Rip off Britain

[DaveyWallis]

To answer my question raised earlier food and non-alcoholic beverages in the UK are cheaper than in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Austria, Finland and Sweden. Bulgaria has the cheapest food prices of the 27 member states.

From my experience of UK supermarkets compared to those that I've visited abroad the UK ones have fresher, better quality produce and more variety. That in itself comes at a cost especially considering the rising transport costs of importing the goods.

Looking at the percentage increases doesn't show the whole picture. As far as increases are calculated if you start of from a lower starting point the percentage increase is going to be greater.

A 10 point increase on 10 is going represent a larger percentage than a 10 point increase on 15. Therefore if you start at a lower price point but increase it by the same amount then it will appear as a larger percentage increase.

When it comes to clothing only Malta, Hungary and Bulgaria are cheaper than the UK.

Rip off Britain - I don't think so.

The net margins are between 3% and 5.8% (Tesco). The size of the turnover is irrelevant. The point I'm making is that if the supermarkets were ripping consumers off with high prices the profit margins would be much higher.

At those margins you'd be better off putting your money in the bank account (until a couple of years ago anyway).

Fortunately I don't rely upon dumbed-down, selective media such as the Daily Mail or BBC to form my opinions.

[Dedworth]

From my experience of UK supermarkets compared to those that I've visited abroad the UK ones have fresher, better quality produce and more variety. That in itself comes at a cost especially considering the rising transport costs of importing the goods.

So none of these costs are taken into account when calculating retailers cost inflation which the UBS report mentions. Do these nice charitable UK supermarkets absorb the cost of aviation fuel from Africa and diesel from Spain so we are able to buy string beans and strawberries all the year round ?

The net margins are between 3% and 5.8% (Tesco). The size of the turnover is irrelevant. The point I'm making is that if the supermarkets were ripping consumers off with high prices the profit margins would be much higher.

Sir Terry Leahy former CEO of Tesco trousered £1.4 million in 2009 - -if I'm not mistaken Fat Cat salaries are deducted from GP before you get to the net. No doubt on top of his declared salary will be share options, houses, substantial expense accounts etc

At those margins you'd be better off putting your money in the bank account (until a couple of years ago anyway).

Fortunately I don't rely upon dumbed-down, selective media such as the Daily Mail or BBC to form my opinions.

One wonders why they spent many years building up huge chains of retail temples when they could have run squealing to the Nationwide Building Society with truck loads of cash.

Which Supermarkets Press Office do you work for ?

[grahamw48]

Which Supermarkets Press Office do you work for ?

Boots ? .