Deciding where to buy...

Here is a few important things to keep in mind when you going shopping:

SAFETY:

Safety and hygiene standard for food are established by law.

Outlets with perishable foods must be clean at all times.Meat must be covered, kept cool and away from flies.
Floors, shelves, and refrigerators must be clean.
Check for signs of spoilage for example bulging cans.
Products past their expiry date must be removed from shelves.
Frozen products must be frozen solid, not soft or lumpy.

QUALITY:

Quality is maintained where products sell quickly and do not sit  on the shelf
Check the sell-by-date, use-by-date, and best-before-date on products.

PRICE:

The price is determined by production cost and transport cost.
Overheads like rent, equipment, and salaries are also included.

IMPORTANT FOR ALL SHOPPERS:

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO COMPARE PRICES OF SIMILAR PRODUCTS IN RELATION TO QUALITY IN DIFFERENT FOOD OUTLETS.

Here is a really good activity - go to you two favourite stores and evaluate the different food outlets. Use the check list to compare:

How Clean Are The Stores?:

Are the floors, shelves, freezers clean and hygienic?

Is the store well ventilated?
Are the fresh foods properly covered?

Are animals allowed in the shop?

Do the assistants wear clean overalls, head gear and gloves?
Are the trolleys and baskets clean?

How good is the quality of the Food?:
Is fresh meat moist, is it a good colour or does it look dry and dull?
Does the food smell fresh or does it have a not so nice smelling odour?
Is there an unpleasant smell at the butchery department?
Are the fruit and vegetables crisp and colourful, or are they limp and bruised?
Have the "used by" or "best before" date expired or nearly expired?
Are the goods rotated? (Meaning the old stock is sold first)

Do you know what is in the food?:
Are the food products properly labelled?
Do the shop assistants knwo what is in the products for example the freshly baked/cooked foods?

Are you getting value for money?:
Is the unit price of products clearly indicated?
Are the portion sizes big enough?
Are you paying a lot extra for fancy packaging and fancy extras?
Does the shop sell an economy range of basic food products?
Could you make the food product yourself at the fraction of the price?
Are the shop's prices reasonable when compared to other shops in the area?
Is the quality of the shops goods guaranteed?

How convenient is the shop?:
How far do you have to travel to get to the shop?
How easy is it to find parking?
Are baskets and trolleys easily available?
Are the displays orderly and tidy and does it make it easy to find things?
Are the aisles wide enough so that you can push a trolley without bumping into other people or shelves?
Are the prices of food clearly visible?
Are there enough checkout points?
Is there enough staff to pack your groceries into bags?

How good is the quality of the service?:
Is there staff available to attend to queries?
Is the staff efficient, friendly, helpful and knowledgeable?
Do they exchange products and give refunds if you have a good reason and enough proof of purchase?

Is the shop safe?:
Is the parking lot well lit and is it safe to park your car?
Are the floors non-slip and is there clear indications when they have washed it?
Are the dangerous products clearly marked?
Are poisonous products packed separately or kept behind the counter?

All of these things will make you either enjoy your shopping experience or simply hating it.

HAPPY SHOPPING!!!