Shopping the Supermarkets

I accidentally left my PC TV link on this am, and so when I came to the office I managed to watch this programme: Shopping the Supermarkets

I'm glad I did. What a damning indictment of the system that exists and, indeed, is permitted.

Here's the blurb:

Milking the Suppliers?

We all love supermarkets, but who pays the price for the cheap food we buy? We meet three characters who can tell us first hand. Nigel has been growing lettuces for supermarkets for 27 years but has just been dropped by a supermarket because he can't compete on price; Victoria thinks she makes the best range of pestos in Britain and has one chance to pitch them to Sainsburys; and Somerset dairy farmer Chris is reluctantly selling his cows because he can't make a living from milk.

Having worked most of my life in the ad game, I am well used to the irrational whims that accompany single folk in positions of power within a marketing organisation. This laid bare the consequences.

It also showed up the hoops that decent folk are put though by committees of middle managers, with matrices and other Brent-speek holding sway over loyalty, relationships and logic.

Sickening. It explains, if not excuses, the problems we are having getting these guys to even talk to us. And we are trying to make them money!

My only slight reservation about the programme was who was featured and who not. Sainsbury cooperated and treated their subject ( a woman so destitute she was down to her last new Range Rover) to an order. Somerfield did not and came off badly, though it seemed deservedly so.