A friend of mine was, until recently, in a part time semi retirement job delivering for Sainsbury's and he reckoned there was no way they were making a profit from it.
It's probably cheaper to make a small loss delivering it than it is to waste the food they wouldn't sell if they deliver. @Pete1950 my point is that if I could choose not to support supermarkets and instead spend my money in a more socially responsible way I would. But I can't as the service isn't offered around my way any more.
supermarkets employ a lot of people. is the suggestion that we shouldn't support them and throw the employees on the heap?
The only way to present this is for everyone to stop drinking milk or stop eating veal. Not gonna happen.
Believe it or not, this already happens, cows have a chip implanted and go to milking when they are ready, automated milking system/shed takes care of the rest, production is individually measured and recorded. They can run 1000 cow herds with very little labour content.
Not at all. But we don't need to push everything to the limit, there is plenty of overcapacity in the system it's just that the people at the top keep stockpiling it. It is quite astonishing how the spend on food has come down over time, and I don't think this is an area of society where it is desirable to put profit above all else.
But guys this is how efficiency in the marketplace works, it reduces the high cost element and that is people.
By better regulation, just like everything else in society. Society is obviously constantly evolving and our politicians really needs to be smarter and less biased when it comes to regulating it. Don't ask me what specific regulatory changes is needed because I have no idea, but I don't think the way the food market is regulated is working very well. Feeding the people should be priority #1 and the system we have today where for example food criss-crossing the world, sometimes being exported to be processed before being imported again is absolutely ludicrous Yep. Capitalism pushing towards communism...
And that's not what I mean, I would like less and better regulation not just piling on additional red tape as they normally do
I would like to see a maximum profit rate of some kind. 5% or 50% whatever, with consistent measure of twhat that is, to force reinvestment and employment
This thread has made for an interesting read. Firstly as a farmer I'd like to say thanks for the support that's been shown for agriculture. It is really appreciated and it's nice to know that some people do still value what we do in world where we are constantly blamed being a greedy bunch that mis treat animals and destroy the environment. Food production and retail has changed beyond all recognition over the past few years. The ways in which it is produced has been streamlined to a point where farms have become run with the efficiency of a factory. The way food is distributed to the public has changed. Most people would prefer the days of old to return, where milk was delivered to the doorstep and the shop at the end of the street supplied everyone's food needs, but this has been dismantled over the years and isn't going to come back. Supermarkets are here to stay, increasing in numbers all the time. 25 years ago in my nearest town the first supermarket opened, now there are five. They provide jobs and everybodies food needs all under one roof. In the ideal world it's a farmers dream, a ready market for produce that has the infrastructure and management team that can't be matched anywhere and one that even puts the government that supposedly runs the country to shame. However what needs to change is the balance of monies. It's not fair that one institution makes vast profits and reeps the rewards at the cost and loss of another. Personally I think there are going to be problems with food supply in the future and supermarkets need to stop focusing on the short term and profits and look to the future and safe guard supplies by paying fairly. More and more arable farmers who produce wheat, barley and other cereals are beginning to move away from growing crops for food production in favour of growing them for renewable energy purposes such as to fuel power stations and anaerobic digesters to produce electricity because it is more profitable. The trouble is as more and more acres are used for renewables less are used for food production. And this is happening now. Sooner or later we will reach a tipping point and I suspect it may be ugly.
i stopped using Tesco in oban after they put the automated lanes in, slows every thing down, i like to get a bit of craic with the people behind the desk. told the manager also. i send the wife now.
My grandad used to say going to the butchers, grocers etc was a bit of a social event where he used to start nattering to the shop keepers and regulars who he became friends with. I send the mrs shopping, try not to go as I usually find myself down the milk isle with a purple face and steam coming out of my ears!
Unless in a mega rush (yeah cop out I know) i wont use fast lanes as its just another job gone and more profit to an already grossly profitable business
Someone has to make the machines and provide software and maintenance though - I just want to get out as quick as I can
