Market prices in summer

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Allan
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Post by Allan »

malcolmcooper wrote:Blimey, it's a simple enough question! All of the other factors you mention are roughly equal. Both products are back bacon. Asking people what they want is what I do all day and largely determines what I carry. Asking the question here is no different to that. I find it hard to see why a question so simple should launch such a debate.
So if what people want is unprofitable - you would still stock it?
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john
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Post by john »

I'd agree completely with Allan on this question,Malcolm. It's one only you can answer.

But,as a businessman,if I could demonstrate that the mass produced bacon sold better to more people and had higher margins,and its shelf life was more flexible, then I'd stock that. No question at all.

Whether it's produced by an award winning butcher,and has white stuff coming out of it,or any of those other factors,is,with respect, irrelevant. It comes down purely what makes most brass for you over a period of time.
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Post by malcolmcooper »

Sorry Sue, I was answering Allan when our posts crossed.
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Post by malcolmcooper »

So if what people want is unprofitable - you would still stock it?
Clearly I wouldn't stock something that LOST me money but I have and do get some things in specially for people that I make nothing or next to nothing on. It's not too often and it's a service thing.
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Post by john »

That's fine Malcolm,and very laudable. It is all part of your customer service.

But,presumably it's not your core business; the transactions that pay the mortgage and bills.

You asked an admittedly simple question re bacon. Sadly it's not possible to give an equally simple answer,especially without having all the facts at our fingertips.

But,as I say,as a general rule,I'd stock the product that makes most profit to me,demonstrated over a period of time.
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Sue
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Post by Sue »

I am with Malcolm on this one. Surely he wasnt asking us to go into depth on whether it makes him a profit or not but which our personal choice would be. If I am wrong and missed the point I will shut up now and go away.
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Re: market prices

Post by john »

Sue wrote:I am with Malcolm on this one. Surely he wasnt asking us to go into depth on whether it makes him a profit or not but which our personal choice would be. If I am wrong and missed the point I will shut up now and go away.
It's a fair point,Sue. There are two distinct viewpoints about this.

I rather assumed that he was asking us to look at it from a business point of view.

If,on the other hand,he's asking which would be the tastier bacon,then it's a no-brainer. Clearly the dry cure stuff will be the better bacon.

If I was the shop owner though,I'd look at the margins first......
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Post by malcolmcooper »

Interesting, this has really made me think. What I'm going to do is stock both for a month or two and monitor sales closely.
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market prices

Post by Sue »

How many rashers in each packet?
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Post by Allan »

malcolmcooper wrote:Interesting, this has really made me think. What I'm going to do is stock both for a month or two and monitor sales closely.
Malcolm,

I'm a customer in your shop on a regular basis, mostly because I'm addicted to Pukka Pies but also because you sell things things that I can't easily get elsewhere.

I wouldn't presume to tell you how to run your business but I cannot understand why you would sell a product that is run of the mill and widely available.
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Post by malcolmcooper »

How many rashers in each packet?
Normally 8 rashers.
why you would sell a product that is run of the mill and widely available.
Well, you know the shop and I don't sell anything that is either of those things. Still, there are 650 lines in total and I keep it under constant review. Fresh meat products are especially tricky because of shelf life. Frozen goods are very easy to manage. If my customers are truly happy with a frozen alternative then that's what I'll stock.
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Post by john »

Nowt wrong with frozen stuff,Malcolm,especially if ,as you say ,it's the only way to manage stock efficiently.

But no frozen meat will ever compete quality wise with fresh...especially beef/steak.

When I get my supplies of bacon from Norwich and fly them home,I always tuck into one lot immediately. And freeze the rest. I can categorically say that the packs I take out of the freezer subsequently are nothing like as nice as the unfrozen,first one.
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Post by malcolmcooper »

Well, it's not the ONLY way to manage stock efficiently but it's a heck of a lot easier. I know why the likes of Picard and Iceland major on frozen stock.

I agree that thawed bacon somehow loses something and I wouldn't stock frozen beef, I do it to order.
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Post by john »

malcolmcooper wrote:and I wouldn't stock frozen beef, I do it to order.
Sorry,Malcolm, I got hold of the wrong end of the stick there !

Like Allan ,I would not presume to tell you how to run your business. Nor would I be crass enough to ask you to divulge trade secrets. But I am genuinely intrigued to know how you and your friends from Normandy manage to get meat orders that are unfrozen ,and one assumes pretty small in volume, down here ,and remain competitive with local suppliers ?
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Post by malcolmcooper »

No secret. Abbatoir, direct to butcher who makes my sausages, gammon, pork pies and bacon (smoked, natural & streaky) and they also supply all of my cheeses (best price). It's all packed in airline catering style foam insulated boxes with ice packs and sent by TNT overnight. The temperature control has been officially tested and accredited by the French authorities. Because of volume they have a good deal with TNT and because I'm careful to fill the box(es) the shipping cost when broken down to item is such that I can absorb it.
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Post by john »

Thanks. Fascinating.

Does the beef come in the same way ? I suppose that in the case of Pork Pies,Gammon and Streaky bacon,it does help that there's no real local suppliers of fresh product to compete with ?!
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Post by redneckrover »

What I find facinating is how people living in a beautiful area in the south of France where all sorts of food and wine are available can go on and on about the merits of different brands of streaky bacon, honestly Malcolm I dont envy your task in trying to satisfy your customers !!
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Post by john »

Variety is the spice of life RNR.

Doesn't matter where you live,there's nowt like a good bacon sarnie.

Go on.....you know you want to.......
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Post by opas »

Bacon butties, the thought makes me drool!

If one was available to me every day I would not want one, honest. But occasionaly the urge is irrestisble, and that usualy coincides with a trip to UK, I buy bacon and black pudding :oops: enjoy a veritable feast, tease the girls on the phone and give them a thorough description, bring a pack back of each and that is our lot........till whoever goes next.

We do eat mediteranean for the plus part, tonight we have just devoured a home grown squash(probably 4 kilos) stuffed with lardons onions garlic tomato passata ,baked for an hour and half, then topped with cheese till browned ..........;mmmmmmm.

Now if anyone knows where I could buy an ice cream van, rasperry sauce and nouget wafers : oh and the correct licence from the prefecture, then my life would be complete :lol:
Last edited by opas on Wed 03 Aug 2011 21:58, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Sue »

Toasted sarnies filled with bacon, fried egg and tomato sauce once every 6 months or so yum yum! Like you we had a med evening meal, well sort of, cold chicken, coeur de boeuf toms + avocado + onion salad, pickled cucumber and new potato salad.
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malcolmcooper
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Post by malcolmcooper »

What I find facinating is how people living in a beautiful area in the south of France where all sorts of food and wine are available can go on and on about the merits of different brands of streaky bacon, honestly Malcolm I dont envy your task in trying to satisfy your customers !!
I'm just like everyone else. I eat all the local produce too but I don't see why I shouldn't have a bacon butty, a proper curry, good fish & chips or a nice pie now and again. For me what I sell isn't "british food", it's just food. I can buy croissants in the UK so why not bacon here?
Now if anyone knows where I could buy an ice cream van, rasperry sauce and nouget wafers : oh and the correct licence from the prefecture, then my life would be complete
Now I love that idea. OOOH, that's got me thinking!!
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Post by malcolmcooper »

Hey Opas, check this out. I feel a partnership coming on!!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/soft-ice-crea ... 43a8aed482
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Post by Sue »

Now if you could get Hockings ice cream over here you would make a fortune. Its made in a small village called Appledore in Devon and only sold from their vans which park in council agreed places at various neighbouring villages and fetes etc. As with Johns bacon I consider this to be the best ice cream you can buy and I am sure anyone who has spent a holiday in North Devon and eaten it will agree.
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Re: market prices

Post by Santiago »

Sue wrote:I may be a member of one of the richest economies on earth but that doesnt mean to say I have any spare money and therefore have to budget for what I buy hence shopping in the likes of Lidl and Aldi. We dont all have long pockets containing a bottomless pit of money to go out and pay for the best at top prices. I can assure you we would if we could!
I wasn't suggesting that I or anyone else in this discussion has more money than they know what to do with. My topic started with me being cheesed off at being asked to pay through the nose for poorer quality fruit and veg just because there were lost of tourists to take advantage of.

However, I sometimes think we as a society get worked up about saving a few Euros on a bottle of wine, a piece of steak, a pack of bacon or a bag of veg when we are happy to spend a much larger amount in order to have a flasher car, branded clothing, smart-phones, irrigated gardens, swimming pools, satellite TV etc.
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Post by malcolmcooper »

However, I sometimes think we as a society get worked up about saving a few Euros on a bottle of wine, a piece of steak, a pack of bacon or a bag of veg when we are happy to spend a much larger amount in order to have a flasher car, branded clothing, smart-phones, irrigated gardens, swimming pools, satellite TV etc.
Darn well said!
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Re: market prices

Post by john »

Santiago wrote:[.

However, I sometimes think we as a society get worked up about saving a few Euros on a bottle of wine, a piece of steak, a pack of bacon or a bag of veg when we are happy to spend a much larger amount in order to have a flasher car, branded clothing, smart-phones, irrigated gardens, swimming pools, satellite TV etc.
Not too sure who that little dig was aimed at,Jon,but speaking personally,I've never owned a flash car,have no "designer label "clothing, still less a smart phone,though I do have a modest pool,arrosage system and Sat TV.

You do seem to be rather sidestepping the issue here though. For many people,the very reason why they can afford the odd large ticket item,such as those you mention,and several others besides,is that they are careful in how they source/purchase the much larger number of small ticket items. They watch what they eat. They purchase provisions from discount stores. They buy clothes on the basis of vfm,as opposed to faddish style. They fill their car at the place that has fuel at the lowest prices.

Then with the money they've saved,they buy themselves nice car,or go on a foreign holiday.

The adage "watch the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves" may not be PC in this consumer driven world,but it does still hold true.
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Post by malcolmcooper »

I don't believe it was aimed at you John. I'm sure no one is getting personal.

I agreed with Jon simply because I think what you put in your body is rather important.
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Post by john »

Fair enough,Malcolm. I was not really casting any aspersions...just making a wider point.

I'd say that it's a little unfair of you to suggest that ,just because a particular foodstuff is low price, necessarily means it's low quality or "bad for you".
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Post by lonesome paddy »

Theres an Irish guy in Barcares market selling cosmetics who actually reduces his prices in the summer, when i asked him about it he said its simple i sell more. My girls always buy their warpaint off him and they say its all decent stuff
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Post by Kate »

Aw, Lonesome Paddy...... every time I see your name, I want to give you a hug :(
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