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Grocery prices - UK vs Australia from our recent reccie


SaffanZimbo

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Guest chris955
Global credit bubble which is yet to deflate in Australia?

 

​But why did it start more than 10 years ago, years before the GFC ?

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Guest chris955
Internet bubble? Deregulation of the financial markets?

 

​Why did that cause grocery prices to rise so rapidly and steeply ?

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People had access to cheap credit and more money in their pockets, which gave the suppliers a chance to charge more?

 

Homewardbound wouldnt have put prices up given the chance to make more money. Only nasty horrible retailers would do something like that - They're just as bad as the bankers, you know! ;)

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Guest guest76088

Income (boosted by access to credit) goes up, demand goes up. Prices go up. Ends in tears.

 

BigD

 

People had access to cheap credit and more money in their pockets, which gave the suppliers a chance to charge more?
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bigemo_harabe_net-163.gifbigemo_harabe_net-163.gifbigemo_harabe_net-163.gif

 

How much are you willing to bet??? Hmmm??

 

 

 

I grow bananas 'locally' and they are all free to anyone who is willing to come and pick them up. As a matter of fact, have 4 bunches due to be harvested soon and they will all be given away.

 

Cheers, Bobj.

That's very nice of you Bob.....glad to see you are keeping the 'fair trade' going lol x

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Of course not, because you live in the utopian bubble that is Tasmania, where every negative aspect of Australian life can be dismissed because 'its not like that that where I live' and where only good stuff ever happens...

 

No need to be childish. The fact is that quite a few of my friends own businesses. None of them have the lavish lifestyle you wish on them. They work ridiculously long hours, have taken a gamble on investing a lot of money (including often mortgaging the family home)...and most of them earn less in take home pay than their employees.

The only advantage is that, at some time in the future, they may sell the business and make a profit then.

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So that qualifies you to post? And enlighten me, where else have you lived?

 

I live in Australia, same as you, that qualifies me to post. And in fact if anyone is able to argue that grocery prices are ridiculously high it's those of us that live in regional or remote areas.

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I am just wondering if you have secured work already? If not the assumption that wages are higher is a dangerous one, especially as many tradies and professionals have to take a step back career wise to get a start, without 'local' knowledge and an established network people can find it hard. It depends so much on what you do - it is brilliant to see someone taking a methodical approach too many take the 'she'll be right approach' and see what they want to see on a reccie (we did!) so I am sure you have done the same with salaries but just in case....

 

To give you an idea, the first job a took in Perth was 1.80 $ to £ (the exchange rate was 2.60 at the time), now after 4 years my salary would be 2.25 $ to £ so still probably falling short of the 'cost of living' gap and that is without taking into account the astronomical house prices unless you live in the back of beyond.

 

On the plus side I echo what everyone else says, don't buy your fruit and veg at supermarkets! I will be off shortly to the farmers market where I can get locally grown, extremely fresh, SEASONAL produce for around half the cost of Woolies or Coles. For me it is a matter of conscience as much as money saving and I love the Aussie way of shopping, greengrocers, fishmongers, delis, bakers. I can go to each of these as quickly and easily as walking around the typical Tesco 'warehouse' and get real service - in fact the only downside is stopping to have a chat in each one does mean it takes longer but I don't find shopping a chore here so it doesn't matter.

 

I am not a fan of Spudshed, it is cheap but a lot of it comes from cold storage (like a lot of so called fresh stuff in the UK) so goes off very quickly. If you go through a lot it might be okay though!

 

Just wondering why you are choosing Perth? If you have family in NZ surely the east coast makes more sense and it seems from what people are saying it's cheaper there too.

 

We have a 176 WA SS visa so will be going to Perth initially. OH had a job interview the last week of our reccie and although he was not enamoured by the job itself the interviewer said he had opening for OH's trade come up regularly both FIFO and Perth-based. OH also made good contacts with the HR Director of a large mining company who he knew from SA and also the person who's job he is now doing in the UK who left for Perth 3 years ago and has never looked back.

Yes, OH's job is in demand BUT everyone we spoke to said he has to get "Aussie" experience before going FIFO so realistically we are looking at a Perth based job for the first 6-12 months.

I also had a look at jobs for myself and I'll have to intially take a 2-3 year step back salary wise before getting to where I am now.

We are now saving to make the big move next year and deciding what to take and what to bin... I'm definitely taking a new Dyson (my next birthday present) and JHD's (Mother's Day Present??).... :laugh:

OH keen for us to take my planting tubs and grow our own veg which I do on a small scale in the UK but I'm loathe to do the deep cleaning to may invest in new tubs when we arrive!

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Stoopid interpretation Skani

 

It's not stoopid at all and if you can't see the connection I can't help that.

You either support local businesses or you buy the cheapest item you can find made in some sweatshop somewhere else in the world - and then contribute to the local unemployment you have created at home.

 

It is on display ALL the time: cafes closing at 5pm (or 3pm weekends),

 

If you are going to succeed in a business you have to decide which segment of the market to target. If your staff wages after 5 pm are going to be more than the business you attract you'll close at 5 pm - and leave the later openings to cafes in areas where it pays to open.

 

businesses closing completely between Dec 24 and late jan,

 

So, how is this different from European businesses closing for a complete month in August?

 

tradies charging through the nose for work that doesn't require much skill

 

There are a few tradies on here. You'll have to ask them why they don't have much skill and charge through the nose.

 

Gerry Harvey trying to reduce the effects of internet competition,

 

Not defending Gerry Harvey.

 

bakeries charging up to $6 for a loaf of bread, milk bars charging $10 for a can of coke and a pie

 

Dunno. Obviously don't shop where you shop because I've never been charged those prices.

 

dentists frisking you for credit cards on the way out,

 

You mean I actually have to pay when I leave a dental surgery - and I can choose to pay by credit card?

 

pharmacists charging insane amounts for paracetamol re-branded as 'Bollox-amol'..

 

Maybe it's a requirement for younger generations who seem addicted to brand names. The rest of us are quite happy buying paracetamol at $2+.

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Guest chris955
I live in Australia, same as you, that qualifies me to post. And in fact if anyone is able to argue that grocery prices are ridiculously high it's those of us that live in regional or remote areas.

 

There is no need to qualify to be able to post, you live in Australia and you are fully entitled to post on this or any other subject.

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Guest Ptp113
I live in Australia, same as you, that qualifies me to post. And in fact if anyone is able to argue that grocery prices are ridiculously high it's those of us that live in regional or remote areas.

 

But where else have you lived????????????????

Edited by noworriesmate
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Guest guest76088

Some businesses may close for holiday periods in Italy, France, Germany Switzerland. Usually small proprietor-run establishments. You would think this would be commercial suicide. But the point is, this is the time of year when many of their customers are on holiday too, and the regular customers are aware that the business will be closed. This blindsides some tourists who cannot understand that because they are visiting the town, all businesses must be open. You will note that the prices charged when they are open cover this nice break in the sun for the owners of the business. The costs of getting a manager in just for this period of reduced demand is not cost-effective.

 

BigD

 

Just out of curiosity do some European countries still close down in August ? No wonder they are in trouble.
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Guest chris955

I know the used to do it in the UK years ago but nowadays when people holiday at all different times of the year it just isnt practical and people wouldnt do it anymore. Im quite surprised some countries still do it.

 

Some businesses may close for holiday periods in Italy, France, Germany Switzerland. Usually small proprietor-run establishments. You would think this would be commercial suicide. But the point is, this is the time of year when many of their customers are on holiday too, and the regular customers are aware that the business will be closed. This blindsides some tourists who cannot understand that because they are visiting the town, all businesses must be open. You will note that the prices charged when they are open cover this nice break in the sun for the owners of the business. The costs of getting a manager in just for this period of reduced demand is not cost-effective. BigD
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Just to throw this anyone's way.......................not a fruit market but a shop in a small mal, bang next door to an IGA where I shopped this morning. Good fresh produce in most cases, other than uniformity of size, better than the IGA or any Coles or Woolies. Continental cucumbers 50cents each.................seedless watermelon 9cents a kilo (whole).......................banannas 99cents kilo..................mandarins 1.25 kilo.................red delicious apples 99cents kilo.................truss toms 2.99 kilo............xjumbo eggs min 860gms 1.99 doz. Now if the small italian bloke can do it, why can't Coles and Woolies and why have I never seen eggs that big before? First time I've had "double yolkers" since coming to Oz, and the kids were gobsmacked as they'd never seen one before.

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Guest guest76088

Carrefour and Cora dwarf many of the UK supermarkets.

 

BigD

 

It hasn't changed that much. You still get an abundance of boutique style shops in France, but I think the big difference is that they are becoming more of a rarity in villages and small towns. Partly because of the GFC I assume, but also because of the supermarkets. Even the French, who are fiercely protective of their unique (and it is unique) way of life realise that if you can travel 15 miles and get EVERYTHING under one roof, very good quality, very reasonably priced, then that is preferable to paying effectively double in terms of money and time spent by shopping more locally in multiple individual shops
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Some businesses may close for holiday periods in Italy, France, Germany Switzerland.

 

 

Parts of Scandinavia, too. My rellies in the UK built a new house and their super duper triple glazed windows from Sweden were delayed because the factory closed for 5 weeks in summer.

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Guest guest76088

It saves businesses a lot of money and improves coordination and fixed costs if everyone must take their holidays at a certain time. The downside is obviously trying to find a holiday from your local airport...

 

BigD

 

Thats bizarre in this day and age.
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