Genuine price rise or cynical profiteering?

[abstibus]

I went to S*******ys today to buy my favourite cereal, only to find that they have put the price up by 30 pence per packet. I know there is a worldwide shortage of strawberries, cashew nuts, oats, pulses, cardboard, printing ink and anything else the supermarkets can think up in the name of extra cash in the tills, but this is ridiculous.
Another thing - I heard a report today on bread prices and was gobsmacked to learn that you can buy bread in England for less than half of what we pay in NI - �1.45 is not unusual. Bread manufacturers - I will not dignify them with the name of 'bakers' - have made the slices thicker so that we have to put more in the lunch box, and it seems to me the loaves are also smaller. I can fit one easily in my crock bread bin - it's not so long ago that I had to leave the lid open when I put a new loaf in.

[Ethel]

I believe the price rises are genuine - no one supermarket would risk this sort of price rise knowing the competition is waiting to expose them and undercut them. After all, we are not restricted to shopping in one store.

We can buy a loaf of bread for under 70p, but the better loaves are �1.25 and more.

[jd_here]

I'm affraid you're very naieve Ethel, haven't you heard of Cartells? They're all in it together, just look at the news this week about tobacco price fixing! JD

[Ethel]

I am not in the least naive and am very aware of cartells.

I do read the news and re the latest claims, none of the supermarkets have been found guilty of anything.

At this time of 'consumer crunch' artificially raising prices of basic foodstuffs would be a nonsense for the retailer - they want their customers to have consumer confidence and buy more stuff, not cut back because basics are too expensive.

Look at the worldwide picture - it is not just the UK experiencing the current high inflation.

[abstibus]

Ethel
The cereal I use is not your bog standard family size pack of sugar, salt and whatever, so it's hardly a basic foodstuff.
I called in a smaller independent local supermarket on the way home and bought a two packets for 20p under Sainsbury's price for one (bogoff). I know where to go in future.
Incidentally, Sainsbury's is proud to announce all over its store ' We check our prices against Tesco.' Hip, hip - the prices are the same. Not price fixing?

[Ethel]

Your cereal may not be 'bog standard' but it is still cereal, a crop that is in short supply.

[derrynoose]

Ethel Sainsbury, I presume?

[abstibus]

Does that make me a cereal killer?