Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Dear Stan, Regarding Shilpa's shopping list. Have you ever bought Heinz ketchup? If yes, can you believe it to be available for 225 fils for 513gm - be it Lulu or on the moon? And, Lux dishwasher liquid at Geant- 500ml for 180 fils?
I am ready to reward Shilpa BD100 if she brings the same items from Lulu and Geant along with the authentic till receipts.
Please do not defend these mistakes by saying 'at the time' she went shopping. Every week it appears that the prices published are only at the time when Shilpa visits!
Kapil K. Batra, by email.
Dear Stan,
I refer to the weekly shopping basket published in GulfWeekly which has definitely served the cause of the consumers over the last few months in these increasingly expensive times.
Over recent weeks I have noticed that both Geant and Lulu have gone to great lengths to undercut each other's prices.
Regrettably, I personally visited both Geant and Lulu last Thursday and to my surprise at least six items from the shopping basket were not available on the shelves.
It is my opinion that both hypermarkets are in effect fooling consumers by creating an impression of being cheap when in fact the products are not available. I am marking a copy of this letter to the consumer protection directorate in the hope that they will act swiftly.
Uma, by fax.
Editor's note: We like a challenge at GulfWeekly - Shilpa returned to the shops and the items were delivered to Kapil as requested. I insisted he kept the reward as Shilpa spends enough time shopping as it is!
However, it must be pointed out that the shelves were empty of the dishwashing liquid and Shilpa had to ask a member of staff to go to the back storeroom to get her the item. This was not the case prior to publication.
When questioned about the concerns of our readers the store staff at both outlets said that as soon as GulfWeekly is delivered to homes, readers flock to pick up the best-priced items and once they are sold out they have to await for further deliveries to arrive.
One store also encountered a man filling a trolley-load of low-priced items and believe he may be selling them on at a higher price from his cold store.
Dear Stan,
I think Marie-Claire completely missed the point in her article in the GulfWeekly (May 7-13), for instead of defending the Indian population and the need for her to recite her three fact points which most well informed persons are well aware about she should have taken the 'fight' to Bush.
It is Bush who wants the world to turn food crops into Ethanol so that the US can reduce its importation of very expensive crude oil which is harming the population's American Dream to carry on driving 'gas guzzling' pollution making cars.
It's nothing to do with the reduction of harmful emissions, as that is being addressed by the EPA and vehicle manufactures through improvements in engine technology efficiencies and offering smaller less polluting cars.
Bush's comments about Food read Ethanol is a purely political position he makes to the government and the American people at large so they can continue to enjoy their lifestyle at the expensive of the impoverished countries which is where the main impact of high food prices and lack of food is causing so much misery.
I think Marie-Claire had an opportunity to write about the bigger global picture as I have briefly outlined rather than making it an Indian promotional article.
Kind regards
Howard Hancock
Tel: + 973 1775 0862
P. O. Box 25351 Awali - Bahrain
Editor's note: The point Marie-Claire was trying to make was that preconceived feelings about certain people can make one misjudge the comments they make.
