Pelican, some time ago you mentioned about the virtues of shopping
at Aldi. I then pointed out that Aldi is owned by 2 of the world's
10 richest people, a couple of German brothers. People go to Aldi
for one reason, price. Personally I think that Coles and Woolies
get a bit of a bum steer from Channel 7 and others, as they are
an easy target. Overheads is the difference. Coles employ a whole
lot of people, Woolies manage with less, Aldi even less, everything
is cut to the bone. Actual profits in the supermarket business
are in fact quite slim, as we know from the figures, these being
public corporations.

*I disagree that the best stuff always gets sold here.*

It doesent always get sold here. It gets sold here when locals
are prepared to pay the going price for it. For meat to be really
good, it should age for a while. That takes chiller space and it
has to be cryovacced alot of the time. But again, what is the
best meat? The Japanese insist on long fed beef for their choice
cuts, so cattle go on grain for months, so that the meat is marbled.
Personally I'm not that keen on long fed beef.

With lambs, I helped a bloke set up a business, where he goes on
farm and selects the best prime lambs for his home delivery serrvice.
He can pick the eyes out of them, before they ever get to a saleyard
or meatworks. But there are many things that can affect meat quality.
Sometimes its as simple as cold shortening, ie when the carcass
is cooled down too quickly, before rigour mortis sets in. The meat
becomes tough, no matter how good the original lamb was.

Pelican, I think that you will find that most of these miners are
quite reasonable and intelligent people. If some consultations
had been had with the industry, before it was announced as gospel,
we'd all be better off. So the problem right now is as much
how it was done, as what was done. .

Errr...no Yabby. You did not read my last post. To repeat briefly, I have always said it is ironic that a foreign owned company ensures that at least one item in each category is locally sourced while the Australian owned ones make no guarantee. This is not the same as 'virtues of shopping at Aldi' given that Aldi is foreign owned and you well know my views - or should. Woolworths and Coles also sell Australian produce they just don't push it as a positive.

You can misrepresent my position all you want while avoiding the real issues. :p

Sheesh, I'm falling behind here. I've been out seeding oats, so
that you lot can have your muesli for breakfast :)

Pelican, our discussion about Aldi goes back a long way, but I could
not be fagged to search the archives, if that is even possible.

It now sounds like you have fallen for their marketing spin. For
of course one product per category can be defined in many ways.

The difference between Aldi and Coles/Woolies, is all about choice.
They stock thousands of lines, Aldi something like 700. It costs
less, to stock less, so they make the choice for you, alot of the
time, you don't get to see the other products.

Because of this wide choice, C/W invariably include both local
and overseas lines, home brand and other brands, in their selection.
Consumer demand drives what their shelves stock. It it sells in any
kind of reasonable amount, they will stock it.

Let me give you a great example. Carman's muesli is a company started
by a housewife in Victoria. It started as a 2 bob show and she has
grown from there. My local Coles store, stocks all her 5 or so mixes.
My IGA store stocks one. There is Carman, competing with the big
boys, Nestle (Uncle Toby's) and Kellogs. How many lines of her
cereals does Aldi stock?

Now if my case, Coles also stocks Lindt chocolate and Thomy mayonaise,
as I won't buy the local rubbish :).

Choice and value is what supermarkets should be all about, and I think
our chains deliver on both.

I am constantly amused on OLO, for I remember one discussion with
a bloke who seems to consult for Govt or similar, complaining about
the cost of a tin of 3$ pineapples. So what does he do for 3$?
I'd be surprised if it buys more then 1 minute of this time.

I couldn't tell you how many Aldi stock Yabby, I am rarely in there, but thanks for the oats - I do enjoy a good muesli. I am not a marketing agent for Aldi, just don't know why Woolies and Coles don't push a more Aussie grown/made agenda.

I have no problem importing items that Australia does not manufacture or produce, it is the silly things that can easily be grown here. If a bulb of garlic can be grown, tended, picked, packed and shipped long distances and still remain competitive with the Aussie grown it might indicate inequitable low labour costs, barely above subsistence.

We are probably getting off this subject a bit much, see you on another thread and we can do our usual sparring there. :)

*just don't know why Woolies and Coles don't push a more Aussie grown/made agenda.*

Well they do, by stocking Aussie grown on their shelves. Perhaps
management are just less tribal then you are :) At the moment
we have a campaign here in WA shops, organised by our State Govt,
to "buy best, eat West". In other words, better to eat WA produce
then your Eastern States rubbish :) Coles and Woolies have both
gone along with that.

You really have a bee in your bonnet about this garlic. I can buy
either imported of local at my Coles store, its my choice, as it
should be. It seems that WA now has a number of garlic farms,
according to a radio report I heard the other day. You'll simply
pay more for the Aussie stuff. Its your choice.