Bora & Sons Cabbage Prices!!

[kezzles]

I strongly believe in supporting independents but today I left Bro & Brothers Ltd feeling utterly ripped off.

They are selling Savoy cabbages for £3.98 per KG. I hadn’t clocked this until I got to the till and saw it cost £4.88. As comparison they are 75p each in Sainsbury’s. I realise some things in there are organic and, as a result, they cost a little more but I think this is outrageous. 

I probably should have said something before paying - though felt embarrassed to do so. It has however put me off using the shop in the future. 

Has anyone else felt this way? 

Edited July 6 by kezzles
Correction

[aloevera]

Did you check they were charging you the right price?

I was charged the wrong price on tomatoes the last time I was there...Unsure if it was done on purpose or not, but I haven't returned since then.

[kezzles]

No, I didn’t. Perhaps I should have. I’d say next time I will but, like you, I won’t be returning. 

[spider69]

Its Lordship Lane you are meant to have more money than sense!!

[Angelina]

Was the price visible and clear? 
That’s a huge mark up on average prices. Maybe they had the wrong price. They’ll probably have lots of cabbages left now!

I don’t go there anymore either since I paid far far too much for tomatoes. I did question the price though and was told it was correct.

[aloevera]

I did question the price I was charged, as different from the price next to the tomatoes. I was given a refund but left feeling they had tried to rip me off ...

[Sue]

I have just always assumed that anything in this shop would be extraordinarily expensive, which is why I have never been in there.

I just admire the beautiful displays as I walk past, and marvel at all the different varieties of fruit and veg never seen elsewhere in East Dulwich.

Not quite sure where I'm going with this post, except to say you have two chances not to spend more than you expected: the first when you see the price stated on the display, the second when you go to pay and are told what you have to pay.

Two chances to think/say: I'm not paying that. And walk away.

Or pay it and regret it and then post about it on here .....

ETA: Hadn't seen the post above, as I was writing this one 

 

 

Edited July 6 by Sue

[Emily1011]

I was ripped off and charged incorrectly too, also for tomatoes. Seemingly they have started taking over the entire pavement, passers by don’t seem to have the right of way on the pavement?! It’s like they own the corner. 
I’ve been walked into twice by loading and unloading of boxes / crates. I walk the opposite side now and avoid. And before you say it “I’m aware it’s lordship lane and the advantages of shopping locally, but I’m not selling a kidney for fruit & veg”. 

[Forest Hill Climber]

Bora has my sympathies - it's hard running a business where your goods are extremely perishable.

But they should be able to do better with the problem of how to charge accurately when they have so many varieties e.g. 15 kinds of tomato. Ideally the receipt would show better info e.g. 'Dutch Beef @ £3.95 kg. 0.45 kg = £1.78

It would also help if you could see the price/weight calculations 'live' at the point of sale, so you could immediately query anything that looks wrong e.g. is the price calculation being made on an incorrect basis - some tomatoes are £3.95 kg whereas some are £8.95 kg, so it make a difference.

[Froglander]

Sounds like General Store in Bellenden Road prices.

[alice]

 Fascinating -  that Bora previously got nothing but praise - a fantastic addition to Lordship Lane - A Fabulous offering - now I hear the owners have changed - and here we have several critical comments. 

[Froglander]

44 minutes ago, alice said:

 Fascinating -  that Bora previously got nothing but praise - a fantastic addition to Lordship Lane - A Fabulous offering - now I hear the owners have changed - and here we have several critical comments. 

I’ve not bought from there - have prices gone up?

[Rumbero]

They wanted £1.77 for an orange not so long ago on my first (and last) visit.  Looks nice though.  I do miss Pretty Traditional on North Cross Road.

[Spartacus]

There are choices in life 

Support local, pay a bit more and rediscover the taste of fruit and veg 

Support supermarkets , pay less and get bland fruit and veg that has a shelf life longer than a Tory PMs career.

If you go with the first choice, then choose if you are happy with the displayed price or not. 

It's a bit like choosing to shop at Borough Market and getting fabulously flavoured treats, or a shopping at Daves Fruit and Veg on the corner of a street in Peckham.

Both have their target customers and price accordingly, those with money to burn go one place, normal people to the other but there is a choice and if you feel you are being taken advantage off, simple things to do are 

1. Talk to the retailer, it may be genuine mistake or they may need market feedback on pricing points 

2. If not satisfied choose to shop elsewhere. 

The answer isn't to complain on a public forum because you can bet the business isn't focused on the EDF but mote on running their business, paying energy, rates and rent and after staff costs (all of which have gone up over recent years) , possibly making a small profit (which after all is the reason for running a business) 

[Angelina]

 Think after trying option 1, the view is option 2

[sweetgirl]

1 hour ago, alice said:

 Fascinating -  that Bora previously got nothing but praise - a fantastic addition to Lordship Lane - A Fabulous offering - now I hear the owners have changed - and here we have several critical comments. 

personally I’d say this is about the timing!

the new owners have recently taken over…. The extortionate pricing or “mistakenly” overpricing is a practice that has gone on for ages!

unfortunately, nobody questioned it until now

it remains to be seen if people will think with their wallets or their feet!

[NewWave]

We shop at Bora and are normal working people who did'nt pay a million for our house and dont live a high end lifestyle

And I've got to say we've never been 'ripped off' or felt ripped off since we started shopping there shortly after they opened.

We dont buy wildly exotic stuff which does tend to be more expensive just nice tomatoes,celery,apples, etc etc and most of what we buy is clearly priced and although more expensive than pre-packed supermarket stuff not extortionately so.

Probably about the same sort of price we'd pay at Borough Market

I do wish people would complain in person to the store in question rather than post on a public forum...

Its hard enough to run a buisness in London and one that relys on local trade to keep going honestly does'nt need the added hassle of negative reviews on a public local forum.

There is plenty of choice to go to cheaper places for fruit and veg and if one finds somewhere overpriced just dont shop there.

I don't go to that place on Belenden road for instance because I do find it overpriced..Ditto there are resturants in the area that I find a rip off so I dont choose to go there but I won't name or slag them off here unless they're part of a chain in which case I'll happily name and shame.

[malumbu]

In deed.  It scores well on Google.  If it is "too expensive" people will stop using it, as consumers have choice.

[Huggers]

I love the veggie shop in nunhead - plenty of fresh variety at reasonable prices.

[hpsaucey]

7 hours ago, Huggers said:

I love the veggie shop in nunhead - plenty of fresh variety at reasonable prices.

Agreed! Beaumonts - great local greengrocers and reasonable. 

Edited Monday at 07:40 by hpsaucey

[Dulwichmudlark]

Just go to a super market  most veg in London comes from the same corporation 

[Sue]

49 minutes ago, Dulwichmudlark said:

Just go to a super market  most veg in London comes from the same corporation 

Supermarkets don't sell as great a variety of veg as Bora though?

[claresy]

I saw a lettuce in Bora for £4.95 - and it wasn't gold-plated! It may be very pretty but the prices are unjustifiable and not everything there tastes as good as it looks. The russet apples I've bought were soggy and better in M&S. 

[Jules-and-Boo]

1 hour ago, Dulwichmudlark said:

Just go to a super market  most veg in London comes from the same corporation 

it's all from Covent Garden market - just bigger uplift as they make it look nice (funny how a cardbox box in Lidl and a wooden carte can change perception)

 

[Happyme5]

I went to shop there once.  It was ridiculously expensive so I declined to pay and left without any fruit or veg.  I believe in choice and supporting hard working local businesses.  But I also believe in not being ripped off.