Christmas 2022

Windigo said:
I bought that Bonne maman one too now.. can't miss out on those jams! Better late than never..
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This is our third year buying one, and I bought this while MrsT was away. I thought she'd give me some grief about it, but when she saw it, she was quite happy.

So...I always talk about "Kroger," "the big Kroger," "the international market," and "the gourmet shop." I first saw that calendar this year at the gourmet shop, and it was $40US. I knew I'd be going to the international market at some point, so I skipped on it. Went there last week with my nephew-in-law, and it was $24.

That's how much they mark stuff up at the gourmet place. I don't mind it when I'm getting something I can't get anywhere else, but not when I can get the same thing elsewhere. The funny thing is, I'll probably see these at a place like Ollie's (deep discount/overstock store) in January for $7!
 
TastyReuben said:
This is our third year buying one, and I bought this while MrsT was away. I thought she'd give me some grief about it, but when she saw it, she was quite happy.

So...I always talk about "Kroger," "the big Kroger," "the international market," and "the gourmet shop." I first saw that calendar this year at the gourmet shop, and it was $40US. I knew I'd be going to the international market at some point, so I skipped on it. Went there last week with my nephew-in-law, and it was $24.

That's how much they mark stuff up at the gourmet place. I don't mind it when I'm getting something I can't get anywhere else, but not when I can get the same thing elsewhere. The funny thing is, I'll probably see these at a place like Ollie's (deep discount/overstock store) in January for $7!
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The 24 is the right price, I just payed 27 including 3 euro's transport Costs. So your international market doesn't mark it up after the first batch then!
International stores here easily charge twice the original price too.
 
Windigo said:
Are these really worth so much money though? Is the quality that outstanding? ( I have never been to Harrods)
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Pure value for money...no, not even close.

However, as it is with so many things in life, it's "the experience," I suppose is how I'd phrase it, that has to be factored in as well, and that will differ from person to person. For us, it was worth every penny. I was just telling MrsT this morning that I know it's pricey for what we got, but that I really look forward to getting a "luxury" Christmas hamper every year - even if we do give it to ourselves! :laugh:

I may try, if I can remember, to price everything out at the other end of the spectrum - my local Kroger in town. Of course, something like clotted cream fudge, I won't be able to get at Kroger, but I'll substitute something in. I can probably do it all for $35, not counting the nifty basket.
 
TastyReuben said:
Pure value for money...no, not even close.

However, as it is with so many things in life, it's "the experience," I suppose is how I'd phrase it, that has to be factored in as well, and that will differ from person to person. For us, it was worth every penny. I was just telling MrsT this morning that I know it's pricey for what we got, but that I really look forward to getting a "luxury" Christmas hamper every year - even if we do give it to ourselves! :laugh:

I may try, if I can remember, to price everything out at the other end of the spectrum - my local Kroger in town. Of course, something like clotted cream fudge, I won't be able to get at Kroger, but I'll substitute something in. I can probably do it all for $35, not counting the nifty basket.
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I do want to add that the quality of the items is very good, it's just that it's not $135 good, which is what we paid for that (including shipping). You have to factor in the cost of the delight in getting it. Delight ain't cheap! :wink:
 
TastyReuben said:
I do want to add that the quality of the items is very good, it's just that it's not $135 good, which is what we paid for that (including shipping). You have to factor in the cost of the delight in getting it. Delight ain't cheap! :wink:
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Right I was a little dissapointed with what it truly turned out to be.
It certainly looks beautiful and I get you on ' the experience ' but I feel less bad about not being able to afford it now.
I could theoretically, but rather spend that on a hotel then.
 
Windigo said:
International stores here easily charge twice the original price too.
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The international market here is sort of unique compared to other stores we have here that brand themselves that way. The owner is a true eccentric, and going to one of the two locations is as much about going to an attraction as it is going food shopping.

What I like about it is that it's first and foremost a fully-stocked regular American grocery store, so I could go in there and do my weekly shopping if I chose to. On top of that, though, are all the specialty sections that make it "international," and it's not just typical things you'd expect here, like Mexican and Chinese...they have sections for Bulgaria and Paraguay as well, and so many other countries around the world. We (obviously) like their British section, and that alone is the size of something like a Sainsbury Local or a bigger Tesco Express, and it's especially nice because they do have a good frozen section as well, it's not just tea and chocolates and biscuits.

Where they really excel, though, is in their fresh stuff - their deli is massive, the cheese section goes on for days, an olive bar that's 3X what we have at the big Kroger, same thing with a dedicated salsa bar, and their fruit and veg section is as big as a regular entire supermarket. Throw in a huge meat department and an in-store bakery that's bigger than most standalone bakeries, and it's a place you could spend a couple of days at, easily (there are restaurants and a bar inside as well - their alcohol department is equally large).

All that said is to point out that their prices are very reasonable. Their regular American groceries are on par with Kroger or Walmart, for example. Now, do they have dried hams imported from Italy that cost $130/pound? Yes, but they're the only ones here who do, and it's nice to have that option. Is their British stuff a bit more than it would cost in the UK? Yes, but not as much more as you'd expect, and they're having it shipped here. I get our PG Tips tea there, and it's a helluva lot less expensive than the PG Tips I can get at Kroger.
 
TastyReuben said:
I do want to add that the quality of the items is very good, it's just that it's not $135 good, which is what we paid for that (including shipping). You have to factor in the cost of the delight in getting it. Delight ain't cheap! :wink:
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Ok, so for fun, shopping from my sofa, I’ve assembled a somewhat comparable hamper:

Chocolate almonds from Walmart - $6…but they’re not mixed chocolate, like the Harrods ones.
Coffee from Kroger - $5.50, but Kroger gives me 3oz more.
Earl Grey from Kroger - $6.50, and its Twinings.
Chocolate biscuits - $5, but I couldn’t find a true equivalent, so I went with chocolate-covered Oreos from Kroger, and I got 75g more.
Shortbread - $4 from Kroger, and I got 25g more.
Strawberry jam - $5 from Kroger (Bonne Maman).
Clotted cream fudge - $20 from Walmart, of all places.
Wicker basket - $14 from Walmart.

Total cost…$66, I think, so close enough to call it half as much, and more than I expected, actually. That fudge really did me in.

Some items I could have gotten considerably cheaper (and in larger amounts) if I’d done this with price as my main objective instead of trying to match amounts/weights of items. The jam, for example - I could have gotten nearly twice as much Smucker’s jam for half the price of the Bonne Maman.
 
TastyReuben said:
The international market here is sort of unique compared to other stores we have here that brand themselves that way. The owner is a true eccentric, and going to one of the two locations is as much about going to an attraction as it is going food shopping.

What I like about it is that it's first and foremost a fully-stocked regular American grocery store, so I could go in there and do my weekly shopping if I chose to. On top of that, though, are all the specialty sections that make it "international," and it's not just typical things you'd expect here, like Mexican and Chinese...they have sections for Bulgaria and Paraguay as well, and so many other countries around the world. We (obviously) like their British section, and that alone is the size of something like a Sainsbury Local or a bigger Tesco Express, and it's especially nice because they do have a good frozen section as well, it's not just tea and chocolates and biscuits.

Where they really excel, though, is in their fresh stuff - their deli is massive, the cheese section goes on for days, an olive bar that's 3X what we have at the big Kroger, same thing with a dedicated salsa bar, and their fruit and veg section is as big as a regular entire supermarket. Throw in a huge meat department and an in-store bakery that's bigger than most standalone bakeries, and it's a place you could spend a couple of days at, easily (there are restaurants and a bar inside as well - their alcohol department is equally large).

All that said is to point out that their prices are very reasonable. Their regular American groceries are on par with Kroger or Walmart, for example. Now, do they have dried hams imported from Italy that cost $130/pound? Yes, but they're the only ones here who do, and it's nice to have that option. Is their British stuff a bit more than it would cost in the UK? Yes, but not as much more as you'd expect, and they're having it shipped here. I get our PG Tips tea there, and it's a helluva lot less expensive than the PG Tips I can get at Kroger.
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We have a chain of stores in Texas called Fiesta. It is a Mexican-American supermarket (supermercado) that is the size of a Walmart. They have all the normal supermarket stuff, but they also have a very large selection of Mexican foods and drinks. The produce department is fantastic -- Mexican Americans demand good produce.

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CD
 
Henceforth, I shall be referring to my seasonal hampers as my “Christmas wicker.”

93571
 
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