Shopping local vs supermarkets and their local stores

[TheArtfulDogger]

It occurred to me today that I only buy about 20% of my weekly food shopping from any of the supermarkets or their "local" stores. The rest of the time I shop at independent food stores either locally in East Dulwich or wherever I am at the time.

Out of curiosity what proportion of your weekly shop comes from a supermarket (or their local /express or similar stores) and when you do shop in the East Dulwich or other independent stores is it cheaper, the same or more expensive then the supermarket ?

I am hoping that what I have found is being repeated by others, that more often or not my weekly bill is less then if I did it all in the supermarket .

Interested in your views, thoughts and comments on this

[Marmora Man]

One of the reasons I love this area is that I can, and do, carry out almost all my food shopping locally. Why buy plastic wrapped meat, fish, cheese and veg when it's all available on Lordship Lane. On LL the food is invariably better quality, can be purchased in exactly the right quantity ( one red chilli rather than a bag of five and so on), usually at the same or lower price and has the added value of engaging with both other customers and the shop staff - making shopping a pleasure not a chore. It's good to walk into Pretty Traditional, W Rose, SMBS, EDD, The Flower Company, The Cheese Block, Franklins, Moxons and all the other splendid shops to be recognised and have conversation with the shopkeeper, or to discuss menu options and plans for the weekend.

[maritap]

Totally agree, I prefer to shop locally. Green grocers, butchers etc. regarding what Marmora Man said ( one chilli rather than a bag of five ). I hate this in supermarkets. Buy one pkt of satsumas and get one free. Or one chicken for ?4 or 3 for ?10. I use to work in a well known supermarket and you're not getting a bargin. I remember one particular incident when a punnett of plumbs were ?1.25 one week and the next week they were ?3 buy one get one free. You're not getting one free at all. You're actually paying more.

[Designerjooles]

Single mother of one here on a very tight budget. But yet i find that William Rose, not only are they a pleasure to deal with and knowledgable, but their meat is consistently cheaper than the supermarkets. And far superior in quality.

The only reason why the rest of my shop is supermarket based is they accept the government vouchers that i am given for milk and veg for my son each week - otherwise i would no doubt rather spend my money locally, and like you all say - get the right quantity etc and quality.

[The Minkey]

Although I do do a supermarket shop the majority of my fruit and veg shopping is from Lewisham Market or Rye Lane; wholefoods and deli stuff from independents in Brixton; toiletries and cleaning products from discount shops on Rye Lane; online retailer for cat food. Apart from Iceland and the Coop, I tend to use the stores on LL for occasional treats and gifts.

[KidKruger]

Rye Lane, veg stall at Sikh shop near Dulwich Library (variable quality - but some deals at time so always worth checking out), Brixton market, Khan's for non-food stuff like deodorant, toothbrushes, cleaning products, housekeeping products.

Co-op for what I can't get in above places or pushed for time.

Sainsbury's as a conscious last resort. Overpriced and soul-less.

[Saffron]

Interesting shopping thread in the Family Room a while back: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,847362,847362#msg-847362 .

I do most of our family shopping online and have it delivered. Husband does one-offs like the butchers or fish market (Deptford) sometimes.

We also like the Brockley Market (Lewisham College carpark off Tressillian Rd), which tends to be decent value for meat. Veg are not always cheaper. Artisan bread is very expensive there.

[Otta]

For pure convenience we do most of our shopping at Supermarkets or online.

Oh, and we go to lidls for nappies and some other very good value things.

[Pickle]

Those of you that shop locally, it sounds like you shop little and often? As much as I'd love to do more of my shopping locally, I just don't have time for daily meanders down to Lordship Lane, so do a large weekly shop online and have it delivered.

How do you fit this type of shopping in with work/kids etc?

[Alec John Moore]

We have convinced ourselves that it's more convenient to do a weekend shop at Sainsbo's and top up locally during the week. However, I am trying to change that a bit by buying some stuff on the way home from work. I stop off at Camberwell to get the kids from after school club having first checked out the wonderful fish counter at Morrison's in Butterfly Walk. Got a very nice piece of monkfish tail there last week.

Alec

[Worker]

For convenience, mostly Co-Op. On the weekends we will get the odd bit of fish or meat, and bread, from local independents, or veg from SMBS. Oh and beer from Boss Man.

I walk down LL on my way home from work, so pass most of these independents, but they're shut at these hours.

[Twirly]

Like a lot of others above, I tend to do a bit of a mix. I normally do a big Sainsbury's shop, using the car, for heavy stuff that I don't want to lug around and that keeps (fruit juice, rice, pasta, loo roll, cleaning products etc.) every 2-3 weeks (would only go once a month, but haven't got room to store it all), and then shop in the local shops for fruit and veg (Pretty Traditional), fish (in the market on Saturdays) and other bits and pieces (SMBS). Plus the Co-op for some stuff. This I try to do just once a week, takes an hour or so, so not too onerous.

If I'm pressed for time then I have to admit that the local shop won't happen, and I get all the fruit and veg for the week in Sainsbury's if I'm also doing the big shop there, but I hate doing that. I like to mix it up :)

[eco79]

A few years back my flatmates and I had a new year resolution to only shop in little shops. We lived in Camberwell and so would buy our meat fortnightly from WR and freeze, fruit and veg from Rye Lane or East Street market etc etc.

What tipped us over the edge after 6 months though, was the cost of groceries in our local shops. We had the 'SPAR' on Vestry [it's not a spar but 1980s signage remains], SPAR petrol station on Peckham Road and Payless on Bellenden. Tins of Heinz baked beans priced at ?1.09. Peanut butter, small tubs, yet over ?2. Butter cost the earth. Nice shops, run by friendly folk, but it was impossible to actually use them as grocers.

So, ocado for non-perishables. Meat, fish and fruit and veg locally. Recently started using www.kentvegbox.co.uk. They have a half price for three weeks trial on at the moment.

[Ukjoncollins]

been looking for kentvegbox for a while. Want a local veg box that isn't shipped all the way from Devon like riverford.

My new years this year was to shop locally. Although cost doesn't put me off that much as most stuff is available for around the same price, non of the local shops are open at the times I need them to be. Ways people shop have obviously changed in the last 50 years but unfortunately the local shops are still operating the same opening hours. I'd like to see the shops like WR and Moxtons opening till 8pm a couple of times a week to enable us 9-5 (or 10-6 in my case) folk to still do our shopping.

[Atwater]

I don't like super market too. I also want to shop regionally. Natural grocery stores, butchers, shoes and clothes etc. In my opinion, local shops are bit cheaper than supermarkets and stores.

[Alec John Moore]

@Ukjoncollins you could try http://www.localgreens.org.uk/ for your veg.

Alec

[david_carnell]

Has anyone tried Hubbub ?

They offer a delivery service from local shops thus helping you get the best of both worlds. At the moment the selection is small but growing all the time.

I'd say less than 5% of my shopping is done at supermarkets. Meat and fish is bought at weekends or at the Tachbrook St market in Pimlico nr where I work. Fresh fruit and veg is bought throughout the week from either local shops, the above market or a couple of places in Camberwell that I cycle past on my way home. That way I'm only buying what I need for that meal and have less wastage.

We use LIDL for nappies and occassional supermarkets deliveries for household items like washing powder. Khans for tinned goods and spices etc

[Ukjoncollins]

Wow thanks Alec! Can't believe I haven't heard about that.

Alec John Moore Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> @Ukjoncollins you could try

> http://www.localgreens.org.uk/ for your veg.

>

> Alec

[Twirly]

Ukjoncollins Wrote:

> My new years this year was to shop locally.

> Although cost doesn't put me off that much as most

> stuff is available for around the same price, non

> of the local shops are open at the times I need

> them to be. Ways people shop have obviously

> changed in the last 50 years but unfortunately the

> local shops are still operating the same opening

> hours. I'd like to see the shops like WR and

> Moxtons opening till 8pm a couple of times a week

> to enable us 9-5 (or 10-6 in my case) folk to

> still do our shopping.

Totally agree with you. I now work part-time (and am trying to run two businesses as well!), so it's easier to get to them, but when I was 9-5.30, the only time I could get to SMBS and Pretty Traditional, which is where I shop most of the time, was the weekend. I don't understand why, on one or two days a week, they couldn't open a bit later and close later. I'm sure they would do lots of business once people realised. And if it became a thing that happened with lots of shops (maybe more than food shops) on, say, Wednesday evenings (as if you shop at weekends mostly, Wednesday would be a good day to top things up), then Lordship Lane would be a lot busier on that night.

[New Girl]

I feel I was ripped off at Moxons at the weekend and this disappointed me as my purchase really didn't taste all that different from the supermarket! Therefore, supermarket shopping it is. Anyone know any local fishmongers other than Moxons in the area? Or a good market?

[Twirly]

Geoff the fishmonger in Northcross Road on Saturday morning's is good, apart from his salmon which for some odd reason is always flabby. But his undyed smoked haddock and smoked mackerel are wonderful.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Soper's in Nunhead is nonpareil.

[Pugwash]

Must admit to 85% supermarket shopping. Also get milk and occasional odd things from milkman, sweets and papers from local shop, eggs and some meat from local butcher, Some fruit and veg from local shops. Rarely purchase anything down the main part of LL - as usually have only Saturday free and get fed up trying to dodge all the prams etc around North Cross Rd. Agree the fish stall in NX is good especially towards the end of the day you get some good bargains.

During the week, I rarely leave work before 7 pm and most shops closed. I have purchased some meat from Wm. Rose - chicken usually as everything else beyond my price range. I find most of the shops too expensive for food, including the green grocers in NXRd. Farmers have good choice of stuff reasonably priced, as does the pet shop. The East Dulwich Deli very expensive.

[TheArtfulDogger]

Pugwash

I am glad you raised the issue of Milkmen, when I was a child everyone had their milk delivered to the door, along with a few other bits (bread, cakes and cherryaide/cream soda) but as well as providing a delivery service the milkman was often the first person to notice when there was something wrong at a house (sick person or in some cases a death) normally when the milk wasn't taken in from the day before. I have to admit that, whilst the supermarkets are cheaper then home delivery, this is one service that should never have been allowed to be taken over by the supermarkets as it provided more than it was intended for.

I have read the comments above with interest since this thread started and it seems that whilst a lot of people prefer to shop locally, the local businesses need to look at things like opening hours to be able to provide the same convenience as the supermarkets / 'local/express' stores.

In Rye Lane for example the butchers and grocers open till 9 or 10, and I wonder if that is something that needs to be looked at by independents to compete with the bigger players (and I think this is something that applies to all high streets not just East Dulwich) I guess that may however change their costing model with longer hours and higher wages / lighting and heating bills but imagine how wonderful it would be to get off the bus / train on the way home from work at 7pm and to be able to pick up the ingredients for your supper on the way home..

Thank you to everyone who has commented so far and hopefully more people will put their thoughs and views forward.

[Ukjoncollins]

Yer I get my milk delivered. Although it doesn't necessarily boost the local economy, www.milkandmore.co.uk is so on it for home delivery. You schedule anything you want to come on the days you want and then if you're a little short of something, you can order it by 9pm the night before and have it delivered by the time you wake up in the morning. Very impressed with it. Was a little glitchy at first but these days I never have a problem with it.