Discover Hertford Online Forum

Hertford is lucky to have a range of supermarkets to choose from. Tesco and Waitrose opened in the 1980s with M&S Simply Food and Sainsbury's coming to town in recent years. Different stores appeal to different customers, for different reasons. What's your favourite?

I voted Sainsburys as I find the store light and airy and the parking is sooooo easy.

However I normally shop at Tescos as they are 24 hours so I sometimes shop at 7am on a Saturday or they are close to Hertford East so handy when coming home from work.

I rarely use Waitrose as they just don't suit my lifestyle hours and I don't think I have ever been in the M&S in Hertford as it has never been open when I need it.

You did miss out the Co-op in Bengeo and on Sele Farm. I use the Sele one a lot and could live out of it if I needed to, it has enough of a range.

can only be Waitrose with M&S a distant second. quality at Tesco and Sainsburys is very low. I'm not saying i don't buy some stuff at Tesco /Sainsburys (milk and some other stanadrds like cornflakes) but not for meat and veg.
Sainsbury's is always deathly quiet. next time there is a round of supermarket closures like Tesco has done recently, i wouldn't be surprised if Sainsburys Hertford was amongst them. return per square foot must be poor.

Kateg28 wrote:I voted Sainsburys as I find the store light and airy and the parking is sooooo easy.

However I normally shop at Tescos as they are 24 hours so I sometimes shop at 7am on a Saturday or they are close to Hertford East so handy when coming home from work.

^^ This!

Also, whilst I perceive that the prices are higher than Tesco and the range isn't as good (isn't it a bigger store though?), the cafe is the real winner for us.

It means I can leave Mrs N there with a coffee and a free paper (and one or more children) whilst I go shopping. The staff there are unfailingly lovely, I just wish Sainsbury's would give them more love as they don't have a barcode scanner which means handing them a clubcard keyfob or a parking coupon results in them having to type in the numbers manually!

I voted Sainsburys as it is my favorite but I do use Tesco and Waitrose as well for different items. Having said that went in to Waitrose today for 3 items and came out empty handed as they didn't have any of them though two I had bough it there before! I wish Tesco would do something about their night staffing levels, the staff are great but under a lot of pressure so there are often a lot of boxes and trolleys still to be unpacked at 7.30 on a Friday and I have more than once found out of date items on the shelves.

Waitrose every time. I wouldn't shop in Tesco on principle though I and Mrs Ff do pop in there occasionally to use the loos - very handy, thank you Tesco. I have tried Sainsburys but was not impressed with the offering or quality. I do agree with Marilyn though that Waitrose can on the odd occasion cease stocking an item that one has become used to buying there - I guess they have less space to experiment with new lines than the other two. Irritating, but Holland and Barrett are far worse at this.

Footfruit wrote:Waitrose every time. I wouldn't shop in Tesco on principle though I and Mrs Ff do pop in there occasionally to use the loos - very handy, thank you Tesco. I have tried Sainsburys but was not impressed with the offering or quality. I do agree with Marilyn though that Waitrose can on the odd occasion cease stocking an item that one has become used to buying there - I guess they have less space to experiment with new lines than the other two. Irritating, but Holland and Barrett are far worse at this.

I don't use tesco out of principal either unless absolutley necessary and was glad when Mr Clarke was rumbled. By 'absolutley necessary' I mean getting to hertford East and bursting to use the loo. However the last time despite buying some produce first before using the loo the bald headed security stasi stopped me and asked me to explain what I was doing. Errrr..............using the loo?

Cue being asked to have my tesco bag searched and when I refused to do this in public being to taken to a cupboard, YES a cupboard.

No apology, no nothing.

'Every Little Helps'.

Well, it used to be Waitrose...

I don't understand 'Won't shop in Tescos on principle'. What principle? I genuinely do not know what this means?

Just to defend them a little bit (although I do still prefer Sainsburys due to the spacious store and car park), I frequently have to buy 12 or more French sticks to provide breakfast down at the rowing club in Broxbourne. I always used to try Morrisons or Sainsburys in Hoddesdon but they used to get angry with me and I would have to phone in advance and sometimes they would forget the order. I once got a real telling off in Morrisons by the head baker who almost made me cry.

I realised as our Tesco's was 24 hour I could go to there when I set out at 7am on a Saturday morning ( ).

They could not be more helpful, loading up, checking I have what I need and then helping me at the checkouts.

Still hate the poxy car park though.

Kateg28 wrote:I don't understand 'Won't shop in Tescos on principle'. What principle? I genuinely do not know what this means?

Me neither. It appears to imply that other supermarkets are shining beacons of ethics and morality. I'm pretty sure all supermarkets are as bad as each other.