Sainsbury’s

Just ok overall, nothing special.
So I’ve stopped in to this Sainsbury’s on a few occasions, usually early in the morning before I head over to the library to get some work done. They have some really good croissants, and in the A.M. the store is clean and well-​stocked. Also, the morning folks are pretty friendly.
However, in the mid-​morning and afternoon this place is a zoo. Long queues, seemingly short on staff members, and lots of people running around. This is why I don’t usually stop in. I am more likely to go elsewhere to pick things up as I would prefer not to have a 10 to 15 minute wait every time I stop in.
Another issue, they aren’t able to keep certain things in stock once the afternoon hits. I would imagine that by now they would know that they get slammed with students every day and they will need to restock at some point in the day. But it doesn’t seem to work that way.
I wish this location was not as busy at it always is. Yet, I still stop in sometimes and remember why I don’t stop in when I am waiting in the queue with 40 high school students rambling on about God knows what.
Well now I just sound old and cranky, don’t I?
But if they are going to be THAT busy, they should keep the place stocked. At least do that.

Just like their competitor on Nicholson Street, this Sainsbury’s has been renovated since I visited just over a week ago and I’m really liking its makeover. Although the aisles still seem small and this store definitely needs a larger space to accommodate the demand, I am happy with the changes. There are even more muncy snacks, lunchy eats and refreshing cool drinks ready to take to the Meadows to enjoy the summer sun (now that it’s finally here!). What is best about the new renovations here, though, is that there are now about six self-​checkout machines in addition to a few staffed checkouts, too. The checkout area feels more spacious and much more capabile of accommodating the massive numbers of people passing through this convenient location.

Always a big queue…
Slightly higher than normal…
Fast student lunches.

I feel like a total hypocrite giving this place a low rating, but then coming here at least 3 times a week. The reason? Laziness on my part. And terrible weather that makes me want to get home as quickly as possible, so I go to the nearest supermarket each time, even though every single time I go there I know pre-​emptively they won’t have half the ingredients I need for my Good Food recipe I’d spent an hour deciding upon on my lunch break, and then having to make something up on the spot from the three ingredients I can find, and then the time it takes to queue to get my groceries I realise I could have walked to a different supermarket.
Yeah I’m lazy.
It’s convenient. It’s close to my gym. It’s close to the coffee shops I work in. The staff are all young and nice enough but are obviously just doing it as filler and don’t really care. Really long queues. Not much choice. Really expensive (over £10 for my vegetables each time).
They didn’t even have POPZ when I went in last night.

It’s going to be hard to write this review without swearing, but I’ll get through it. This place makes my blood boil. It fills me with contempt. I avoid going here at ALL costs. It is just about the worst convenience store I’ve ever been in. In fact, there’s nothing convenient about it. It’s a veritable inconvenience store.
Firstly, it is so poorly stocked. You can never find anything you want in there. I’ve been in there on at least three separate occasions when they’ve been out of semi-​skimmed milk. Really?! What the hell’s that about (hell’s not swearing, I checked).
Secondly, it is SO overpriced. It’s 80p for two onions. 80 pence!!! That’s daylight robbery. Everything is more expensive than normal in here. Eggs are nearly £2 for half a dozen (free range).
Finally, the alcohol section is appalling. They sell naff all, and the stuff they do sell is cheap plonk. Except it’s not cheap, it’s really really expensive. It’s just rubbish. Convenience my arse (damnit, I nearly made it too).