One in five shoppers regularly ends up binning goods bought on supermarket buy-one-get-one-free offers, it emerged yesterday.
Research revealed a large percentage of consumers who snap up BOGOFs and three for two deals find sell by dates often expire before the items are used.
The report also found the average household succumbs to six special offers in a typical week.
And worryingly, one in five of those polled said they often buy food they don't like - just because it's cheap.So, what conclusions do we draw from this? That there's a lot of dim people about, who don't understand how freezers work?
Yesterday a spokesperson for the Organic, Naturally Different campaign, which carried out the research, said: 'It's completely unnecessary that so much food is going to waste.
'The findings show that just because a certain food is discounted or part of an offer people feel the urge to give in and buy it regardless of whether they need it or not.
'It's false economics if you end up buying food because it's cheap but subsequently don't like it or end up throwing it away.'Yes. Yes, it is. But that's hardly the fault of the companies that sell it, is it?
So good luck with your campaign to point out how stupid a lot of people are, and hope that they will therefore buy organic foo...
Oh. Hang on. You're not stupid, clearly!
What is it with this generation, haven't they learned to make shopping lists and don't they have the will power to keep to them?
ReplyDeleteAnother thing, what are these 'sell by' dates? During the Christmas just gone I used my last xmas pud - from 17 years ago, it had been in the freezer that long - and there was nothing wrong with it at all.
Since when did a sell-by date become an eat-if-unfrozen-by date?
ReplyDeleteFolk round here don't throw food away. Somehow I can tell.
ReplyDeleteFood going in the bin doesn't necessarily indicate that net waste has occurred. I find it requires less overall resources to buy more food than I need and then throw some away than it does to calculate in advance my exact requirements. Any attempt to "reduce waste" will make me poorer.
ReplyDeleteThis campaign is just special pleading from producers who want us to buy more of their relatively expensive food, they do not like the competition undercutting them.
ReplyDeleteJust be glad we are mostly in a position to be able to buy all the food we need.
People have been brainwashed into thinking they will die a horrible death should they eat outdated food.
ReplyDelete'It's false economics if you end up buying food because it's cheap but subsequently don't like it or end up throwing it away.'
ReplyDeleteNo! no! no! I can't understand this reasoning. If you buy food because it's cheap and then eat it you're on to a winner. What does it matter if you like it or not? Why do you think that it's always me who has the salt and vinegar or prawn cocktail crisps?
I wish these BOGOFs would, well, bog off.
ReplyDeleteI've lost count of the times I've been in a corner shop when the guy behind the counter is SCREAMING at me to take two cans of cola when I only want the one.
"We're only trying to save you money, sir" they came out with once. I replied "No, you're not, you're trying to shift stock. If you were trying to save me money, you'd be selling each can at half price. You know, like shops used to."
Then they turn around and say there's an obesity epidemic these days. O RLY?
"What is it with this generation, haven't they learned to make shopping lists and don't they have the will power to keep to them?"
ReplyDeleteWillpower & the age of instant gratification don't mix well...
"Folk round here don't throw food away. Somehow I can tell."
Heh!
"Food going in the bin doesn't necessarily indicate that net waste has occurred."
Well, indeed. How can we have an obesity epidemic and a food waste problem, anyway?
"I've lost count of the times I've been in a corner shop when the guy behind the counter is SCREAMING at me to take two cans of cola when I only want the one."
I've had it drawn to my attention a couple of times at the till (usually when a single item gets scanned in) but that's it.
Staff at WH Smiths are on a mission to get me to buy huge £1 bars of chocolate every time I get a magazine.
ReplyDeleteAt least they only ask once these days, unlike the old 'three objections' routine that used to be the norm in lots of stores when you'd be asked three times in a row if you wanted a store card/extended warranty etc.
You should have added: "It has emerged ..."
ReplyDelete