Are supermarkets profiteering in this recession ?

A question about : Are supermarkets profiteering in this recession ?

If everyone is shopping more carefully why are they still posting higher profits in their most recent returns, this is my example, I used to buy in Asda a fairly large washing up liquid in their smart price range and it was 13 pence, it is now half the quantity for 43 pence, has washing up liquid suddenly shot up in price due to massive rises in fuel prices ?

Or are they also ripping us off like a lot of other companies ?

Best answers:

• Running a business and making a profit (and keeping employees in work) is not profiteering or ripping customers off.
  Untangling genuine increases (exchange rates and raw commodities and fuel) and having to restrict loss leaders (if too many people choose only them and don't buy anything else) will result in complications and a need to be wary for everyone.
  None of this makes supermarkets bad. Their customers were happy enough to celebrate their remorselessness when they had access to credit.
• People/shoppers forget that theres other people involved when a price increase happens, theres all the staff at the factory that makes the products, theres the drivers who deliver the items to make the products, all these people plus more need to be payed so they can eat etc
• I know the price of wine has gone up massively recently, brands that were Ј3 to Ј4 are Ј7 to Ј9....
• Then there are the people who benefit from the profits of the supermarkets, such as those who:
  own their shares
  are in pension schemes which hold their shares
  receive public services such as health or education paid for out of the taxes on profits
  receive benefits or pensions paid out of the taxes on profits
  pay less tax than they would if the supermarkets didn't contribute
• Again Supermarkets are a business, it may be an Oligopoly, but it is not a monopoply, you have a choice where to shop, Remember these are business's, they are not here to provide a charity they are here to make money. If you dont like the prices that you pay then dont shop there!
  sorry if this sounds harsh, it does not mean to be, it is just simple facts!
• I personally want to know why supermarkets charge more in some areas than others. We live in what is meant to be a more prosperous area which actually means an area where council tax is high, house prices and therefore mortgages are high (yes, even now) and rent is also sky high.
  We are in effect subsidising people that live in cheaper areas with lower council tax, houseprices, mortgages and rent.
  In effect we have a high cost of living, they have a low cost of living and we are paying for their cheaper groceries.
  It does not equalise things at all, it is a painful inequity that is serving to ensure that we become broke whilst the other areas prosper at our cost.
• What logic?
  The answer is in the post itself, more expensive areas and higher councild tax also equaters to higher business rates higher wages (so the employees can pay the higher cost of living etc, the employers (in this case supermarkeets have higher costs so HAVE to charge higher prices otherwise its the poorer people living in less afluent areas that are subsidising the wealthier people.
• these supermarkets are making a profit because people need to buy food