Shopping Around?

It doesn't really surprise me that many shoppers are being more "promiscuous" in their shopping habits, the economic climate being as it is. In practice this means that shops like the German chain, Lidl, are selling more goods. Unsurprisingly, top-end food stores, like Marks and Spencer, are suffering because some shoppers are "trading down" to the likes of Tesco or whatever.

We have always shopped at different stores. Quite simply, we shop wherever it suits us and at whichever store stocks our favourite foods; for instance, Tesco milk and wholemeal bread is fine. We particularly like Sainsbury's natural Greek-style yoghurt with honey; their streaky bacon crisps up well too.

By and large, I prefer to buy goods sourced, where possible, from within the United Kingdom, within reason naturally. I'm mainly referring to staples such as bread, milk, meat, fruit and vegetables. Years ago, Marks and Spencer in Northern Ireland sold thin British streaky bacon rashers. I arrived one day only to find that they had ceased stocking them for a non-British variety. So I have not regularly shopped at M&S food-halls in the Province for that very reason. I haven't boycotted them; I'm just careful about what I buy and check labels.

I stopped going to Lidl's for the same reason: many of the food staples were, at the time, sourced from outside the UK. Perhaps that situation has changed.

The old cliché, Shop Around, still prevails and is as pertinent as ever.