.

I can certainly understand the concept of having premium stores, just like Apple does, where they have all their products available, shown off in the best light and with excellent customer support and knowledgeable sales staff.

But Nespresso at Brown Thomas certainly has little of this, first of all they don't have all the Nespresso product range, non of their glasses or other accessories. And not having a sales person on hand to help sell the machines is shocking (Arnotts does a far better job with this).

Nespresso at Brown Thomas feels more like Apples sub-stores that you find in Dixons or PC world, rather then their true Apple premium stores.

And that is the thing, even though Apple has amazing "premium" stores, Apple are smart enough to also sell their products through all the normal distribution channels too, Dixons, PC World, every mobile shop, Amazon, hell even Tesco sells Apple products!

Apple understand that as well as having a premium brand and stores, you most also make your product widely and easily available to your target market. If you don't someone else will.

If Nespresso were serious about being a "premium" brand then they would have their own stores in Dundrum, Blanchardstown, even on Grafton Street, with a full range of their products and well trained sales staff. But they would also understand that you need to make your product as easily buyable as possible, selling them in all the usual places people buy coffee. Specially as other companies are doing it for them now.

In the end Nespresso isn't really anything particularly special. It is owned by Nestle, yes the same company who makes Smarties and Toffee Crisps you find in your local shop. Haha their is exclusivity for you!

Actually interestingly, Nestle also make the Dolce Gusto coffee machines and pods, very similar to Nespresso, but where they happily sell you pods for the machines in Tesco, etc. Some nice market segmentation going on there :rolleyes:

ted1

bk wrote: »

Sure, but if they were smart, when they lost the ruling, they should have immediately started putting in place agreements with Tesco, Dunnes, Starbucks, etc. to carry their pods. Instead they will now be giving up market share to Robert Robert and others.



Actually I found Nespresso customer experience to be pretty awful last weekend.

So with my new found interest in Nespresso, I decided to get a Nespresso Aeroccino (a device for frothing milk for Lattes, etc.).

- First I went to D.I.D. (I have a €50 voucher from UPC for them). They do sell Nespresso machines, but they hadn't a clue what an Aeroccino is!

- Next I went to Arnotts, in fairness, Arnotts had two staff waiting right there in the Nespresso machine section, waiting to help out and very friendly and very well informed. However they told me that sorry the Aeroccino could only be bought in Brown Thomas or online on the Nespresso site.

- So I trudge over the river to Brown Thomas. Now get this, no Aeroccino's on display, no indication if they sell it or how much it might cost! But worse, they don't even have a sales person standing by the machines to help!!! Just the two guys standing behind the till and selling pods. So I have to queue up at the till and wait for them to finish selling the pods to others before they could sell a machine. Now yes it turns out they do have the Aeroccino, hidden away out of site behind the tills!!

Really poor customer sales service IMO.

To be honest the whole Nespresso thing reeks of false exclusivity. Basically take a mass market product, jazz it up with some fancy marketing and overcharge for poor service and sell it as some sort of "exclusive" product to the middle class mass market.

I can certainly understand the concept of having premium stores, just like Apple does, where they have all their products available, shown off in the best light and with excellent customer support and knowledgeable sales staff.

But Nespresso at Brown Thomas certainly has little of this, first of all they don't have all the Nespresso product range, non of their glasses or other accessories. And not having a sales person on hand to help sell the machines is shocking (Arnotts does a far better job with this).

Nespresso at Brown Thomas feels more like Apples sub-stores that you find in Dixons or PC world, rather then their true Apple premium stores.

And that is the thing, even though Apple has amazing "premium" stores, Apple are smart enough to also sell their products through all the normal distribution channels too, Dixons, PC World, every mobile shop, Amazon, hell even Tesco sells Apple products!

Apple understand that as well as having a premium brand and stores, you most also make your product widely and easily available to your target market. If you don't someone else will.

If Nespresso were serious about being a "premium" brand then they would have their own stores in Dundrum, Blanchardstown, even on Grafton Street, with a full range of their products and well trained sales staff. But they would also understand that you need to make your product as easily buyable as possible, selling them in all the usual places people buy coffee. Specially as other companies are doing it for them now.

In the end Nespresso isn't really anything particularly special. It is owned by Nestle, yes the same company who makes Smarties and Toffee Crisps you find in your local shop. Haha their is exclusivity for you!

Actually interestingly, Nestle also make the Dolce Gusto coffee machines and pods, very similar to Nespresso, but where they happily sell you pods for the machines in Tesco, etc. Some nice market segmentation going on there :rolleyes:

Nespresso built up a billion euro buisness selling coffee machines and POds. I think that they know what they are doing. But I'm sure that they would love to bring you on as a consultant.

vienne86

I was given a Nespresso (pixie)as a present a couple of years ago - I love it, but have NEVER bought the Nespresso pods....I just find it a pain to go to BT's or to order on line. I have brought various types home from France, some much better than others, and am now happy enough with the Lidl ones. I'd be interested to try the Robert Roberts ones.....must ferret them out.

I heard that Nespresso were planning to open a shop in Dublin, but in the Grafton street area, so I wouldn't be interested in using it. Like an earlier poster, I like to buy coffee with my regular weekly shopping.

JillyQ

maxwell smart wrote: »

It is anything but silly, I think you will find that the level of contact with their customers through this model (making them part of the 'club', the exclusivity factor) is a fundamental part of their customer proposition. They are not aiming at being all things to all people.

I have tried the Lidl capsules in my Citiz and found them to stick, definitely an inferior quality product (and personally the taste is poor). .Haven't tried the robert roberts ones yet. But if they are plastic I don't hold much prospect of them being much better

I have tried them as well to describe them as awful is an understatement.

ezra_pound

JohnK wrote: »

Well it could just be my machine, a Lattissima Plus, but I find the force difference very noticeable, to the point of being off putting.

I find this also. Can't remember name of machine now. Think it's cilitz or something... Magimix maybe. Anyway I've got used to it now but first time I was worried that the machine would break. At least twice or three times as much force required to force handle down.

vienne86

Funny enough I have had no problems with the lidl pods in my pixie. Some of the French ones gave me terrible grief, but I soon figured out which ones to avoid.

Crunchienut

vienne86 wrote: »

Funny enough I have had no problems with the lidl pods in my pixie. Some of the French ones gave me terrible grief, but I soon figured out which ones to avoid.

I have a "U" machiine and have no problems with the Lidl or Robert Roberts pods.

A few months back, before I used the compatibles, my machine was "struggling" with genuine pods. The Nespresso Boutique recommended I descale it and it solved the problem.

bk

ted1 wrote: »

Nespresso built up a billion euro buisness selling coffee machines and POds. I think that they know what they are doing. But I'm sure that they would love to bring you on as a consultant.

Just because they built a billion euro business, doesn't mean they can't miss a disruptor to their market and lose that billion euro business overnight.

The market is full of such failures. Just look at Nokia, at their height in 2007 they had 50% of the mobile phone market and were worth more then a 100 Billion! However they totally missed the disruptor of the smart phone and just 5 years later they were sold to Microsoft for a piddling 5 Billion and have a market share of 2.5% and shrinking!

ted1

bk wrote: »

Just because they built a billion euro business, doesn't mean they can't miss a disruptor to their market and lose that billion euro business overnight.

The market is full of such failures. Just look at Nokia, at their height in 2007 they had 50% of the mobile phone market and were worth more then a 100 Billion! However they totally missed the disruptor of the smart phone and just 5 years later they were sold to Microsoft for a piddling 5 Billion and have a market share of 2.5% and shrinking!

You do know that its owned by Nestle.

nilsonmickey

coffee to go wrote: »

57 bar! :pac:

What is the unit of pressure measurement here? PSI or Bar? 19 Bar seems quite high.

mrcheez

http://www.nespresso.com/pro/ie/en/pages/our_machines

Says 19 bar

mrcheez

vienne86 wrote: »

I heard that Nespresso were planning to open a shop in Dublin, but in the Grafton street area, so I wouldn't be interested in using it. Like an earlier poster, I like to buy coffee with my regular weekly shopping.

They're trying to present an image of exclusivity (hence the ads with George Clooney etc) so you're unlikely to see Nespresso in your local SuperValu anytime soon (incidentally I spotted Robert Roberts in my SuperValu last night).

For example you can only buy Comme Les Garcons perfume in Arnotts and BT (or online) again due to exclusivity.

Anyway the online delivery facility is superb if you can avail of it as they take away the used capsules.

odckdo

bk wrote: »

To be honest the whole Nespresso thing reeks of false exclusivity. Basically take a mass market product, jazz it up with some fancy marketing and overcharge for poor service and sell it as some sort of "exclusive" product to the middle class mass market.

Normally I would order around 200 capsules online every few months. I like the variety of Nespresso but the main thing is the convenience of making good coffee quickly.

With regards their customer service they rightly annoyed me recently. I got both an email and letter announcing the increase in strength of one of the lungo's. As a customer I could get a nice presentation box of 16 capsules if I ordered 300 capsules. These 16 capsules would be worth maybe €6/€7 and I have to spend nearly €150 to get them.

I have had enough of Nespresso at this stage particularly with that marketing ploy of a 'free' box of capsules. I worked out what I spend per year on Nespresso capsules - its too expensive.

I have tried the Lidl ones and they are OKish but would be worried about messing up the machine.

Back to grinding my own and a trusty cafetiere I think.

bk

ted1 wrote: »

You do know that its owned by Nestle.

Yes, a company who also owes Dolce Gusto, which they sell in Tesco, etc. Nice market segmentation there!

Of course Nestle aren't going to fail (they are the largest food company in the world by revenue), but their Nespresso brand has become a very significant earner for them. Actually their most profitable brand now.

So it would still hurt their profitability significantly if they lose market share. Nespresso currently command 70% of the European single serve coffee market. That is looking like a market ripe for disruption to me!

I'm not saying that Nespresso shouldn't continue to market and position their brand as a premium product, with premium stores, club, etc. But in the face of this new competition, it seems silly for them to continue to not distribute their product more widely through regular channels.

Perhaps they could just sell a limited range of three or four of their "standard" pods via Tesco, etc., while keeping the full range of "premium" pods exclusive to their stores and online. That would be a logical compromise.

But you don't need an MBA to realise that keeping to their current business model will simply lead to a reduction in that 70% market share in the face of all these compatible pods.

maxwell smart

bk wrote: »

Nespresso currently command 70% of the European single serve coffee market. That is looking like a market ripe for disruption to me!

I think it is Nestle as a whole who have the 70% market share (including the Dolce Gusto / Nescafe Professional and a couple of other systems only available in Europe) rather than Nespresso only.

Anyway, somehow I don't think we are going to form the next 5 year marketing plan for Nespresso here on this forum!

It is going to be about brand loyalty. There are loads of makes of cars out there, each do basically the same thing, but people buy different ones for different reasons. Everyone could buy a Dacia and get a cheap car that (i believe) is value for money. It does the main thing right, gets you from A to B.
But there are plenty of people out there who would never touch a Dacia, no matter how cheaper it is.

bk

maxwell smart wrote: »

It is going to be about brand loyalty. There are loads of makes of cars out there, each do basically the same thing, but people buy different ones for different reasons. Everyone could buy a Dacia and get a cheap car that (i believe) is value for money. It does the main thing right, gets you from A to B.
But there are plenty of people out there who would never touch a Dacia, no matter how cheaper it is.

Sure, but I'm not arguing that. I'm arguing that Nespresso's distribution channels are silly, specially in the face of the increased competition.

While I'm sure there are a few people who actually think Nestle/Nespresso somehow make better coffee :rolleyes: I think the reality is that the majority of people who buy Nespresso machines, do so because it makes a "good enough" Espresso very quick and conveniently.

Otherwise they would buy a real coffee machine or bean to cup machine and get a much better Espresso. Convenience and ease of use is the real reason for Nespresso's success.

But then Nespresso shot themselves in the foot, but making it difficult and inconvenient to actually buy the pods.

I'm sure many, if not most Nespresso users aren't really loyal to the brand, they will see these Robert Robert compatible pods in their local supermarket, will try them out and find there are just the same as the Nespresso pods and will be delighted at the increased convenience of just buying them with their weekly shop, rather then have to trudge into Brown Thomas, etc.

vienne86

Funny enough I have had no problems with the lidl pods in my pixie. Some of the French ones gave me terrible grief, but I soon figured out which ones to avoid.

kingtut

I found the LIDL ones to be complete tasteless, bought a box of each which I'll be leaving in work beside the Nespresso machine for the vultures to collect :P

mikeecho

kingtut wrote: »

I found the LIDL ones to be complete tasteless, bought a box of each which I'll be leaving in work beside the Nespresso machine for the vultures to collect :P

i think we work in the same building..

thanks for the coffee

kingtut

mikeecho wrote: »

i think we work in the same building..

thanks for the coffee

Indeed we do enjoy!

gotthebug

Picked up a packet of the bewleys pods in dunnes not bad tasting had 2 different strengths

uncle_sam_ie

kingtut wrote: »

I found the LIDL ones to be complete tasteless, bought a box of each which I'll be leaving in work beside the Nespresso machine for the vultures to collect :P

My wife tried to fool me into thinking I was drinking Nespresso a few weeks ago. But, much to her disappointment I could tell. The Lidl ones taste weaker.

hucklebuck

Bought a couple of boxes of the Lidl ones, the coffee isn't as nice and the capsules got stuck a few ones.

The missus tried make a coffee and the capsule got stuck in our Krupts machine, when she tried dislodge it she pulled a part out instead, I had to take the machine apart to dislodge the capsule and put the part back in, now the machine runs for about a second no matter what capsule I use or button I press.

Not nice coffee, not a nice result.

vienne86

hucklebuck wrote: »

Bought a couple of boxes of the Lidl ones, the coffee isn't as nice and the capsules got stuck a few ones.

The missus tried make a coffee and the capsule got stuck in our Krupts machine, when she tried dislodge it she pulled a part out instead, I had to take the machine apart to dislodge the capsule and put the part back in, now the machine runs for about a second no matter what capsule I use or button I press.

Not nice coffee, not a nice result.

Think you have been unlucky. I have found some French ones that really messed up the machine (Casino supermarket own brand), but always managed to get them out. I've had no problems with the Lidl ones.

youngblood

Have used the Lidl ones, found they were constantly getting stuck in the Nespresso U. The ristretto ones were fine tasting but still got stuck

I've tried the Robert Robrts ones and although tasted better they were occasionally getting stuck. (I've cleaned, descaled my machine and they never get stuck with Nespresso ones)

I got a box of the Carte Noir pods from France, and they were amazing. They're designed slightly different that the Lidl/Roberts ones. No sticking. Great coffee.

Thing is I dont see them for sale anywhere else!

The_Conductor

youngblood wrote: »

I got a box of the Carte Noir pods from France, and they were amazing. They're designed slightly different that the Lidl/Roberts ones. No sticking. Great coffee.

Thing is I dont see them for sale anywhere else!

Amazon groceries. Sometimes they have them on special- normal price is around £22 for 10 boxes of 8- about 27.5p or 36c each. Not cheap- but they are nice.

maxwell smart

The_Conductor wrote: »

Amazon groceries. Sometimes they have them on special- normal price is around £22 for 10 boxes of 8- about 27.5p or 36c each. Not cheap- but they are nice.

Are they aluminium like the real pods?
I wonder if all these problems people are having is because the pods are plastic and the heat from the water is deforming them, causing them to stick?

Teferi

No bother using the Lidl pods in my machine (Magimix) at all. Nespresso pods taste better but these are doing me fine for my morning wake up where I'm more worried about getting some energy than taste.