How many times have you been faced with a similar sight. No gluten free bread, and when you ask if there is any in the store room, there never is. A common reply is, “Oh no, we don’t sell enough so there isn’t another delivery for a few days.”
“YOU DON’T SELL ENOUGH BECAUSE YOUR SHELVES ARE ALWAYS EMPTY!”
How about having a little click counter on the those shelves with a sign that says, PLEASE CLICK IF YOU FOUND THIS SHELF EMPTY.
I know, I know. You’d all be there clicking ten times or more for all those other times when the shelves were also empty.
Or better yet, a direct plea to supermarkets everywhere, how about just noticing how often your shelves are empty and ordering more.
There would be an outcry if the ‘normal’ bread totally ran out. Or just imagine – no chocolate!
This is sadly a very common occurence for us free from shoppers. Finding empty shelves. The worst offender is M&S, made worse by the fact that I can’t afford to shop there often so have often made a special visit with inflated high expectations…
In other supermarkets, if the shelf isn’t totally empty then it will only contain own-brand alternatives not the guaranteed nut free and other allergen free products that special independent food producers strive to produce for us.
I think it’s sad when the big supermarkets replace the very good free from products we have all grown to love with their own brand alternatives.
On one hand I think it’s great they are providing more options, but their shelves are surely big enough to stock some independent brands too.
After all, it’s what we want as consumers, but this does seem to happen, especially with really great clever products. It then makes it even harder for them to compete and harder for us to buy their products.
Do they really care or do they just want a bigger slice of the ever growing free from pot?
I think there should be room for both.
Do YOU empty those shelves?
Do you bulk buy? When you see some gluten free bread or dairy/nut free chocolate on the shelf, do you swipe the shelf bare even when you have some so you can store them in your freezer at home? I am ashamed to say, I do.
Sometimes I feel really bad, because I have just created an empty shelf for the next customer, but I so often go without staple free from foods such as rice milk, bread and chocolate (come on, nut free and dairy free chocolate is a staple food in my book) so it’s no wonder we do it.
Do you do it? Are you one of the bulk buyers? Or do you just calmly take one, leaving the rest for the next customer.
Since getting a lovely huge new freezer I have become very evil and started to do it more and more, smug in the knowledge that at least I will not go without for some time. It’s an addiction…
Ruth,
email me, please