Choose quality products
WHEN it comes to groceries shopping Joshua John does not only place a lot of emphasis on healthy choices but on the quality of products as well.
With better quality, Mr John says you have a higher nutrient content and better value for your dollars as opposed to its alternatives.
“It may cost a bit more than the cheaper brands but it’s a small price to pay to ensure that your family gets the best,” he said.
Groceries shopping for the family of four are done weekly depending on what his family needs.
Mr John says he prefers to shop at Extra Supermarket in Flagstaff and Newworld Supermarket even though he lives in Lami.
“I’m not close to any of their outlets but I don’t mind the drive because the shopping experience is usually worth it.
“Apart from being clean supermarkets to shop in, I like the range of grocery products that they sell and the prices are affordable.
“They have brands that my family have always known and brands that are new and upcoming – so we get an experience every time we shop.
“They sell better quality goods than that of their competitors. This will boost customer confidence in the supermarket chains knowing that they can get good, long-lasting products no matter where they shop and help keep the competition interesting on the retail front.”
Mr John says their shopping list every month includes rice, tinned foods, eggs, toiletries, cleaning supplies, breakfast crackers, teas and coffees, milk, vegies and frozen food – which are more or less an item from every aisle in the entire shop.
He said they usually shopped together as a family but since the pandemic, he has been shopping on his own.
“Before the pandemic, it was a family affair so I take my wife and children along for the trip.
“We bust budget usually but at least we spend quality time together.
“Post pandemic, I do the shopping on my own because a lot of shops don’t allow children and I don’t want to risk my children’s safety having them travel around the place.”
Mr John said he usually spent $100 every week on groceries and placed a lot of emphasis on quality products.
He says choosing quality over quantity was important because the higher the nutrient content the better the value.
Mr John advised shoppers to teach their children and the upcoming generation about sensible shopping and understanding how to have good taste and purchasing goods that last.
“Always look for marked specials at your favourite supermarkets. You can save quite a bit when you take advantage of these markdowns but pay attention to the expiry dates because that’s usually where the catch is. “Inspect your product well before you put it in your trolley to avoid disappointment later on.
And make friends with people in the shops – you can get pretty good advice and tip-offs on specials apart from expanding your network of contacts.”
He says some of the changes he hopes to see in local supermarkets is for them to expand their reach in terms of quality brands.
“I think the supermarkets here in Fiji are doing a great job being resilient and providing healthy competition for one another.
“It gives customers like me the confidence to know that our needs are paramount to them and that we can expect an experience every time we visit the shops.
“Throughout the pandemic, I was happy to see that the supermarkets still went out of their way to provide an undeterred shopping experience for their customers while balancing COVID-19 protocols so kudos to the supermarket chains for doing that.”