Off Topic - Woolies boo boo!

Paul and Pam on Tour · Veteran Member

Off Topic - Woolies boo boo!

dorian · Guru

I shop at Aldi and am rewarded with lower prices every week.

Plain Truth · Guru

I don't know what rewards program you have with Woolies,but their loyalty rewards card is free.

Are We Lost · Guru

P&P, a good suggestion on getting your loyalty tax back. At a net cost of about $3 per month ($6 at full subscription price) it sounds like a good deal. But in reality is it?

I have had quite a few Fly Buys deals at Coles with Spend $X for 4 weeks and get 10,000 points (worth $50). The $X offered varies according to your shopping habits. In my case that means 4 shops of $90 or more to get $50 (say $400 spend), which gives a 12.5% return ... have to spend it on a 5th shop but that does not need to be $90. So effectively, it is similar to the Woolies percentage, but no need to make a huge shop to benefit or pay a subscription.

dorian wrote:
I shop at Aldi and am rewarded with lower prices every week.

Twice I did an experiment on prices. After shopping at Aldi, I did an online price comparison with the prices at Coles. The Aldi shop was more than 12.5% cheaper than Coles in both cases. In one it was 22%.

The downside with Aldi is limited choice, no name brands and not many specials. If saving money is the primary goal, I believe it means buying most of your stuff at Aldi, then shop at the big names for specific items, and stock up on the specials. I also shop at IGA. Typically they are a lot dearer, but they have some great specials that beat all the others from time to time.

Edit: Plain Truth posted while I was writing. The ED Rewards Extra is what P&P referred to.

https://www.everyday.com.au/extra.html

-- Edited by Are We Lost on Saturday 9th of November 2024 12:37:45 PM

Bicyclecamper · Guru

Paul and Pam on Tour wrote:
My Fellow Australians...this posting might indeed be a little off topic but some may find it useful.
My wife and I have been members of the Woolworths Rewards program for a long time...we fully understand that the cost of this loyalty program, like most such programs is probably added into everything we buy...despite that, and perhaps because of that we find it to be quite 'rewarding', especially the 10% off once a month from Woolies and other aligned stores, BigW, BWS 'frinstance. We have a 'big shop' once a month now, instead of weekly and $50 off our $500 trolley of groceries is not to be laughed at. We also have our reward points saved during the year deposited into a 'Xmas Club' and currently we have $190 ready for Santa and the grandkids.
The original cost to join was, from memory, $50, it has now increased to $70 but my calculations still deem it to be worthwhile.
A few days ago the annual fee of $70 was taken from my bank account via direct debit....all good, not so good was an email that popped up from Woolies yesterday offering a 'special deal' for new customers to join Rewards for $35...this was like waving a red flag to me...why had I just paid $70 for a service I could have gotten for half that amount.??..not withstanding the 'new customer' deal.
I rang Woolworths and asked them that question...their immediate response was to award us 7000 points, the value of 7000 points is $35!
I think Woolies have made a boo bob with this offer, a point I raised with the Woolies lady on the phone, I got the impression she may have agreed, I have since heard of others having done the same thing.
This is number to ring 1300 10 1234 option 1
Regards, Paul and Pam
Lockyer Valley Qld.

We have never paid anything withe W. Rewards Card, but will be checking to see if they are charging us, and if they are, will be following up with the ACCC. When we joined back when it started 20 years ago or so, it was free, if they have been charging us any money since inception or not long after, god help them!. They will be refunding us.

Are We Lost · Guru

Bicyclecamper wrote:
We have never paid anything withe W. Rewards Card,....

Read the Edit at the foot of my previous post.

Izabarack · Guru

Twice I did an experiment on prices. After shopping at Aldi, I did an online price comparison with the prices at Coles. The Aldi shop was more than 12.5% cheaper than Coles in both cases. In one it was 22%.

The downside with Aldi is limited choice, no name brands and not many specials.

My comparisons of a basket of name brand products from Woolies, Coles, and IGA, has always favoured Woolies. I have been caught by variable quality in Aldi home brand offerings. As Im only shopping for two these days, I see little point in saving a dollar by buying cheap if the product on the plate is not enjoyable. I have detected a cycle of Special prices on Woolies products I regularly buy and will buy multiple copies of half price items. Small thing perhaps but I have always been annoyed by the Aldi checkout and that is sufficient for me to bother trying again at Aldi. Slightly aside, a close friend manages a local Aldi outlet and has let me in on lots of background. A family member works for Coles and its interesting, to me, to get a rundown on working conditions at those companies.

Plain Truth · Guru

Are We Lost wrote:
Bicyclecamper wrote:
We have never paid anything withe W. Rewards Card,....
Read the Edit at the foot of my previous post.

Thanks for clearing that up. Didn't know there was "Rewards Extra"

Paul and Pam on Tour · Veteran Member

Good information you'all...we have an Aldi store closeby also but we too have been caught with overseas stuff of questionable quality, thats not to say Woolies stuff is 100% Aussie, and invariably we find we need to go across to Woolies to get what Aldi doesnt have...hence we are better to simply save diesel and shop at Woolies.
And to say Aldi prices are always lower suggests little checking is being done...All I can do is pass on my thoughts.
I apoligise for not pointing out that I was referring to Woolies Extra Rewards...stupidly I though everyone would know that.

The points savings, admittedily mediocre, are awarded on Every item purchased, including half priced. One does not need to spend a specific amount...10% off is 10% off.
In addition the 4c per litre discount applies (There is no Woolies servo near us :( )
There is also a monthly free gift, this month I got a tin of mints...yipee, $3.95 value...why would I shop elsewhere?
And as a bonus have a gander at their new trolleys, again, why would I shop eleswhere.
Of course with every good story there is always a downside...the number of emails you will get from Woolies is staggering...a simply email filter fixes that however.
And is not the ad jingle 'Woolies, the Fresh Food People' played every 3 minutes storewide a pain??...think of the folk working there.

This posting should now fade away.

Have fun
P&P.

rmoor · Senior Member

I too have a woolies Rewards card, just the freebie version. Have been aware an upgrade is available but with my limited spending, did not see the need.
On irregular visits to larger country centres I make a quick visit to Aldi to stock up a bit. I find there are several products far superior in quality and price than the other supermarkets. Aldi spag bol in the single meal pack is a good product and superior to the other supermarkets in the same line, but they also sell rubbish in some lines that became once in a lifetime purchases.

WW etc cop it in the news and don't do consumers a lot of favours. Some of their product is rubbish also but on the whole their product is good. I too target the 1/2 price sale items and stock up on those regulars when they cycle them through their discount process. I am confused sometimes with the attacks on the major retailers, everyone has a view to a profit as long as the rules of engagement are being fairly followed?

Pollies and the media do tend to miss the point a bit, let us remember about 3 years or so ago fuel prices were around half of what they have been at their recent peaks. When one takes into account the number of times farm produce travels from one destination to another, processed, packaged, then warehoused, then transported to stores, in some cases 4 or 5 different journey's, then the cost to get produce to our shelves has risen markedly due to higher freight and wage costs.

I have also tried to combat costs by planting out my back paddock heavily this year. About 50 watermelon plants, many Richmond River Green Apple cucumbers, lettuce, corn and much more. People ask me why I plant so much and I answer I have plenty of people to give stuff away to.

Makes a big difference when one looks at the humungus fresh produce costs in the supermarkets sometimes.....

JayDee · Guru

dorian wrote:
I shop at Aldi and am rewarded with lower prices every week.

I THINK??? Aldi shoppers support a company that pays NO TAX on its profit in Australia.

They are like many other major companies that have offshore accounts.

could BE WRONG.

jAY&dEE

Aussie1 · Guru

JayDee wrote:
dorian wrote:
I shop at Aldi and am rewarded with lower prices every week.
I THINK??? Aldi shoppers support a company that pays NO TAX on its profit in Australia.
They are like many other major companies that have offshore accounts.
could BE WRONG.

jAY&dEE

We do the same Dorian.

JayDee, They do employ over 10,000 staff in Australia though over 500 stores. They also support many Aussie producers.

Just to put a bit of a balance in there.

Cheers.

rmoor · Senior Member

No doubt Aldi use transfer pricing mechanisms to reduce their tax footprint in Australia as many do, in particular media and social media sites.

Also Richard Branson bought his own Carribean island and installed his own tax regime and pays nothing at all on profits but is seen as a hero and his planes flew in and out of here every day.

It is pretty hard to capture all of these moguls lining their pockets with billions and whoever solves that taxation issue will receive a nice little medal for their efforts.

The GST does capture some of the Aldi items more so than the other major grocery stores, as Aldi has the middle isle items (that trap me) more subject to GST than many non-GST food items.
That is at least some form of captured taxes that stay in this country.
The one that should be taxed almost to oblivion is foreign ownership of Australian Real Estate and other assets.
That is the one that does the real damage and whilever we have Airbus at the helm then average young Australians can kiss home ownership aspirations in their lifetimes goodbye.

Aldi to my knowledge do not have a rewards system and I too get absolutely hammered with Woolies booster emails and the like.
We don't have an Aldi store in our country town but they are in larger neighbouring cities.
Have never seen an Aldi trolley in any street anywhere, whereas in town here there are Woolies and Coles trolleys all over the place.

It always perplexes me how suspended licence ferals and other sundry ferals in my town can walk a trolley full of chips and sugary drinks a few kilometres from where it came but cannot wheel it back again when they return????
The only way it gets near it's home is when it is full of 10c Return and Earn cans as the local ICE queens and kings raid our red bins on garbage day and leave our personal rubbish strewn all over our street!!!!!

Aussie1 · Guru

rmoor wrote:

Aldi to my knowledge do not have a rewards system and I too get absolutely hammered with Woolies booster emails and the like.
We don't have an Aldi store in our country town but they are in larger neighbouring cities.
Have never seen an Aldi trolley in any street anywhere, whereas in town here there are Woolies and Coles trolleys all over the place.

It always perplexes me how suspended licence ferals and other sundry ferals in my town can walk a trolley full of chips and sugary drinks a few kilometres from where it came but cannot wheel it back again when they return????
The only way it gets near it's home is when it is full of 10c Return and Earn cans as the local ICE queens and kings raid our red bins on garbage day and leave our personal rubbish strewn all over our street!!!!!

100% agree with the trolley issue Ron. All retailers should be instructed "by law" to have coin operated trolley's. Problem solved.

DMaxer · Guru

The trolleys at Woolies at a lot of the north coast of NSW stores automatically lock their wheels at the border of the car park. After that, if your car is parked outside in the street, you have to carry your bags.

Paul and Pam on Tour · Veteran Member

I shoulda known better.

I started this posting simply to advise Woolies Rewards users that they can get half their annual fee refunded should they follow my instructions...It was not supposed to be a discussion on which rewards scheme is better...
God, someone even suggested they return to that stupid idea of needing a coin to get a f***ing trolley!!
I have done the research and can tell all that the Woolies Rewards scheme (Not the dopey freebee version) is the better one on offer in Australia today. Using it, you will save money...and get this: I have no affiliation with Woolworths or any other commercial interest.

Aussie1 · Guru

Paul and Pam on Tour wrote:
I shoulda known better.

I started this posting simply to advise Woolies Rewards users that they can get half their annual fee refunded should they follow my instructions...It was not supposed to be a discussion on which rewards scheme is better...
God, someone even suggested they return to that stupid idea of needing a coin to get a f***ing trolley!!
I have done the research and can tell all that the Woolies Rewards scheme (Not the dopey freebee version) is the better one on offer in Australia today. Using it, you will save money...and get this: I have no affiliation with Woolworths or any other commercial interest.

Oh dear, lighten up, it's an open forum with many and varied opinions, all inter mixed biggrin

DMaxer · Guru

Maybe if they returned to the coin deposit scheme you could earn points for the coin you used. biggrin biggrin biggrin

-- Edited by DMaxer on Monday 11th of November 2024 09:26:44 AM

Magnarc · Guru

Having tried several of these schemes over the years I have reached the conclusion that they largely only benefit the store. P&P have had a different experience and it may very well be of some benefit to them. Maybe they have improved because it is years since we gave up on them.

Viva Aldi!

Peter_n_Margaret · Senior Member

The Woolworths group are a major operator of poker machines in this country, mostly in lower socioeconomic areas.
We will not shop there for this reason.
Cheers,
Peter

Magnarc · Guru

Why didn't I think of that P&M?

P&P Regarding your comment on going off topic. This occurs most of the time on every forum that I have ever been on, and it's part and parcel of what happens on forums. It's called an exchange of views which may, or may not, be to everyone's liking but I can't see it changing so don't get too upset after all, it's really quite a trivial thing in the scheme of things.

Personally I find it very interesting to have an insight into other folks mindset.

Magnarc · Guru

If you are not sure of the facts why not check them before posting? Better than posting misinformation.

Aldi's tax contribution in 2022 was 104 million dollars.

rmoor · Senior Member

There was an interesting article on the net yesterday with supermarkets.

There was a piece on Aldi. The ATO are aware of their turnover.
Like any other business, they are required to record sales inclusive of GST on their monthly BAS.

From what I recall the article said they have 600 stores across Australia but none in the NT or Tasmania for logistical purposes was interesting.
The other component they centred on was that the middle aisle is more profitable than the grocery lines (ignoring markdowns).

That would almost be completely logical, from my old days with Myer Western Stores I seem to recall gross profit on grocery lines was as little as 17%.

I expect that would have changed somewhat now as pricing has changed since then, with "loss leaders" and "half price" sales indicates higher markups in the modern supermarket.

Also, Woolies, BCF etc with their rewards cards would not be detrimental to their bottom line. Could be a loss leader of sorts but building loyalty for retailers is no doubt paramount.

Interesting discussion.