Sainsburys

Oh, Sainsburys. Such a descent into mediocrity for this once stellar chain. I’m reviewing the Meadowbank outlet here. It’s a biggish store with sections for clothing, housewares and seasonal items. Prices are (perhaps you’ve heard) extremely high. Quality is good but I’m not sure who can afford to pay £2 for a mango or nearly double the going rate for most produce. That said, the quality of the produce is generally very high. Here are the most perfect asparagus and courgettes you’ll ever see. They can be had at less extortionate rate elsewhere, particularly at a non-​chain greengrocers like Razwan around the corner. The baked things like bread and pastries are not that great for the price. I much prefer the baked stuff at The Co-​Op in Easter Road. Some Sainsburys have better baking but not this one. There are some bargains in the Sainsbury’s Basics range. Their Basics muesli and pasta, garlic bread and yogurt are fine. Most disappointing is the booze selection. Very little in the way of interesting beers and very poor prices. The wine selection is better but again, steep prices. It pays to shop around for booze and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the bargains in B&M Homestore in the same shopping complex. So, overall? It’s only okay at best and it’s £££. I tend to shop Tesco and Morrisons more.

Located in the Moray Park retail park, this is one of the biggest Sainsbury’s close to central Edinburgh. I had my hopes up for a great Sainsbury’s haven since I really like the Sainsbury’s stores in general. Although this is a big store with much more selection than the local stores, the customer experience wasn’t warm, friendly, and inviting. The vegetables, meat, and dairy items were easy enough to find but trying to find a lightbulb proved extremely difficult and, after searching the entire store, I finally went to customer service to ask and they showed me how they were located at the end of an aisle by the checkout counters at the far end. Who would have thought they would not actually be in the aisles dealing with home things? The staff weren’t particularly friendly and I had hoped for much better from this store.

Oh Sainsbury’s. Why? Why are you so expensive now? Why is your beer and wine selection so scanty lately yet costs so much more than at other supermarkets? I can understand your fussiness about produce because it’s all glamorous-​looking stuff you sell. Truly. It belongs on magazine covers but I cannot, in 21^st century Scotland, afford to pay double or more for the pretty carrots and elegant mushrooms. I must shuffle off to Morrisons and buy ugly but still tasty, recession produce. I’ll admit your quality is definitely better on your own-​branded stuff but it’s just too dear. Your bakery is also not quite what it was a few years ago and that’s a shame. So that’s it. I can taste the difference, I just can’t pay the difference. I’ll check back in on you from time to time but somehow you became a luxury brand and I’m not leading a luxury life these days. I’ll call you? Okay? Okay. Bye.

I used to think this place was ok. But the prices keep on going up. I’ve been IDed on too many occasions sometimes by the same people. This wouldn’t happen in any other shop that I went into on a regular basis to buy alcohol in. Plus some of them waste your time even more by getting out a book and writing down the details of the sale even though it wasn’t refused, do that in your time not mine.
Also recently complained about something recently — minor issue the plastic milk bottles weren’t actually up to the line, they weren’t full ie you were getting less milk than you were paying for. Rather than anyone in the store sorting this out and offering a little off the price had to ring their office who brushed us off.
And Nectar, for the information they get about what different people purchase they should be paying us much more, what is it 1p for every £5 spent?

A bit too expensive for this lowly pleb but sometimes you just have to go crazy and treat yourself to a Sainsburys 14 inch triple cheese meatfest pizza rather than your ordinary Lidl’s option.
Beware though, this is the coldest supermarket in Edinburgh, take a coat with you, even in summer!