Re: Tesco's 185% increase in the price of grapeseed oil
- From: MM <kylix_is@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:57:34 +0100
On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:29:32 +0100, "PDR"
<peter.rieden@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
"MM" <kylix_is@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:g0r394144b6dkjbvmo0ru71m3ui38kcv9r@xxxxxxxxxx
Two points: On Monday instead of Start the Week, Radio 4 brought a
programme about the price of food. It transpired that the wheat in
bread represents only about 5% of the cost of a loaf, yet we are now
charged exorbitant sums for bread in the supermarkets.
<sigh> yes, but did you bother to wonder what comprises the remaining 95% of
the cost?
There's no good <sighing> so histrionically, for the supermarkets have
long been justifying the high price rise by suggesting that it's all
down to global wheat prices. Now, of course, they have also cottoned
on to another excellent excuse: the oil price rise! They are clever,
if not devious!
The real reason for the rises is that it costs the supermarkets a
fraction more, but they can argue (successfully) for several fractions
more from the consumer by pulling the wool over our eyes, like yours.
Meanwhile the discounters still manage to sell all kinds of bread much
cheaper.
Bread is made from wheat flour, milk, sugar, water, salt and yeast (plus
other odds and sods). The world price of wheat flour has gone up, so that's
a start. So has the price of milk and the industrial price of water, but
let's ignore that. To make bread you have to move the ingredients to the
bakery. You may have noticed the small increase in fuel costs over the last
few months - that's another part of it. The bakery has to have a building
and plant equipment, which is financed with capital. You may have noticed
the price of capital has nudged up a smidge over the last few months -
that's another part of it. Then you need to heat and light the bakery, and
run the ovens. Electricity and gas prices aren't exactly at an all-time low,
are they. Then once the bread is made (in the case of factory-made sliced
bread) it has to be transported to the supermarkets, using yet more
expensive fuel.
In other words whilst wheat flour may only contribute 5% to the cost it is
by no means the only element of the cost that has risen over the last few
months.
But it was an excellent way to con the consumer into paying more than
necessary, exactly as I predicted would happen as soon as the first
bad harvest was announced a year or two ago. And since when has an
ordinary tin loaf contained milk? Or sugar? And what other odds and
sods? You may mean, vinegar. Yeah, like there's a huge price increase
in the cost of vinegar!
Face it, the supermarkets are ripping us off because they can.
MM
.
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