I looked at Coles website yesterday and saw that thay had Schick shaving gel on special for half price so I went to our local Coles, and as well as the special sign, they actually had stock so I am now right for over 6 months.
And even if they were out of stock, I could have got a raincheck.
Well done Coles.
As for Woolies.
Woolies introduces their idea of charity giving with this sign outside their local store.
Iām surprised that they did not add āPlease do not buy items on special and preferably only buy our own brand items so as to help us maximise our profits from our fake charity givingā.
Little wonder that there were only around 10 items in the trolley at around 3:00 PM yesterday.
āWoolies. Where we give you nothing and take you nowhereā.
Why is soliciting charitable food donations that highlights what is most in need shonky or a practice to be ridiculed?
Because they are simply using it to sell their stock at full price.
If they discounted the items to be donated or simply collected cash payments which they would add to, I would view it differently, but this operation just smacks of crass commercialism and hypocrisy.
I am tempted to buy some Coles branded items and put them in the trolley but I suspect that Woolies would just bin them.
They are using it to sell stock at whatever price the customer is willing to pay.
They have a similar donation bin here.
When one donates to a Food Bank, where and how do you think they get their food? They buy lots of it like anyone else, hopefully at a special price, but.
We have taken products we bought elsewhere to the bins and trolleys. They are all gratefully used, we know enough staff who work in both Woolies and Coles to know that āin dateā long life products are accepted and sent to Foodbank and other charities for distribution. I also know that some people who appear well enough off, take products from the bins/trolleys so they donāt have to spend their money.
We as a family donate a substantial amount of our incomes to help the less fortunate, we feel it is a responsibility for those better off to help those who are struggling. Iām not seeking kudos but explaining why I have no issue with Woolworths doing the asking, even if they are trying to look good corporately the benefit to those who are in difficulty is what is most important. If we become cynical and cease helping then this only hurts the ones who need the support, we need to look beyond the glitter and see the donation as helping others who need that support. If the particular way to offer to help offends, then there are other ways to give money or goods to organisations that provide assistance to those struggling.
I have witnessed atrocious behaviour by customers towards staff at both my local Woollies and Coles stores and I am NOT surprised they are starting to place cameras on their uniforms. My local Coles has Rainbow pins on their shirts which, I suppose, is in support of their LGBTQI+ staff. It also lets customers know they support equal opportunities for all. On two occasions I have witnessed customers abusing staff over the pins. No reason for their objection was given by either. I was very quick to leap to the staff memberās defence and was also abused for my trouble.
We have been strong supporters of Lifeline for many years with both donating goods and money.
I percieve them to be a fantastic organisation who help save lives whilst also providing bargains to the less fortunate, without any pretenses, unlike a great many religious and commercial organisations.
My local Woollies may support the Community Food Drive or not I never enquired or noticed any advertising to be able to say.
One thing they do is to support a local non-profit community group who feed the homeless and lonely. Once a week (COVID permitting) the group put on a luncheon free for all comers and Woollies gives a box of food towards it. It is not their prime stock but it is all edible and received well. The manager at the shop does not make a big thing of it and they do not advertise the fact but he ensures there is a good variety every week not just what they have in surplus.
I cannot say if this is due to head office policy or the initiative of the manager but it meets my idea of genuine charity; it is a real benefit to the community and it is given without expectation of reward.
I have seen these bins outside other stores as well over the years and think it is a great way to bring the fact that many people are struggling to our attention. the food donated by us is probably included as donated by Woolworths in this statement, -
Brianna Casey, CEO, of Foodbank Australia said āBy our side for 17 years, Woolworths is the single biggest retailer donor of food and groceries to Foodbank, donating more than 17 million kilograms to date. Not only does Woolworths provide us with regular food and grocery donations, they also help us source food across Australia by facilitating introductions and support from their primary and independent producers.ā
Hereās what might be a new one. Coles from time to time include in their specials Jalna Vanilla Low Fat Yoghurt. Recently a very large Woolies has opened nearby. There are about 3 high cabinets devoted just to yoghurt including Jalna brand.
BUT not Vanilla Low Fat! I asked the staff member working in that section. He had never heard of the product. Nor had the next one, etc. After doing a Woolies online survey and mentioning this product I received the most amazing response - āno Woolworths outlet across Australia stocks this productā. Yet it seems to work for Coles. Can anyone explain this?
A google search produced this hit.
https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/312217/jalna-vanilla-low-fat-yoghurt
It appears that they must have previously stocked it but it is not presently available. at woolies.
Thanks Fred. The impression I got was that they chose not to stock it at all, but there was no further explanation. In other words, for no Aussie store to stock the product at all while Coles are flaunting it suggests that this was a deliberate decision and so not an availablity problem, to my mind.
They as you surmised probably choose not to stock it. If Coles stock it and you can freely buy it why does it matter if Woolworths choose not to offer the product. Not all stores carry all products currently anyway, it is store depending if a product of any particular brand or type is on shelf. They are not required to stock a product any of us like, indeed in many cases an individual store canāt order what they want, it is determined elsewhere.
Thanks grahrol. Allow me to follow through your argument, because on one level you are right, on another, I think it ought to matter to Woolies.
I shop at a small, old Coles almost next door to what 18 months ago became a brand new Woolies, with wider aisles, huge stock range, other shopper friendly features and general pizzaz. So why donāt I shop there - no Jalna Low Fat Yoghurt. I just donāt want to go to two supermarkets each week.
On another note, I think this Woolies (and the old Coles) are both superior to other even larger supermarkets nearby for what might seem a silly reason - they donāt have pillars. I have had the apparently silly but really annoying experience of not being able to find common products, baked beans for one, because the store was laid out in such a way that they (and their signage) were obscured by a pillar, Even a staff member (Coles) who was good enough to walk around with me couldnāt find the baked beans, even using that A-Z list they have at the end of each aisle (again because the signage was hidden behid the pillar). And baked beans have soemthing like 20+ varieties so should not be hard to spot. 10 minutes later we got there.
Maybe, nomatter how much I ask Santa, there never will be a perfect supermarketā¦
Store layouts are designed at paycheque levels higher than the local manager, they have a little discretion but it isnāt large. Pillars are sadly a building support issue, they are where they are not something that can be abolished or even moved. They have been placed due to engineering requirements.
About whether you choose to use a particular supermarket, that is your right just as it is their right to provide a particular brand, a particular product. I understand your frustration, you should complain about signage, placement and availability as no changes will ever come from leaving it unchallenged. Just be aware that it may make no difference in the end and you may then have to decide if you use two supermarkets to obtain what you particularly like regardless of any personal inconvenience.
There never will be as we are all different, have different expectations and choices. If say a supermarket stocked brands and products you like at the expense of other brands and products, there will be many consumers which feel disadvantaged by their favourites no longer existing on the shelves.
I use the word āexpenseā of other brands and products, as a supermarket has limited space and canāt fit in every product or brand available for sale in Australia. If they tried, a supermarket would be many times larger and generate enormous waste, pushing up prices. Waste and prices would increase as they would to stock more items, with many possibly not selling within their expiry dates.
Woolworths sell Jalna Strawberry 1kg yoghurt but not Coconut. The reverse is true of Coles. Thought it was to do with supply but that makes no sense but have seen it with other companies as well. Bulla at on stage was supplying 2 litre Ice Cream, one flavour to Woolies , different flavour to Coles. It sounds like the Vanilla low fat falls into this category. It must make sense to someone but I find it annoying as I can only shop online now and certainly cannot pay a delivery fee for orders from my preferred supermarket and a second to get auxillary deliveries.
I donāt like the delivery fees either, but then, I started thinking about it differently. Because of the fact that what you can get in Woolies, you might not be able to get in Coles, and vice versa, Iāve taken to doing my online shopping at both places. The 10% discount at Woolies for either Everyday Rewards or n my case for my Woolies mobile, usually covers the delivery fee, or close to it, and with Coles, I prefer to shop for the days on which I can get it done for $2 which I donāt mind paying (Tues, Wed, Thurs on a 6 hour window, usually). Its annoying having to hit two (or more) supermarkets but thats where we are at. And, having discovered that I prefer to shop online instead of having to limp around the huge supermarket behind a trolleyā¦ its all good.
It is the same thing. Just more of Woolies misleading and deceptive behaviour in telling consumers that they can get a 10% discount off a monthly shop if they have a Woolies mobile or car insurance and scan their Everyday Rewards card when everyone with a card also gets it anyway, as I do.
