Tasting better, but with a bitter aftertaste in the purse department (Sainsburys)

Member Name: MandyMinx

Product:	Sainsburys
Date:	21/11/03 (2023 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great choice

Disadvantages: expensive

When it comes to my weekly shop I am loyal to Morrison's. I save a fortune on their buy one get one free offers and anything that keeps the pennies in the purse, gets my vote.
I have to admit though that sometimes I fancy a change. Sometimes I fancy something a bit special and different and when I do I usually end up at my local Sainsbury's store.

The nearest Sainsbury's to where I live is in Arnold, Nottingham. It's ideally situated just off the main Mansfield to Nottingham Road and has a really nice big car park, with more disabled parking bays than I have seen in any other supermarket in Nottingham. The petrol station that sits alongside the car park is not so ideally situated in my opinion, as very often cars come shooting out of the exit into the path of poor unsuspecting shoppers. There is a café attached to the store that provides a welcome chance for a quick coffee and also has some really nice meals on offer.

The building itself is very new and very well designed. The aisles are nice and wide and the shelving is not too high. There is nothing worse than standing on tip toe trying to reach something that is just out of reach. It's nice to see more thought going into store layout, after all the lower the shelf, the more accessible a shop is to it's disabled clients. I also find that Sainsbury's is very well lit and this too is important. I like to get a good look at whatever I am buying.

The thing that I like about Sainsbury's is the great selection of different foods on offer, whether you are looking for a quick snack or looking to cook something really special. They stock not only the usual fruit and veg, but also many of the rarer varieties that you sometimes have a problem finding. I find that the food on offer is well packaged, well presented and looks inviting. The salad bar and the fruit salad bar are a regular stop for me. Very often when the children have a school trip on, I will pack the
m a little salad to take with them and the variety on offer her makes this a real treat for the kids, plus if I let them choose it themselves they are more likely to eat it.
There are chicken, fish, and takeaway counters and also a really well stocked deli counter. I have found these to be well staffed and the staff have always been both helpful and happy to answer any questions I might have about the products I am buying. Fresh bread is plentiful and I do find that they have loads of different breads on offer. The cake counter is a real favourite with my children and very rarely do I get to pass it without buying my children a tasty pastry or cake.

I love the way the meat at Sainsburys is displayed. It really does look fresh and I think that they could teach Morrison's a thing or two when it comes to meat preparation. I have often had reason to moan at the way the meat looks at Morrison's and I have to say that at Sainsbury's it definitely looks great. I find Sainsbury's second only to Marks and Spencer's when it comes to ready made meals and their low fat offerings are both exciting and appetising.
I love sushi and Sainsbury's do the best boxed lunch sushi I have tasted so far. Tesco's sell their own variety but it the rice is drier and not as tasty. Often I will call into Sainsbury's of a lunch time, get myself a box of sushi and treat Mark to a sandwich from Sainsbury's huge selection.

You know me, I wouldn't shop here if the wine were sub standard. It isn't. I actually find that Sainsbury's provide much more information about their wines than many of their rivals.
They do their own brands, as do most superstores. Sainsbury's brands are good, but more expensive than their competitors.

A big plus for Sainsbury's is the chemist counter that is part of this store. We have often taken advantage of the fact that this store is open until 10.00pm to have a word with the phar
macist when one of the children is under the weather.
I rarely have to queue at Sainsbury's which is more than I can say about Morrison's lately. I find the checkout operators fast and efficient and unbelievably polite.
Sainsbury's have nectar cards, which seem very popular but I honestly don't spend enough to benefit too much from them. Personally I would rather see such bonuses reflected in the total to pay on my shopping receipt.



I have recently discovered that I have a wheat allergy. I spend so much longer in the supermarket now scanning the products I buy for traces of wheat and gluten. I have to say that when it comes to product information Sainsbury's are absolute stars. All of their own brands are clearly marked with allergy details, enabling me to tell at a glance whether a product has wheat in it. This is a huge help for me and I suspect those with soya or dairy allergies too. They have the largest selection of gluten and wheat free options that I have found in any supermarket and surprisingly they seem to be cheaper than Tesco and Morrison's for such products.


You must be scratching your head now wondering if I find Sainsbury's so good, why I don't do my weekly shop there.

It's back to the old pennies in the purse I am afraid. I have to say I find Sainsburys so much more expensive than Morrison's for the brands that I buy on a weekly basis. I worked it out that if I do the same shop in both stores I spend more than twenty pounds less at Morrison's. This is of course taking into account all the buy one get one free offers I take advantage of at Morrison's. They have them at Sainsbury's too but more offers depend on bulk buying than bogof.
Sainsbury's have much more variety too don't forget, so I often buy lots more things that I haven't budgeted for, which puts a few more inches on the receipt and leaves a few less pennies in the purse. r>
Sainsbury's have a lot to offer and they definitely know how to make their products look appetising. Freshness is definitely a priority as is variety and packaging. All this comes at a price though and many of the things they sell can be bought cheaper elsewhere. Do I recommend it though? Yes. If your pocket can take it I definitely recommend Sainsbury's.
Sainsbury's motto is 'making life taste better for less. I have no problem with the 'taste better' bit of the slogan, it's the 'for less' that I seem to have missed.


Thanks for reading.