THURSDAY 26 OCTOBER - BACK TO BASICS...

OK, I know, it’s Thursday again….. well, again I’m out all day tomorrow so it’s another Thursday visit to Sainsbury’s I’m afraid. And it is noticeably quieter than Friday, which I guess makes sense. Perhaps I’ll move my shopping day to Thursday permanently? And my cold has gone, so I’m a bit more on the ball this week (but, in my case, everything’s relative). Anyway, today I bought some salmon and a quiche from the Sainsbury’s ‘Basics’ range, and, frankly, I’m worried. The packaging is all white (whatever did happen to Michael Barrymore?) and very utilitarian and it looks like it has been smuggled in from Eastern Europe in a container at the dead of night. And basic actually means … cheap! So, the question is….. is the Basics range all it’s cracked up to be, or is it just being sold cheap to an unsuspecting public – more than likely students as I noticed the young lad behind me in the check out queue had a basket full of ‘Basics’. What would his mother say? Anyway I think I’m on to something here as the label on my salmon says ‘Salmon Fillets Different Shapes’ which doesn’t sound too bad (in fact I’d be more worried if they were the same shape as this implies some ‘management’ – not ‘modification’ note) but my (little) bill says ‘Salmon Fillet Tails’ ie …. the bum. Yuk! So I think I need to buy some more from the Basics range and see how the descriptions compare. Perhaps we are being sold a pup? Not literally, of course, but, then again, you never know…. More on this in due course! Moving on, I’ve found that the small chicken (still 1.3 kilograms and £2.79……scary) is actually too big for me unless I have chicken everything for 2 or 3 days so my brown friend outside the back door is doing rather well. The chickens go large, medium & small and what I need is very small or micro – an egg perhaps? And on to what is becoming my favourite area – the check out! I did ask for my Nectar points off this week, and everything I was told is true – I did indeed get £10 off my bill. And it is more sophisticated than I thought in that the 2000 points were deducted from my Nectar points ‘account’ so I don’t lose any points when I cash in. Even so, next time I will ask whether I can have the money off from the points I’ve earned from just the one shopping trip and see what happens – my guess is that I won’t be able to do it. We will see! The cashier asked whether I would like him to pack for me. This is an interesting question as to get round the store and buy from all the varying heights of shelves, fridges, deep freezes and so on you need to be able bodied with all limbs in good working order so having done all that packing is a breeze. I wonder why they ask it and who takes them up on their offer? Maybe I should feign exhaustedness (is this a word?) and then stand around whistling, reading the paper, chatting to the other customers etc etc. How nasty is that? Before I left I asked about the Published Terms & Conditions again and was told it had not been forgotten, come back next week (which of course I will), so hopefully I will be able to report on these soon. I also noticed that the ‘Supermarket of the Year’ banner has gone, come to think of it I don’t think it lasted more than a week. Clearly a week is a long time in retailing. You’ll be interested to know I’ve checked out what Sainsbury’s won and, believe it or not, they did well. At the Retail Industry Awards held at the Grosvenor House in London at the beginning of October (were salmon tails on the menu?) they won ‘Supermarket of the Year’ (beating Waitrose, Asda and Marks & Spencer – wot no Tescos?) and ‘Fresh Produce Retailer of the Year’, Julie Morton won ‘Store Manager of the Year’ (she runs the Hedge End branch in Southampton … is there an Arse End branch I wonder) and John King won the ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’. Whoever is John King I hear you ask. Well, he is Mr Sainsbury’s, the big cheese, the top dog, the Chief Executive. So, whilst well done Sainsbury’s, Julie and John, I have to say I’m not convinced about this kind of thing - it’s all a bit nepotistic and mutual back slapping for my liking and, frankly, not particularly relevant to the likes of me and my fellow shoppers. One of the judges drooled ‘Sainsbury's has given us permission to enjoy food. It has made good food mainstream - you come out of Sainsbury's wanting to cook’. Whatever does this mean? Looking at my fellow shoppers today I can’t see them rejoicing having been given permission to enjoy food, all they want to do is to do their shopping and get home as soon as possible. Following my disappointment with Little Bill’s car insurance offer last week this week I picked up the pet insurance leaflet. I don’t have a pet but I’d be interested to see what can (and more interestingly what can’t) be insured and how much it costs. You never know, I might buy a pet so I would like to know before buying what’s the cheapest to insure – a cross between a parrot and a lion perhaps. “What’s one of those called?” I hear you ask. Well, to be frank I don’t know, but when it talks you bloody well listen. The old ones are the best! Eat your heart out Michael Barrymore……… Fancy a swim anyone?

Items bought 21

Cost £30.45

Cost per item £1.45 (a record low?)

Checkout number 15

Nectar Points balance 90 (after the great October cash in of 2000)