Asda 24 can multipack cat food AKA the "boggy is tight" thread

[Lula]

has gone up by about £2 since Christmas, to say I am shocked is an understatement!!!!!!

[Lula]

I have just taken this off the Asda website

ASDA President and CEO, Andy Bond, today (2nd January) threw down a challenge to his supermarket rivals by vowing to help hard pressed shoppers make ends meet during 2009 by cutting the prices of essential items that customers need to buy every week.

Last autumn he launched a major initiative to cut unnecessary costs out of ASDA's business. Since then ASDA colleagues have saved millions of pounds by using less energy, cutting waste and reducing the number of carrier bags they give away.

ASDA will use this money to roll back the price of thousands of items including fresh produce, meat and chicken, frozen food, household and health and beauty products starting from January. As part of the roll back customers will be able to buy three packs from a range of fresh meat or chicken for £10, 50 leading wines at 3 bottles for £10, 100 frozen food products at £1 and 200 everyday health and beauty lines such as shampoo and deodorant also at a £1.

Andy Bond said: "2009 is going to be a very difficult year and I believe we have an obligation to help our customers through these tough times.

"Frivolity is out and frugal is the new cool as customers change their shopping habits in order to make ends meet. They want to know when they spend their hard-earned cash that they're getting real value for money and not just a gimmicky price promotion.

"No longer can retailers' claim they're investing hundreds of millions of pounds in lowering prices and not provide hard evidence as to how and for how long.

"All 165,000 ASDA colleagues will continue to work flat out this year to save energy, cut waste and carrier bag usage, and we will invest the money we save in lowering the price of the products customers buy week in week out."

ASDA's Trading Director, Darren Blackhurst said:

"For the past eleven years we have been the nation's lowest priced supermarket. We have achieved this because we listen to our customers and we passionately believe in delivering low prices for all. Our approach has always been clear and simple - we operate for less so that we can sell for less - our price cuts are real and our value is permanent.

"Other retailers may try to confuse matters by reducing prices on a handful of products to steal headlines but every week at ASDA customers will find at least 1,000 essential products at prices that have been rolled back. From meat to frozen food to toiletries we are lowering the cost of living....that's ASDA Price. "

 

 

I also spoke to their customer services who tell me that the costs of aluminium have increased by 35% over the past month, quite frankly I do not beleive him.

 

 

Anyone got any thoughts, I seem to have lost the plot over this, on the one hand, they are saying that they are reducings costs and you can buy 3 bottles of wine for £10, but feeding your animals will cost you35% more. No wonder animal charities are finding it difficult to cope.

 

 

 

Thats Asda price!!

[SOD'EM]

You could always give your cats wine:p. I haven't got time for them myself (lazy freeloaders), but I sometimes wonder how Asda has won the best supermarket award for so long now.

[tonycee]

What happens if you dont have 24 cats ?

[Lula]

LOL I dont have 24 cats. but a case of 24 lasts 24 days and I fail to see how they can justify the increase and then charge £10 for 3 bottles of wine during a recession

[tonycee]

Tell them they are lying. Prices have risen by only 8% in the last month.

 

 

 

 

 

>>>>>>>> I cant believe i done this !!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

[Lula]

ROFLMAO Tony, see, you are more of a Grumpy old sod than I am lol, 8 % the feckers, I wonder why Asda keep winning these awards

[Lula]

I might have to speak to the CEO's office next

[tonycee]

Print it off and demand compensation.

 

This is CAG after all.

 

You might get a years free supply of cat food, another 23 cats, or a ton of aliminium at a reduced price.

[Lula]

take a look at it from November 08

 

I cant get the image right, but the whole picture is very illuminting indeed

[tonycee]

All the more reason to complain. Tell them they are just being greedy, and if you dont get compensation you will let your cat starve.

[Lula]

LOL all 6 of them?

[tonycee]

Take this with you. They will be glad to get rid of you. !!!!

 

 

First Ad for Catchunks

 

March Ad for Catchunks

 

June Ad for Catchunks

 

More Deceit

 

Breakfast Cereals

 

 

Advertisements

Advertising agents specialise in writing advertisements. Their job is to help the manufacturer sell his product. Sometimes they may use statistics.

 

 

Make a collection of advertisements that use statistics.

1. What do you think of'the way they use statistics?
   

You will see that advertisers sometimes use statistics in devious ways. We now look at some fictitious advertisements to see more clearly how statistics are misused. We call the advertising agency Sly Sellers and the product Catchunks.

 

First Advertisement for Catchunks

In January 1979 Catchunks published the advertisement shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 - First advertisement for Catchunks.

How does this advertisement mislead?

There are several organizations which try to find out the real facts. One of these we call Fact Ferrets. Their first job is to get the correct figures in standard units. These are shown in Table 1.

ProteinPhosphorusThiamineCalciumAverage cat food11678Catchunks1341110Table 1 - Content of Catchunks and average cat food (standard units).

In the Catchunks advertisement no units were given.

Figure 2 shows three ways of putting the units on a bar chart showing the protein content.

Figure2 - Protein content of Catchunks and average cat food: three charts

 

 

Look at the three charts in Figure 2.

1. Which chart makes Catchunks look much better than average cat food?
   
2. Which chart is the fairest? Why are the others not fair?
   
3. Using all the figures found by Fact Ferrets, draw a fair bar chart for the Catchunks advertisement.
   Remember to use bars the same width. label your chart 'Food content of average cat food and Catchunks'.
   
4. Compare your bar chart with the January advertisement. Which is the fairer? In what ways have Sly Sellers distorted their charts.
   
5. Using the figures for 'phosphorus' from Table 1, draw a misleading diagram to show that the average cat food is much better than Catchunks.
   

March Advertisements for Catchunks

In March Catchunks used two different advertisements. These are shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3 - March advertisments for Catchunks.

 

 

Fact Ferrets looked at the first March advertisement. Thev knew that the usual price of a tin of Catchunks was 25p. They did not agree that there was a saving of 50%

1. Copy and complete the following to find out why.
   Price of one tin of Catchunks = 25p
   Cost of three tins bought separately = 25p x 3 = _____ p
   Cost of two tins (plus one free tin) = 25p x2 = _____ p
   Amount saved with the one free tin _____ p
   Fraction saved when buying three tins: = amount saved / cost of 3 tins bought seperately = _____
   
2. Change this fraction to a percentage.
   

Fact Ferrets, did not like the second March advertisement either. They, said that 10% or even 0% was included in the phrase 'up to 20%'.

1. What do you think 'up to 20% extra' might mean?
   

June Advertisement for Catchunks

You will need a sheet of graph paper.

In June Sly Sellers tried to persuade people to buy more Catchunks by showing how sales figures had increased. Figure 4 shows their advertisement.

Figure 4 - June advertisement for Catchunks.

Fact Ferrets found the true sales figures, which are shown in Table 2.

 

 

Year1975197619771978Sales (thouands of tins)204210212216Table 2 - Sales of Catchunks, 1975 to 1978.

1. Plot the figures from Table 2 on a graph. Use a vertical axis from 0 to 300 thousand tins with a scale of 50 thousand tins per centimetre square.
   
2. Draw another graph of the sales figures. This time use a vertical axis from 200 to 220 thousand tins with a scale of 5 thousand tins per centimetre square.
   
3. Which graph do you think was used in the June advertisement? Why?
   
4. Which is the fairer graph to use?
   
5. How have Sly Sellers made the graph in their advertisement misleading?
   

More Deceit

 

 

Fact Ferret. found more in these advertisements designed to mislead. Some of their comments and questions are given below.

1. Think about each and write two or three sentences saving what you think.
   

January Advertisement

1. What is the'average'cat food'? - his average cat food had fewer of the nutrients than Catchunks. Does this mean all cat foods are worse than Catchunks?
   
2. 'Cats prefer Catchunks'. What evidence is there for this? How could you find out?
   
3. Catchunks may contain less of other nutrients. What other vitamins and minerals does a cat need? Is it better to have more of these items. or can you have too much'?
   
4. The bars on the Catchunks graph are shaded and there is a picture ofa fat happy, cat there. How does
   this affect the advertisement'?
   
5. There is no mention of price or amount of cat food.Catchunks may be more expensive than the average cat food. How can you assess value for money?
   

Second March Advertisetnent

1. They claim 'Up to 20% extra goodness'. More goodness than what? Does this make it the best? What is 'goodness'? Can it he measured?
   

June Advertisement

1. What is the dotted line for? Why is it so steep? Is it fair?
   

1. Can you find any other errors in these advertisements?

   
   

Breakfast Cereals

You will need a sheet of graph paper.

Sly Sellers has been given information shown in Table 3 and Table 4 on a new breakfast cereal, Sunwheat, and an average cereal.

Perentage of man's daily requirements per bowlEnergyProteinThiamineRiboflavinNiacinCalciumIronSunwheat45927213Average cereal4633829Table 3 - Contents of Sunwheat and the average breakfast cereal.

 

 

Year1975197619771978Sunwheat sales (thousands of packets)107111114115Table 4 - Sales of Sunwheat.

1. Make up a misleading advertisement for Sunwheat. Write down how you have misused statistics in it.
   
2. Look at your friend's advertisement. Write down how he has misused statistics.
   

Look again at the advertisements collected by the class.

1. Write down all the mistakes and attempts to mislead that you can find.
   

[Lula]

Right, I am thinking of putting together an email to him, regarding this and the fact that that whilst they may possibly be reducing prices on "essentials" people still have to feed their pets as when someone takes on an animal, they take it on for life, that and the fact that his employees are lying and it was quite simple to research the price of aluminium.

 

anyone know of a way to find his email addy?

[Bookworm]

andybond@asda.com?

[Gilbert_O'Sullivan]

has gone up by about £2 since Christmas, to say I am shocked is an understatement!!!!!!

 

Is this Asda own brand? And were they cans or foil trays and how much for 24 now and before?

[Lula]

yes Asda own brand, 7.28 before, £9.28 now

[Gilbert_O'Sullivan]

yes Asda own brand, 7.28 before, £9.28 now

 

I usually shop around Lulu and my cat now adores kitekat which is about £8 for 24 in Tesco but bizarrely, buying 4 packs of 6 is cheaper than 1 pack of 24!

 

Have you tried the website, madaboutbargains? It shows all special offers at supermarkets for everything.

[Thailand]

Supermarkets really give me the hump. All they are interested in is pulling the wool over the eyes of the consumer and profits, I don't care what they say.

 

 

This can of peas costs 12p on a quick check, and I know I've had cheaper things in tins recently. That is the price now so surely, Tesco's in this instance, have absorbed this 'aluminium hike'. Lets say that haven't, and are due to add 35% (which I don't believe for a second either).

 

Let's also say that Tesco's are doing everything from aquiring suppliers and paying them for their product, labelling, distribution, overheads and wages for free or to make a loss. Just using the price of the can.

 

12p RRP... 35% hike new price 4.2p higher per can x 24 = £1...not £2

 

This can is a little smaller so would be more, but not as much as the profit whores say, and this assumes that Tesco haven't already put up the price, and are making this product for a loss. This is feasible on this product, but ASDA are a sack of s**t liars! 8.3p a can increase my rear.

[Thailand]

Shouldn't they be recycling alot of it and not buying as much new metal as well?

[SOD'EM]

Wow. 12p for blue peas:p.

[Thailand]

Also try and find out when the other 24 packs go up by £2 - surely this is not isolated to just cat food. The horses gob says it's the price of metal sobeit.

[Thailand]

I ain't ever bought those Sod 'em.

[Thailand]

Just spoke to an Aluminium supplier in Preston and he was more than helpful.

 

The London Metal Exchange has everything on there...fill ya boots.

 

The price of Aluminuim has fallen from $3,400 to $1,700 in the last year, and last month saw the trend continuing.

 

Last months graph shows it falling from 1700 to 1450.

 

Price graphs

[Lula]

We looked at the price graft earlier, which made me blow my top a bit, oh, and guess who was visiting our local Asda earlier? you guessed it andrew.bond@asda.com lol wish I had known!