Social Supermarket.

[emmie]

good idea, stops lots of this food waste, drawbacks perhaps?

http://news.sky.com/story/1179822/social-supermarket-opens-to-benefit-claimants

[Graham-W]

One possible drawback I see is members buying extra goods to be sold on, for a profit, to neighbours.
This reduces the amount of stock available to other members.

[emmie]

i was thinking that as well, and also means tested benefits, are they?

[emmie]

there will also be unscrupulous people as well who could fake documents to show they are on benefits then get this cheap foodstuffs. It is a good idea in principle, especially stopping the supermarket wastes, but i can see this being abused....

[youngmafbog]

And I bet our eurocrats will have something to say.

Do we still have food mountains to artificially keep the prices up or is it just done by food being perfect i.e only straight cucumbers must be sold?

[2sp_]

I think it could be open to abuse, as Graham has said, but all forms of benefit and charity are.

I quite like the idea. I just wonder if there will be any embarrassment in going there?

[anotheoldgit]

Yes we are certainly fast becoming a third world country.

As regards selling the goods on for a profit isn't that called the 'Black Market'.

And I hasten to add before anyone leaps on me, no pun intended.

[ummmm]

Black market? How?

[anotheoldgit]

/// I quite like the idea. I just wonder if there will be any embarrassment in going there? ///

An embarrassment these days, you have got to be joking.

The only ones who show embarrassment these days are AOPs and they are so embarrassed that they call it 'Pride'.

[emmie]

i was wondering that it could be open to abuse, and i also wonder whether the mainstream supermarkets might be a bit miffed if lots of these outlets are set up, selling their own goods at knocked down prices.
Good idea in principle, but can some drawbacks.

[2sp_]

Yes, AOG, the only people with any pride are over 65...

I think anything that can be done to help those living on or below the breadline can't be a bad thing.

Surely it is better to help them, even if there could be a few that will take advantage?

[emmie]

2sp, yes i am sure you are right.

[Old_Geezer]

I too wondered at the figures. If a supermarket finds their sales canalised by the giveaways to the social supermarket is it in their interest to cripple their own business ? I trust they have done their sums. Aside from the if it reduces waste, then good.

[emmie]

reduce waste is good, however i wonder the supermarkets won't want to cut their own throats in a business sense.

[mikey4444]

This will help the food banks, which are finding it difficult to keep up with demand.

[emmie]

how so, after all this is a deal with a social supermarket, not a food bank.
do you mean it will take the heat off the food banks trying to get sufficient goods, and besides they give them away free don't they? this idea is cheaper costs to those on benefits.

[boxtops]

I was listening to this on the radio this morning - people will have to produce some evidence of eligibility. They also said that where these operate in other countries, the windows of the store are often opaque, so passers-by don't see these people shopping in this store (this seemed odd to me, surely these days there is no stigma to being hard up)? Also I don't entirely understand the difference between this and other pound-type shops - our Poundstretcher sells branded cola and other branded items for a quid already, and has been doing so for years.

[anotheoldgit]

I just wonder how they can get away with selling goods with individual names of supermarkets on them, doesn't that somehow make that particular supermarket liable for the condition etc of the contents?

[emmie]

boxtops do you mean counties...
AOG don't know either...

[emmie]

unless of course the goods they sell are not the stores own brands,

[sandyRoe]

Drawbacks? No Off Licence probably.