Aldi/Lidl ↓ effect on grocery prices

snubbleste

Anyone noticed that a chunk of products are cheaper in TescoIE than TescoUK?
This is despite a higher cost of doing business. This development is directly attributable to the attempts by Tesco to compete with the quality offering of Lidl & Aldi in Ireland.
Direct comparable examples include T spice range, T pizza range, T tuna tins, T laundry detergents, T cereals, T rice, T tea, etc

Obviously some products are more expensive but we say that Ireland is a rip-off for groceries, yet it does not appear to be the case any longer.
Thoughts?

rubadub

I expect most are not familiar with tesco UK prices.

I have noticed some unusually cheap tesco products. It may have been yourself who told me they were price matching tesco caster sugar with aldi and/or lidl.

They tend to keep these products low key and in small amounts of stock. e.g. they have pallets of tesco value sugar, but only a small area for the cheaper tesco caster sugar (standard packing, not "value").

Tesco caster sugar is 1.09 for 1kg, 500g in the same packing is 99cent. Value granulated is 1.19, and processing caster should cost more.

Tesco standard rum was 11.69 for ages which is below cost, as the duty and vat is higher than that. It was rarely in stock though. The tesco value vodka is 12.99 which is also likely below cost. That rum in the UK is £11 (14euro), they do not list the same vodka.

They do stock plenty of this vodka though, but I have never seen people buy it. I honestly think they purposely keep the packing looking horrific to put people off buying it, while still doing well in price comparison studies.

Tesco battered nuggets 1.65, same pack in UK £1.50 (1.90euro)

These are just items off the top of my head that always struck me as cheap, and have been for ages.

snubbleste

My point really is that TescoIE are matching Aldi/Lidl prices which make TescoIE cheaper than TescoUK. I use Tesco as the example, as the products are directly comparable on the respective websites.
Dunnes & Supervalu have similarly dropped prices on their own brand ranges to compete. All this occurs because Aldi/Lidl have entered the grocery market, which results in the consumer benefiting.

rubadub

snubbleste wrote: »

My point really is that TescoIE are matching Aldi/Lidl prices which make TescoIE cheaper than TescoUK..

Yes, and I think all the items I mentioned are price matching aldi/lidl. I think you mentioned the nuggets in other threads, they are nearly always sold out in my tesco, though never highlighted as being a good price.

Charles Babbage

Lidl and Aldi have done more for Irish competitiveness than all the TDs in the Dáil Éireann. Especially as they compete ferociously with each other.

BeardySi

Tesco have just the same competition from Lidl and ALdi in the UK. The fact of the matter is, gorceries are cheaper in Ireland than in the UK. Always boggles my mind how cheap basic food items are when I'm down home.

VincePP

Charles Babbage wrote: »

Lidl and Aldi have done more for Irish competitiveness than all the TDs in the Dáil Éireann. Especially as they compete ferociously with each other.

How can TD's bring competiveness into the market? - If they interferred in a free market, then there would be complaints. Retail market dynamics have nothing to do with politics unless they were blocking planning permissions - if anything some TD's have been advocates in favour of the aldi / lidl openings to bring competition to local areas.

Cost in Ireland have dropped a little and obviously sterling has strengthened (weakened back a little recently) - so when sterling was at 90p-95p v €1, costs here were about 10%-15% higher than UK.

When sterling was 70p, costs here were 5%-10% cheaper than UK. At 78p, costs are about on par with UK.

4068ac1elhodqr

Aldi/Lidl are brilliant bunch of lads and lassies, just beware of today's product recall notice, Aldi want their ginger nuts (Belmont 300gms) back. Loaded with sugar so you shouldn't be eating them anyways.

http://utv.ie/News/2016/03/30/Aldi-Ginger-Nuts-biscuits-recalled-over-unhygienic-conditions-56553

ED E

The current weakness of the euro vs sterling means the conversion makes them look a lot more expensive. Try with a daily rate from 9mo ago and they'll probably be a lot closer.

quadrifoglio verde

Charles Babbage wrote: »

Lidl and Aldi have done more for Irish competitiveness than all the TDs in the Dáil Éireann. Especially as they compete ferociously with each other.

Until the mid 2000s it was illegal to sell below cost in Ireland. So some of the current batch of tds have done a bit to allow them compete with each other
Then on the other hand they've increased the minimum wage quite a bit since 2000 which directly increases cost of buying groceries

snubbleste

ED E wrote: »

The current weakness of the euro vs sterling means the conversion makes them look a lot more expensive. Try with a daily rate from 9mo ago and they'll probably be a lot closer.

Nine months ago €1 = 71p

The T range was higher priced here than UK, prices only fell because of TescoIE matching Aldi/Lidl

SarahMollie

I'm not too au fiat with the costs in Tesco UK but I must admit I find Tesco Ireland very cheap in the last while. I still like going to Aldi for certain items, but for a lot of things, my local Tesco is just as good. I now find that I come home with a lot of their own brand products, such as spices, coffee (finest range), butter, milk, sparkling water, etc. All perfectly good.
I also like Tesco for the mix of their own brand products (which I think are better than the native Irish supermarkets) and being able to get certain branded items that I think are worth the extra spend - ballymaloe relish for example - thats an essential in our house and theres no substiture for it

etselbbuns

It's obvious recently that Aldi are reducing their prices and Tesco is following within a few weeks.

Basic Orange Juice 1l was 89c now 79c (UK 65p)
Soya milk 1l was 85c now 79c (UK 85p)
Sardines can was 46c now 42c (UK 40p)
Frozen peppers now 72c (UK £1)
Wine gums now 49c (UK 89p)
Anti-dandruff 2in1 shampoo 79c (UK £1)

zbluebirdz

Are the VAT rules the same between Ireland and UK?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

zbluebirdz wrote: »

Are the VAT rules the same between Ireland and UK?

Most food and drink is 0% in both. Anything liable to VAT would be at different rates in each jurisdiction.

Kuva

the quality just keeps on coming down, glucose syrup, palm oil is in everything it seems now, fruits are tasteless, designed to look and travel well, taste like sh1te, my mother in particular has mostly given up on eating fruit. you throw out more than you'll eat

NIMAN

I find most of the fruit in supermarkets poor quality. I especially don't like Lidl and Aldi's, just something about them.

The likes of Tesco, Supervalu are slightly better.

But to prove there is still good quality fruit being grown, which has proper taste, go to M&S. You will pay a premium for it, but its quality.

Postgrad10

SuperValu around here is worse than Lidl. We bought a Brennan's loaf in it on Monday and we are all shocked that it was actually fresh but the fruit is terrible no matter when we purchase it.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

The only way I can get decent fruit, veg, or meat is by using a proper greengrocer and butcher. Good quality and not much more costly than the major supermarkets.

DJIMI TRARORE

Jagger Warm Transience wrote:

The only way I can get decent fruit, veg, or meat is by using a proper greengrocer and butcher. Good quality and not much more costly than the major supermarkets.

You're 100% right,I'd never buy veg in any big name shop,probably lying around for months,whereas the small local rotates stock more regular

Postgrad10

No greengrocer around here and super valu meat is surprisingly better quality than our local butcher.

vicwatson

DJIMI TRARORE wrote: »

You're 100% right,I'd never buy veg in any big name shop,probably lying around for months,whereas the small local rotates stock more regular

I find the complete opposite, no problems with aldi or Lidl. Ever, you buy what you look at and leave what you don't like the look of behind. Simples

DJIMI TRARORE

Don't get me wrong,I buy all my meat in aldi/lidl,it's just the veg I don't trust. Never anything wrong with the meat and 30-50% cheaper than rip off butchers

Kuva

Guys, the fruit n Veg all comes from the same massive warehouses, it's all the same. Aldi/lidl, the distributor that supplies all the independents etc order pallets of what they want and then then break it down into cases in their warehouses.

Rubbish varieties are grown because of the want for better yields/travel well.

And then we have the carbon dioxide effect,

The great nutrient collapse

http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/09/13/food-nutrients-carbon-dioxide-000511

etselbbuns

Noticed that Tesco have reduced their Sardines 120g 46c 42c 39c to 36c, purely because Aldi have done so. All in the past 18 days!

etselbbuns

Aldi have reduced their laundry liquid prices. Tesco follow suit - 1.5l bottle €2.72, but in UK £4.80. 630ml is €1.34, UK £2.20

rubadub

I get the 960ml size, big one is too big for my press and its the same price per L, well 1 cent more per litre now. I think it was cheaper per litre than the big one at one stage.

960ml is 1.75 now https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=274325219

google cache says 2.09 on july 28
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:QTk9eLe06Z4J:https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/%3Fid%3D274325219+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ie

Its another one I just happened across one day, no large amount of stock, no signs promoting it, just really cheap compared to all the rest they do hold bit stock of. So I did wonder if it was yet another sneaky item they do not really want people buying and just have for price comparisons.

9/10 times their chicken nuggets are sold out in mine and very low shelf space. I was very surprised to see them promoting their caster sugar, it was on a shelf of baking stuff on the way into the shop.

etselbbuns

rubadub wrote: »

I get the 960ml size, big one is too big for my press and its the same price per L, well 1 cent more per litre now. I think it was cheaper per litre than the big one at one stage. 960ml is 1.75 now.
google cache says 2.09 on july 28
Its another one I just happened across one day, no large amount of stock, no signs promoting it, just really cheap compared to all the rest they do hold bit stock of. So I did wonder if it was yet another sneaky item they do not really want people buying and just have for price comparisons.
9/10 times their chicken nuggets are sold out in mine and very low shelf space. I was very surprised to see them promoting their caster sugar, it was on a shelf of baking stuff on the way into the shop.

People going to Aldi would know their prices, therefore Tesco have to match. No other sense for the product to be so much cheaper in IE. Massive price difference with the same UK product.
Chicken dippers/nuggets have also fallen from €1.65 to €1.59, UK £1.50