Sainsbury's re-opened Options

[JeffG]

Decided this morning to get the few things I needed and take a look around the new store. A quick look at the ground floor car park, and I headed for the upper deck. There was not a space to be found - and it's usually nearly empty - so after a petrol top-up for a trip next week, I went to Waitrose instead.

Perhaps it will be safe to return after a few days. I was told that they were selling toys at half-price, so presumably most of Newbury got to hear about it somehow.

Anyone here actually been inside yet?

[Hugh Saskin]

Decided this morning to get the few things I needed and take a look around the new store. A quick look at the ground floor car park, and I headed for the upper deck. There was not a space to be found - and it's usually nearly empty - so after a petrol top-up for a trip next week, I went to Waitrose instead.

Perhaps it will be safe to return after a few days. I was told that they were selling toys at half-price, so presumably most of Newbury got to hear about it somehow.

Anyone here actually been inside yet?

Thanks for the tip, Jeff - will use the bus and walk there tomorrow. Used Waitrose for the Big Shop last Saturday, it's a great place but wrong end of town for us, really.

[lordtup]

Popped in after lunch for bread, scones, yogurts and marmalade .

Found bread ok , usual place but not much choice of fresh farm house loaves .

Scones took a bit of finding ,yogs ok but they no longer stock my favorite marmalade !!!!!

I expressed my dissatisfaction to one of the young ladies who was stood on the corner with a clip board , and she told me that Waitrose sell it .

[ossy1]

Did chuckle at the advertising board for saisnburys parked at Pinchington Lane outside tesco today...lol

[Guest_Bill1_*]

Popped in after lunch for bread, scones, yogurts and marmalade .

Found bread ok , usual place but not much choice of fresh farm house loaves .

Scones took a bit of finding ,yogs ok but they no longer stock my favorite marmalade !!!!!

I expressed my dissatisfaction to one of the young ladies who was stood on the corner with a clip board , and she told me that Waitrose sell it .

Popped in DURING lunch break to pick up a few vital supplies, will do big shop at weekend as usual.

Mrs Bill1 did ask me to pick up a couple of specific toys for our lad, but the toy area was rammed full of mainly women with trolleys full to overflowing with games, dolls etc. So had to abandon that idea, hopefully will still have some later in the week...........

[GMR]

I went into Sainsbury's today and I was quite impressed. I also noticed that they got - what I would call - a Woolworths section; kids toys, games etc.

[Biker1]

Mrs Biker went in there today and won a £50 voucher on a lucky draw they were having.
We don't normally win anything. (Probably because we don't enter anything. )

Have to spend it in Sainsbury's though

[MACENT]

Mrs MAC went in there yesterday, and left instantly. I find this quite suprising as she is a shopaholic, very good at hunting out bargins.
However she left because she said it was like a cattle market and was getting frustrated with the attitude of other shoppers (like the pushing and barging for first day sales at many department stores)
I just hope the queues go down for the weekend so she can return and buy my eggs and bacon for the weekend (I think her not going is a ploy for her to make me eat the heathly Bran Flakes option)

[JeffG]

From the reports so far, it sounds like it has become a Tesco clone, with the customer base that goes with it. Let's hope that it settles down soon and reverts to being a Sainsbury's, otherwise I shall be off elsewhere.

[Hugh Saskin]

Was in there this morning and things seem to have returned to normal as the toy sale (so one of the ever friendly staff told me) finished last night. The little maps they are dishing out to help navigate around the store have a deliberate error in them, by the way - the aisle numbers are two out - e.g. what is shown as Aisle 3 on paper is actually Aisle 5 etc.
Also those little round things in the centre of every parking space in the car park, which look like badly placed emergency lighting, are actually sensors which detect when a vehicle has been left in one space for more than three hours - cunning, eh?

[theoneandonly]

Well i was one of the mad women with trolley loads of toys and why not at half price. I found the store and staff great! the cafe was also lovely and enjoyed a real latte. I may even change to do my big shops there now!

[user23]

Well i was one of the mad women with trolley loads of toys and why not at half price. I found the store and staff great! the cafe was also lovely and enjoyed a real latte. I may even change to do my big shops there now!

I wonder what the large Christmas section will be used for after December 25th?

I jokingly said to someone perhaps it will become an Easter section on Boxing Day.

[JeffG]

I wonder what the large Christmas section will be used for after December 25th?

I jokingly said to someone perhaps it will become an Easter section on Boxing Day.

The store map shows those shelves as "Seasonal". So, yes, expect Easter eggs after twelfth night.

My personal jury is still out on the new store. I went there mid-morning today, planning to get a few things and a coffee in the new restaurant. I thought the mad panic of opening day would have died down today, but the upper deck was still full with cars driving round and round looking for spaces. I waited by a space nearly ten minutes while an elderly couple unpacked their groceries at leisure before leaving.

On getting inside, my initial reaction was one of "OMG, Tesco clone!". Still, once I'd found where the stuff I wanted was and checked out, I took the lift to the restaurant (it can't be accessed from the upper deck, I discovered), saw long queues at the counter, so turned round and went home.

Perhaps I'll go back sometime just for a browse round the new sections, if I can find a time and day when it's reasonably quiet.

[Darren]

Give it a week and the novelty will have worn off.

[Hugh Saskin]

My personal jury is still out on the new store. I went there mid-morning today, planning to get a few things and a coffee in the new restaurant. I thought the mad panic of opening day would have died down today, but the upper deck was still full with cars driving round and round looking for spaces. I waited by a space nearly ten minutes while an elderly couple unpacked their groceries at leisure before leaving.

Looks like I may have visited them on Thursday during a lull in proceedings as my Sainsbury's correspondent tells me yesterday (Fri) saw an unprecedented number of shoppers descend upon them. So much so, that the staff were prevailed upon to shift their cars out of the car park. Have just returned from there and the car park already seems unusually full for 0930 on a Saturday. Todays offers include cheap Christmas presents, chocolates and wines. Roll up, roll up....

[Darren]

It's a supermarket!!!

We have become a nation obsessed with shopping for the sake of shopping.

[Iommi]

It's a supermarket!!!
We have become a nation obsessed with shopping for the sake of shopping.

Exactly what I was thinking.

[Strafin]

It's a supermarket!!!

We have become a nation obsessed with shopping for the sake of shopping.

And we're all complaining that it's busy while just going in for a browse ourselves.

[JeffG]

And we're all complaining that it's busy while just going in for a browse ourselves.

If that's directed at me - I much preferred it when I could do my food shopping there in relative peace. I am the sort of shopper who goes out knowing what he wants beforehand, whizzes round as fast as possible and goes home.

However, to know what I want, I have to know what's there first - hence my "browse" comment in an earlier post. Shopping for me is a necessary hassle. That's why I much prefer to shop on line when I can (but not for food).

[lordtup]

Called in at the "new look" Sainsbury again today, spent 20 minutes trying to locate things without eventually resorting to asking an assistant .

Spent a further 20 minutes trying to extricate myself from car park ( Please look into some form of one way system Mr Sainsbury )

Good news is that they now have my favorite marmalade in stock .
Bad thing is a special offer that appeared in a newspaper last week was not valid in this store