Secrets of Supercheap Shopping Season 1 Episode 3

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Transcript

00:00For decades, the big-name supermarkets have dominated the high street.

00:06A weekly shop for us is, like, way more than it was last year.

00:10But now the game has changed.

00:13Wallets are shrinking.

00:15Do you like a bargain? Like, is that a question that anybody needs to seriously answer?

00:20And prices are soaring.

00:22It's scary when I'm walking up to the tills.

00:25Enter the discount disruptors.

00:28We take on the supermarkets by removing the friction.

00:32It's Christmas!

00:34Cost-a-living crisis, it's affecting everybody.

00:37And we try and make it a little less painful.

00:40It's all about being cheaper than everyone else.

00:44They're making your shopping seductive.

00:47We'll take it to marketing and they will start to sexify it.

00:50Catching your eyeline by-line.

00:52This is what's known as a shopper stopper.

00:54And tantalising your taste buds with the latest trend jacking.

00:57We sold 30,000 last week. Finger on the buzzer.

01:01Shall we be told?

01:03Eh?

01:06I order from here.

01:07From budget brilliance.

01:09See these milkshakes for the kids, they're a bargain.

01:11To next big things.

01:13This one is an all-time cracker.

01:15They're taking us beyond the shelves.

01:17Unlike the supermarkets, we're no fancy shelving, we're no big signs.

01:21It's no frills of us.

01:22And behind the scenes.

01:23This is where it all happens.

01:26It's a box of six bars for a panic.

01:29Yeah, I like it.

01:30To reveal the secrets of super cheap shopping.

01:34The bigger the sign, the cheaper the price, the more it's going to sell.

01:40You can beat the supermarkets.

01:47Coming up, a bulk buying warehouse where best before means bargain, not bin it.

01:53I love it.

01:54For me, it's a thrill in the chase of the next product.

01:56Can I get that product cheaper?

01:57Can I get a bargain for our customers?

01:59Can I put a smile on someone's face?

02:02And the discount retailer with plenty to say about his latest giveaway.

02:06Keep filling up your basket, get to the 75 quid, and you'll then hit the next freebie.

02:11Just keep on going, basically.

02:13The more you spend, the more we'll give you.

02:21With living costs at an all-time high, everyone's looking to save a buck or two.

02:26It's difficult.

02:27Too expensive.

02:28Too expensive life.

02:29Yeah.

02:30People don't get that much money to spend a guy.

02:33When I go in with, like, about £40 or that, I don't come out with nothing.

02:38But it's not just us shoppers who are feeling the squeeze.

02:41I feel like the items are getting smaller and you're paying more money.

02:45So, yeah, I don't think there's much value for money.

02:50With operational outgoings like wages, rent and shipping costs on the increase,

02:55retailers have to work hard to stay ahead.

02:58But one crafty company is breaking the mould.

03:03In Stockport, one retailer is taking on the supermarkets by using a variety of clever tactics to keep their outgoings low.

03:16Rogers Wholesale have a no-frills approach and flog best-before-delights at a fraction of the cost.

03:22Welcome to Rogers Wholesale right here in Manchester.

03:25If you've never been to the UK's biggest-gone-pass accessible warehouse before, where have you been?

03:30Get down and see us.

03:31By tapping into the power of social media and word-of-mouth,

03:34they have grown to become the largest wholesaler of their kind in the UK.

03:39And MD Mark King has even more plans afoot to bulk up his brands.

03:44This is our brand-new warehouse.

03:47This adds to our other three warehouses that we've got, obviously, in Poole, Plymouth and Wolverhampton.

03:53And the King's Empire seems to be growing and growing.

03:57We are looking to open another two warehouses, hopefully, within the next six months.

04:00With the cost-of-living crisis going on and it getting harder and harder for people, more and more people need these places.

04:07I'll bet you any money these are about 80 pence in the shops, all right?

04:10Not with Rogers, don't forget. Ignore the date, grab a bargain. That's what it's all about, all right?

04:15Basically, I used to work for somebody, we used to sell cheese.

04:19And we used to go out and buy cheeses from different places.

04:22We would go to them and they would basically look up and say,

04:25Well, look, I've got this fantastic cheese and it's 18 months past mature now, so it's basically a vintage cheddar.

04:31Have a try.

04:32We would try it and it would be absolutely fantastic.

04:34When we then took it back to our facility and then started cutting it up,

04:37the law states, obviously, that once you then put it down, we could only put three months' date on it.

04:41So it was really, really frustrating because often what it meant was there was a lot of work.

04:44And what it meant was there was a lot of wastage around that.

04:46And a date-driven discounting empire was born.

04:49What it did make me think was, well, hang on, if this is how this is now on this product,

04:54what about all the other products, especially products that are ambient and things like that,

04:57then this whole thing's a bit silly.

05:00It's all about the APs. That's ambient products, you know.

05:04They're the cool kids of food. They can sit in your cupboard and chill till you need them.

05:09Mark's built a business that aims to fight food waste, champion common sense and help customers snack smarter.

05:18So my philosophy with, obviously, best before is the three E's.

05:22So it's educate. So we're educating people about the product.

05:25And then it's obviously to eradicate. So we're obviously trying to stop this from going to landfill.

05:29And then enjoy because it's such a cheap price. Why wouldn't you then enjoy it?

05:33It's quite catchy that, Mark.

05:35But it's not just traditional dry cupboard staples that are safe beyond their best before date.

05:40So this is a really interesting one with mayonnaise in terms of education,

05:43because people get really worried about this kind of product because of obviously having eggs in it.

05:47So this actually, though, is a pasteurised product. And because it's an ambient product,

05:51it can effectively last weeks, months past its best before date.

05:55So even though it contains eggs, it can last up to a year after its best before date.

06:00And it's not just food that's packed onto pallets.

06:03What's the use by on water?

06:05Well, of course, when water comes out the ground in spring, I believe, and you might have to fact check me,

06:10it's about four million years old when it comes out the ground.

06:13But when we put it in a bottle, it's only got like six months best before date.

06:18Does it sound mad? It does to me.

06:24But as mad as it may seem, it's the way it's packaged rather than the product itself that dictates the best before date.

06:31Whilst in the early days, Mark catered mainly for large families looking to buy in bulk,

06:36in recent years, he's noticed a shift in the type of shoppers seeking a snip.

06:41And he calls them jams.

06:44And I don't think he means the kind you spread on toast.

06:47One of the biggest customers that we have is the jams.

06:49So they're just about managing people.

06:50So these are generally people who have a job, two kids, really, really struggling at the moment,

06:56not really getting help with benefits, can't use places like food banks and things like that.

07:00But the great thing about Rogers is anybody can come and shop here.

07:04So they can come and shop with us and still be able to pay things like their mortgage,

07:07their electric bill, their ever-growing council tax bills and things like that.

07:11And that's the feedback that we're getting all the time.

07:1460 quid and you've got, like, one and a half carrier bags and you're like,

07:25what have I got for 60 quid? I've got nothing.

07:27It's just impossible to live, you know, for heating and electric and all that.

07:32For many, buying in large quantities is the perfect solution.

07:36Well, we've seen the Kenco coffee.

07:39Oops, careful, Larry.

07:43Here's what we've come for.

07:45Six of these, I think.

07:47Lighting loads of this cappuccino.

07:51You'll be dancing on the ceiling with all that coffee.

07:54Costs you what? That could cost...

07:56Yeah, that would cost me a tenner.

07:58I'm saving at least four quid.

08:00So it's that kind of class, isn't it?

08:02But these bulk buy bonanzas weren't always a big enough draw.

08:06In the early days, no-one would come anywhere near us.

08:08You know, I was seen as a bit of a maverick and a nutcase, you know,

08:11and now people trust and know the brand.

08:14How you doing now? You all right? Morning. How you doing? You all right there? How's it going?

08:18Seems like Mark's charm and discount food eventually won the naysayers' round.

08:23These customers, they come to me, they know me.

08:26They even stop me in town. They stop me in coffee shops.

08:28That used to happen to me all the time when I was in Corrie.

08:31How you doing, folks? You all right? Morning. Good.

08:33Yeah, not bad, not bad. I love it.

08:35For me, it's a thrill in the chase of the next product.

08:37Can I get that product cheaper? Can I get a bargain for our customers?

08:40Can I put a smile on someone's face?

08:42I think that, that's a thrill for me.

08:4820 miles up the road...

08:53..another discount disruptor has devised their own ways

08:56to sidestep soaring costs.

09:01Online retailer Discount Dragon deliver delicious deals

09:05to bargain-hungry families across the country.

09:08They keep prices low by buying in surplus and end-of-line products

09:14that might otherwise have ended up in landfill.

09:17Saving waste as well as our wallet.

09:19What's not to love?

09:23Rule number one, it's got to be a major brand.

09:25Do I think that would work as a special offer? Yes, absolutely.

09:28Every household needs it.

09:30Probably, what, five, six quid in the supermarket.

09:33They're coming on the website, they're seeing it all,

09:35spend 40 quid and get it for free.

09:43Unlike many discounters, the company have no physical stores

09:46and all the sales are done through their website.

09:48Yeah, you're in a good mood.

09:49Yeah, why wouldn't I be? It's Tuesday.

09:52Every week, it's down to MD Wayne to pick the offers

09:55that will hit his online shelves.

09:57And one of his secrets for stealing supermarket customers

10:00is spaving.

10:02Hmm, that's a new one for me too.

10:04So one of our regular offers is the spend and gets that we do.

10:08I believe this is often referred to as spaving.

10:10We call it spend and get.

10:11It does what it says on the tin.

10:13You'll spend to get there, absolutely,

10:15but then you're going to get your freebie.

10:17These are to encourage a bigger basket,

10:20make the average order value bigger.

10:22And I just think it has generally a feel-good factor.

10:25You know, who doesn't like something for free?

10:27You've definitely caught my attention.

10:29There's actually three live at any one time.

10:31So the first one will get you free delivery.

10:34The second one we bring in at 40 quid,

10:36spend 40 quid and get your beauty set worth 13.50.

10:40Then we have a higher tier one, spend 100 quid.

10:42At the moment is this whisky gift set worth 48.25.

10:47So all in all, if you're spending 100 quid with us right now,

10:50you're hovering around 68, 69 pounds saving.

10:54That's your spaving for today,

10:56your spending and your saving.

10:59But even at bargain basement prices,

11:01some customers aren't always happy with what they get.

11:05So Zara has been brought in to Oversea Returns

11:08and she's heading up her very own department of one.

11:13Hi there, my name's Zara.

11:14I'm giving you a call from Discount Dragon.

11:16You recently made an order with us.

11:18I'm just making sure you get what you want.

11:20You're part of the bargain and then we make sure we're doing our job.

11:24No worries. Thank you. Take care. Bye-bye.

11:27Here we go. Positive outcome.

11:29But customer satisfaction isn't Zara's only motivation.

11:33Yeah, please, and then just let me know.

11:35I've got this job because I've got responsibilities now.

11:39I'm in my motherhood era.

11:41I'm a bunny mummy.

11:46This is Brambo.

11:48And then that's Elvis.

11:53She's a female called Elvis because she's got a quiff.

11:57Oh, lovely hair. See what I did there?

12:00On the factory floor, Wayne's checking out the latest stock

12:04and deciding what might tempt customers

12:06to part with their pennies in this week's spaving promotion.

12:10Ah, right, half walk. Ah, right.

12:13Right, all right, no worries.

12:15The spending get at £40 generally does the best for us.

12:18And now what we've also started doing is layering on another one at £75,

12:21so spend your £40, get the beauty bundle

12:24or whatever it may be on offer that day.

12:26And setting thresholds like this is known as anchoring

12:30because, given the option, we feel anchored to spend £50 to save a tenner.

12:34Be a waste of money not to, eh?

12:37Keep going, keep going, keep filling up your basket,

12:39get to the £75 and you'll then hit the next freebie.

12:42Just keep on going, basically.

12:44The more you spend, the more we'll give you.

12:48We might be sick of seeing Easter eggs in January,

12:51Halloween spooks in June and Christmas biscuits in August,

12:54but Wayne's team buy and sell seasonal goods all year round

12:58to save their customers money.

13:01Ironically, we're in the middle of summer.

13:03It's a festive mixed pack and you might say,

13:05well, will people buy Christmas beer in the summer?

13:08Let me tell you, yes, they do.

13:10You can see here there's really only one heavily featured Christmas item,

13:14but what would happen to this if we weren't buying it?

13:17Well, I think there's a high chance it's getting poured down a sink, basically.

13:21I believe they are earmarked to go on a spend and get in the next few days

13:26and I would expect that once that comes and goes, these are all gone.

13:29But if shoppers don't go for it,

13:31Wayne could be stuck with a warehouse full of unwanted Christmas cheer.

13:35Coming up, the daddy of discount is branching out.

13:42I still get a buzz out of seeing this new store operation

13:46and in my lifetime I've probably opened at least 400 stores.

13:50Wayne's wishlist of boozy bargains.

13:52We've got vodka one, vodka two.

13:55Then on the bench we've got the Prosecco and so only alcohol.

13:59Yup.

14:00And the cup price king shares his secrets of the super cheap.

14:05Keep it simple. Keep it so that the customer gets it.

14:08Keep it so the customer can understand

14:09and they know what they're going to get for their money.

14:11Keep it simple, stupid.

14:13Across the nation, baskets are getting smaller but shopping bills bigger.

14:25Just astronomical, honest to God, it's going up every week.

14:30You go in, prices are changing all the time.

14:33It's just getting to a point where you can't afford half the stuff.

14:36The traditional multiple retailers are quite expensive

14:39so if you shop around you can save quite a lot of money.

14:43Opening at a rate of roughly 19 stores per year since they launched in 2019,

14:53One Beyond have become the UK's fastest growing retailer of their kind.

14:59And over at their Barnsley warehouse,

15:02preparations are in full swing for the launch of their latest branch

15:05in Belle Vale near Liverpool.

15:08All what you see here is going to a shop, one shop,

15:11and it gets put in a row, ready to go.

15:13But no shop is profitable without customers.

15:17So local printer, Neil Ebbage...

15:27Are we filming now? Yeah. Are we?

15:29It's helping create a buzz with some in-store collateral.

15:37That's flyers to you and me.

15:39So this will make an A3 sheet, and then once it goes up to the folder,

15:43it'll fold it in half into an A4 sheet.

15:45If you saw it, you'd think, oh yeah, it's quite nice as that,

15:47instead of like a dull colour, flat colour.

15:49Do you know, cos that's quite a distinctive blue,

15:51and it's got a bright yellow, so it stands out, it punches out, out, yeah.

15:55So quite glossy, quite bright, and it just draws attention.

15:59And there's a paddling pool on that page, £9.99, 28 degrees, bargain.

16:05Unfortunately, we've got no spike band on,

16:07so I don't know how you're going to film them up.

16:09And whilst he cracks on with spreading the word,

16:12one A3 sheet at a time,

16:14Chairman Chris Edwards is overseeing the new shop fitting plans

16:18at his 250,000-square-foot distribution centre.

16:24Just add leaflets, guys. New store, open it.

16:28Hot off the press, the new marketing materials have arrived.

16:32This is just one of the leaflets that we do for every new shop.

16:36And this is one that's happening in Belleville, near Liverpool.

16:41And what we've got is just a very broad section of what we sell.

16:45A lot of stuff is just for a pound,

16:47and we hand these out in the shopping centre where the store is.

16:51And very rarely do we ever not open a store with a queue.

16:54You know, people are curious

16:56because of the kind of store that it is, which is a mixed bag.

16:59And the hope is that by tempting customers in with discount deals,

17:03their average basket spend will increase,

17:06which helps cover the costs of their cheaper items.

17:09A lot of this on this leaflet, a lot of it is food and sweets,

17:12but we do, obviously, that's only a small proportion.

17:15And while they're in there buying this sort of stock,

17:17they're in there buying a charger or batteries or all the other stuff we sell.

17:23So it's all just part of what we do.

17:25I still get a buzz out of seeing this new store operation and what we've done.

17:30And in my lifetime, I've probably opened at least 400 stores, maybe nearly 500 stores.

17:37But it's still seen when you see the new leaflet, you see the date on it,

17:40and you're here again, you're still doing it.

17:42It stops you getting bored.

17:44Supply chain coordinator, Philippa, has been charged with sorting the FFE.

17:50That's fixtures, fittings and equipment.

17:52Hiya.

17:53You all right?

17:54Just looking for stock.

17:56Is it any stock being picked for Bell Bale here, yeah?

17:58This is all your POS bits.

18:00Right.

18:01So your till rolls and stuff like that.

18:03Edders.

18:04Just everything you need for the shop that's not the sellable bits.

18:08So some of this is your shopping baskets, your shelving.

18:12Then the delivery of the stock starts.

18:14And they probably will need about five or six deliveries to fill a shop up.

18:19I think this is going out on Tuesday.

18:20So later this week, this will all get moved on to dispatch,

18:23ready to go onto a wagon straight down to Bell Vale.

18:26In the main, we can take the keys of a shop, get it shop fit,

18:29get it filled up with stock in opening within somewhere between two and three weeks.

18:34And with hundreds of shops under his belt, the process of opening shops is easy peasy.

18:40It's just an event.

18:42We just get on with it and it happens.

18:44And I'm good to say, I'm on the outside looking in and say,

18:47oh, it just happens.

18:49People like this work their heart out to make it happen.

18:54And Philippa's not the only one working her heart out.

18:59Back in Wigan, Wayne's crunching the numbers

19:02and working out which products they can afford to feature

19:05in this week's spaving promotion.

19:07Obviously, when you're giving an item away for free,

19:12you know, there's a cost involved to that to the business.

19:15We don't get these items for free.

19:17We buy them in the same way that we buy any item on the website.

19:20We'll have a planning meeting, which I'm going to have shortly,

19:22and let's get the next seven days planned together.

19:26And whilst he's preparing for his meeting,

19:29rookie Sara is still finding a way round the cavernous 40,000-foot warehouse

19:34and it's stacked to the rafters with bargain bounty.

19:38This is all the stock, all the pickers, the packers.

19:43I've done, like, stock-taking and stuff, but I've never worked on this scale.

19:49Yeah, it seems absolutely massive to me.

19:53There's just pallets and pallets of items and products and everything.

19:58Known as mass procurement, the huge variety of stock sometimes tempts the staff

20:03as well as the customers.

20:05I do want to try that new mayonnaise, what I've just seen.

20:08Monster munch. I'd like to try that.

20:12There might be a huge warehouse to choose from, but for Wayne and Tom,

20:16deciding which items to promote in their spaving deal takes careful consideration.

20:21Right, I just wanted to see the plan for the spending gets this week.

20:26Obviously, we need one at 40 quid, and then 75 to 100,

20:31cos the whisky did really well at 100, didn't it?

20:33Yeah.

20:34Higher-end spaving products create the free effect

20:37and feel like a bargain that's too good to miss.

20:41But if the freebie doesn't land with the punters,

20:43all the planning and marketing is wasted manpower.

20:47We discussed on the call this morning the marmalade vodka.

20:50Yeah, worth a go.

20:51Yeah, we've got the marmalade vodka.

20:53Erm...

20:54I don't know what else we've got.

20:55It's the high-end, it's so hard to fill.

20:57You've got that vodka there.

20:59Yeah, that's a good one.

21:00My only concern is that when it's two vodkas, if it fails,

21:05do you want to put another vodka in there,

21:07knowing that the first one failed?

21:10We've still got the Prosecco in.

21:11They're on the Subs bench.

21:13Are they warming up?

21:14Are they warming up?

21:15The Prosecco's been warming up for a couple of weeks now.

21:18Warm face?

21:19Oh, that'll never catch on, Wayne.

21:21He just can't get a game, can he?

21:22I know, yeah.

21:23He's trying his hardest.

21:24I'd go with the marmalade vodka.

21:27If that flops, I'd bring that off the bench before the other vodka.

21:30That's a £75 thrust, yeah?

21:31Yeah.

21:32Yeah.

21:33Just to wrap it all up and sum it up,

21:34we've got vodka one, vodka two,

21:36then on the bench we've got the Prosecco,

21:39so only alcohol for now.

21:40I think with that plan, with the stock levels as well,

21:42that should cover us for the rest of the week.

21:44You might want to add some paracetamol to that list.

21:51Meanwhile, in Stockport,

21:53Rogers have a totally different approach to discount Dragon.

21:56Instead of marketing and sexifying goods online,

21:59their warehouse is open to buyers who can come and grab what they want.

22:04But this is not your usual supermarket shopping experience.

22:08We're no fancy shelving, we're no big signs,

22:10there's no frills of us.

22:12It's literally left on the pallet.

22:14Products are actually made to sit in warehouses

22:16for quite a long, long time.

22:18That's why we can manage to keep it cheap, keep it simple,

22:21and also still pay the overheads.

22:23We have no music playing,

22:25because we don't want to pay for an expensive PRS licence.

22:27Keeping costs low is music to my ears.

22:31Well, not in this case.

22:33We don't have any heating,

22:34so in the winter you need to wear your coat,

22:36but the good thing is the drinks are chilled for free,

22:38and obviously in the summer it can be quite warm in here,

22:40we don't have air conditioning.

22:42Here, presentation is more gritty than glossy.

22:45So there's efficiencies in everything we do,

22:47because if you had to put this out on the shelf,

22:49you're going to be taking this out,

22:51you're going to be paying a member of staff to shelf stack this.

22:53We don't bother with any of that.

22:54We literally push the product into place.

22:56And this SRP, that shelf-ready packaging to you and me,

23:00offers a cheap and cheerful way to present their wares.

23:03We take out a couple so the customer can see what they're having,

23:06and it's as quick as setting the product out,

23:08showing you what you've got, and then we move on.

23:10By keeping outgoings low,

23:12his back-to-basics approach helps keep prices low.

23:16See these milkshakes for the kids, they're a bargain.

23:18Yeah, we've got cupboards full of it.

23:20Kids come round, we don't give them a milkshake,

23:22we give them a bag of it, take it home and do it yourself.

23:25Keep it simple, keep it so that the customer gets it,

23:28keep it so the customer can understand,

23:30and they know what they're going to get for their money.

23:32Keep it simple, stupid. Simple as that.

23:34And whilst customers appreciate the simple approach,

23:38his competitors have got different ideas.

23:42I don't think we're necessarily liked in the wholesaling industry,

23:44because we're not like other wholesalers,

23:46in respect that we don't need to know anything about our customer.

23:49We're not asking them to be a member,

23:50we're not asking them to shop at certain times,

23:52and you know, with us, the price you see is the price you pay.

23:55All I want to know is you come in and you've got a means of payment,

23:58and that's all I require.

23:59By tearing up the rule books,

24:01Mark is able to compete with the supermarkets,

24:04whilst others have failed.

24:06Have I broken the mould?

24:07Well, if I have, I don't know whether that makes me a genius.

24:09I don't know, I don't get it.

24:11But personally, it works for us, it works for our customers,

24:14and that's what it's about.

24:15We're open, of course, seven days a week.

24:17We will see you soon at Rogers Home Sale.

24:19Come down and see us. Thank you guys for watching.

24:21Coming up, we get the gleaners in.

24:26It's a way to use surface product.

24:29It would go to waste otherwise.

24:31Niall hits a snag, trialling the latest tech.

24:34I just noticed it says marmal, marmalade, oromet.

24:40Got to keep an eye on the wording really.

24:42AI can mess it up a little bit.

24:44And Chris reflects over his decades of discount dealing.

24:48I came across this picture.

24:51That's the original market stall where it all started.

25:02Getting your five-a-day from the big-name supermarkets

25:05doesn't come cheap,

25:07with the average Brit spending over £400 a year on fruit and veg.

25:11All the prices are going up.

25:13A tin of sweetcorn, it's £2.

25:14And, like, you could use to be able to get that for £60.

25:18The price of supermarket vegetables is too high.

25:21You're trying to encourage people to be healthy,

25:23but you're making it a little bit inaccessible for them at all.

25:26The price of them is slowly increasing,

25:28and these are stuff that, you know,

25:30we need to eat to be healthy and to have balanced diets,

25:32but we can't.

25:39One solution growing in popularity is gleaning.

25:47And clubs are springing up across the country

25:49which help connect people like me and you

25:51with farmers like Chris Molyneux.

25:53It must be at least ten years we've been gleaning now.

25:56It just helps everybody.

25:59He'll let you have his surplus crops for free,

26:02as long as you're happy to get down and dirty

26:04and pick it yourself.

26:06It's a way to use surplus products.

26:08It would go to waste otherwise.

26:13Jay Godden is the coordinator

26:15of the Gleaning Club in Lancaster.

26:17So we've seen demand kind of been steadily increasing

26:20since 2021, really.

26:22We're not a food bank.

26:24We run a membership model,

26:25so people pay a weekly fee to access what we do,

26:28but it's cheaper than the supermarket.

26:33The idea is that a lot of the kale that we've got here

26:36is not going to be harvested.

26:38There's too much of it.

26:39So we bring some volunteers in,

26:41we pick as much as we can

26:42and then we redistribute that into the community.

26:46He organises teams of volunteers

26:48to collect kale both for themselves

26:50and their fellow members.

26:55We'll be going for this curly kale.

26:58We can be pretty picky about what we're getting.

27:00Obviously, we've got like a whole acre here

27:02and we're not going to be picking all of that.

27:04So something that sort of size is probably fine

27:06at the small end,

27:08maybe that kind of at the larger end.

27:10Sounds good.

27:11OK, fun. Let's do it.

27:16It's estimated that over a million tonnes of fruit and veg

27:19is wasted each year on UK farms.

27:22I think there's about an acre and a half here we've had to leave,

27:24which isn't so bad really considering.

27:26Yeah.

27:27We've had some decent weather now.

27:28Yeah.

27:29And we've got loads of crops.

27:30And so it's the...

27:32So you have to plant,

27:33assuming that the weather's going to be bad

27:35because you still need to be making a living

27:37even if it's a bad year, don't you?

27:38So then if the weather's good...

27:39You just don't know.

27:40You just don't know.

27:41You just don't know.

27:42You can get 50 cent more or 50 per cent less

27:45or just nothing.

27:46Yeah.

27:47I mean, last year we didn't have a crop

27:48so you make sure you've got enough to cook yourself

27:49and, of course, you're guaranteed nature's going to go,

27:51do you know what?

27:52We're going to have loads this year,

27:53which is where you guys come in.

27:54Yeah.

27:55Well, we appreciate it.

27:56Yeah.

27:59For volunteers like Kath,

28:01going field to fork isn't just about filling her plate.

28:04I love coming for the gleans

28:05because it's fun to be outside and doing something useful

28:08and there are a lot of people who don't have access

28:10to good quality food for various reasons.

28:14Despite today's kale force winds,

28:17the volunteers have been outstanding in their fields.

28:21It's been a really good day today.

28:23We've already got about 30 or so crates like this, 30, 40,

28:26but the sun's out so we're going to have our sandwiches

28:29and then back to it, finish filling up the van.

28:31Whilst Chris's kale was fresh from the field,

28:38back at Butts Mill,

28:40it's freebies of a different kind on offer.

28:43AI novice Niall has been charged with designing the online promo.

28:48So I'm just doing a vodka marmalade promotion.

28:52So this is going on the free on us when you spend 85.

28:56They might have 200,000 website visitors a month,

29:00but it's all about the purchase, not the ponder.

29:03So it's down to the marketing team

29:05to make those click-grade conversions.

29:07Create an image.

29:10Similar to this, please.

29:12Similar to this, please.

29:14Always use your manners with AI,

29:16because you don't know when it's going to come back and get you.

29:18It looks like out of Madam T-shards.

29:21Have it on a white background.

29:24See what I like?

29:26Look, the detail, the water.

29:28Oh, yeah, yeah, see.

29:29The way it puts it actually on an angle yours isn't.

29:31Yeah.

29:32And the hand looks pretty good there.

29:33It might have got me, though.

29:34It might have got me.

29:35I've just noticed it says,

29:37I'm not even going to try and say this,

29:39marmalade oromet.

29:42And AI blunders like this, known as a model drift,

29:46can quickly turn designs into disasters.

29:49So, got to keep an eye on the wording, really.

29:52AI can mess it up a little bit.

29:54Who's is better?

29:55Rachel, come on.

29:57Get involved.

29:58What are we thinking?

29:59Left, me, right, AI.

30:02I actually think the first one.

30:04This one? The left one?

30:06That hand does not look real.

30:07No, no, that's the problem with AI.

30:08It's lacking in the real hand.

30:11Happy?

30:13I'm happy, yeah.

30:14I'm going to go with mine.

30:15Looks like brains have beat bites

30:17in this round of man versus machine.

30:24Whilst Niall is relying on AI to get product out the door,

30:28over in Liverpool, one beyond, accounting on customers coming through theirs.

30:33They've been popping up on our high streets and retail parks since 2019.

30:37I'm doing well.

30:39We only came in here for one thing.

30:41And we end up with half a shop.

30:43And whilst most retailers are closing their physical stores,

30:47Chairman Chris Edwards is expanding, opening about two new shops a month.

30:54We've got 100 and odd shops now and we're just making the decision,

30:58should we go forward with more shops or should we stay where we are

31:02or should we pack it in?

31:03And my boat was we'll carry on opening shops, that's the only thing I know.

31:08I haven't had no plan to retire, I couldn't think of anything worse.

31:13You've got to keep the brain cells working, otherwise you'd get all too quick.

31:18He's been brought up around his family's market stall since he was eight.

31:22It's safe to say discount dealing is in his blood.

31:25That's the original market stall where it all started.

31:29Chris's Discount, I'm very proud of that name.

31:32He looks a bit ragged.

31:33I mean, a lot of stuff on there which you can't really make out,

31:36is still in our shops to this day.

31:39The sellotape, 13 amp plugs, buckets, bowls, umbrellas,

31:43double adapters, kettles.

31:45And bear in mind that was probably the early 70s.

31:48We're still selling the same bloody stock.

31:50That's how much imagination we haven't got.

31:53Whilst Chris reminisces about the past,

31:5760 miles down the road in Liverpool, it's all about the future

32:01as Chris's latest store is just hours away from opening.

32:05You want to just concentrate on tidying all this stationery up for me,

32:08all the way down for us if you would.

32:10Just make sure it's all as it was, all the way down, yeah?

32:14They've only had two weeks to make sure the store's customer ready.

32:18Chris is coming.

32:19So, yeah, it's a bit of a pressure, but it's one unwelcoming.

32:25With everything to consider, from merchandising to staff badges,

32:29retail rollout is a massive job.

32:32Right, unfortunately, this is our office.

32:35It's not the best, but hey-ho.

32:38At the back of the house,

32:39Assistant Manager Jackie has been charged with training the 15 new starters.

32:44Has everyone got one?

32:45Got an induction pass?

32:47Before we get started, I want to say welcome to One Beyond.

32:52Absolute brilliant company to wait for.

32:54Somebody's after a pay rise.

32:56Do more till training now.

32:58That's what you're waiting for, yeah?

32:59OK.

33:00It's all hands on deck, known as snagging in retail.

33:04There's no room for hiccups.

33:06The smoother the prep, the slicker the launch.

33:09We've got more till training going on,

33:11and then we've got more inductions being done downstairs.

33:13So, by 10 o'clock, we'll be absolutely ready.

33:16And with Chris arriving any second,

33:20and scarcely any customers outside,

33:22Kev's feeling the heat.

33:24It's only early, though, isn't it?

33:25Schoolholders.

33:26Where's everybody else?

33:28It's all the girls.

33:31Just from downstairs,

33:32even in the canteen, all the toilets.

33:34Are the till coats working yet?

33:36I don't know, to be honest.

33:37I look just what I need.

33:39There's a few people here now.

33:4312 o'clock, it'll be round.

33:45Yeah, it will.

33:46With the kids being on holiday,

33:47there's a lot of families in the area, isn't there?

33:49So, everyone's going to sort of be up later,

33:50and then they'll come out shopping in the afternoon.

33:52So, it will. It'll be a slow burner,

33:53but it'll be busy in the afternoon.

33:54Yeah, it will be. Definitely.

33:55You don't sound too confident about that, Kev.

34:01Coming up, the troops arrive with a special delivery.

34:05Hail for everyone.

34:08The chief.

34:10Niall puts AI to the ultimate test.

34:14Bit of a tan.

34:15Just.

34:16Just.

34:17Make.

34:18Him.

34:19Overall.

34:20Better.

34:21And nerves are running high at the Liverpool launch day.

34:25Yeah, we're all ready to go, the looks of it.

34:27So, fingers crossed.

34:28We're going to be busy today, I hope.

34:30It's been a 40-mile trip for the kale that's been foraged by the lean, mean, gleaning machines on the Molyneux farm.

34:37Now, it's finally arrived at the Lancaster Larder Food Club.

34:38We're currently setting up tables so that our members can all sit together.

34:43We like to make it an informal place and provide cheap, accessible, healthy food for members of our local community.

34:44Managed by mighty matriarch Catherine.

35:16I've had muscles packed by the end of tonight.

35:18With up to 70 people expected through the door, she relies on her army of volunteers.

35:24Maureen.

35:25Boz.

35:26It's not usually me just doing all of this.

35:28Theresa.

35:29Boz, can I have a couple of empty green trays please?

35:31So, what's on the menu today?

35:36Kale for everyone.

35:37This week we have kale which has been gleaned.

35:41We also have mushrooms and peppers, potatoes.

35:44Lots of things that will make good, healthy food.

35:47The kale that we have is much better valued than supermarkets because here people take exactly what they need.

35:52It's often wonky, but it's always fabulous and fresh.

35:56Thanks to Jay and his glean team, the food club never quite know what fresh produce will arrive next.

36:03Every week it changes, so when the food comes in, everybody has no idea what they're going to get,

36:08so it's always a really big surprise.

36:10We have fresh tomatoes, we have celery.

36:14The club collects surplus food from local food businesses such as supermarkets, food manufacturers and wholesalers.

36:21Just all sorts of things, it's different every week.

36:24And a pick and mix of ingredients results in some inventive outcomes.

36:29We share recipes between each other.

36:31Lots of people come up with lots of ideas, including chocolate avocado cake, which went down quite well.

36:38Not a good use of avocados.

36:40Yes.

36:41Your paper this week.

36:43The centre operates on a membership basis and all for a bargain price of a fiver a week.

36:49It's much expensive for me in the supermarket, but here everything is very cheap.

36:57The value we get for our money is absolutely ridiculous, to be honest.

37:01I mean, it's enough for me to live on for the week, which is just amazing.

37:05And if you fancy getting involved, organisations like Family Action coordinate food clubs across the country.

37:12But it's not just a bargain members come for.

37:15You can socialise with everybody.

37:18You can get a cup of tea and a piece of cake and sit and talk.

37:24Five!

37:25People start calling people up so they can come and choose from what we have got this evening.

37:31Would you like some cake? Yes, please.

37:33I am getting so much food for £5.

37:37That would get me two or three items in a supermarket.

37:40I have this shopping trolley and I go home with it full.

37:44And whilst Jay's fresh kale is delighting some...

37:47Ah, perfect. Thank you very much.

37:49..others might need more convincing.

37:52I've never had kale. Ever.

37:54Well, yeah, I've been told to try it.

37:57And whilst Jay and co are a not-for-profit enterprise, 40 miles up the road in Wigan,

38:07booming business Discount Dragon are analysing theirs.

38:10Yeah, yeah.

38:11MD Wayne is nervously eyeing up the figures

38:14and working out whether his gamble on using marmalade vodka as the giveaway has paid off.

38:19I don't think it was our worst performing one considering it was so niche.

38:22It just kind of performed right down the middle.

38:26And maybe the wrong time of year for that.

38:28You know, that could be more festive, the orange thing.

38:33So we brought the marmalade vodka in at the £85 threshold.

38:38So we took whisky off and we brought marmalade vodka in.

38:41And we saw on the 8th of July when we brought it in

38:43that our average orders over £100 were 4.5%.

38:48And compared to our average orders over £100 with the whisky which was 8%.

38:52So we quickly took the marmalade vodka off and put the whisky back on

38:55because we found it was much more effective.

38:57Not a wasted exercise.

38:59If we were continuing with the spending gets, I don't think that would feature again.

39:02You know, we're putting our necks on the line, giving away a high cost item.

39:06We're respecting the item but I don't think the item showed us any respect back.

39:09You know, it didn't say, I'm going to go out there and get you these orders.

39:12Looks like buyers weren't feeling fruity this week.

39:15Next door, this mischief in the air.

39:22If I really wanted to, I could sexify Wayne.

39:26That's how good this software is.

39:28Not that it would take much work, obviously.

39:31I'd obviously have him looking his best on a vacation,

39:34a nice tropical beach somewhere.

39:37Oh, speak of the devil.

39:39Talking about sexifying you, Wayne.

39:41Sarah thinks you'd look good on a beach.

39:43That's fine.

39:44Looks like Niall is running with this.

39:46The chief.

39:48Right.

39:50Back in five.

39:52Better be good.

39:54Trying to sexify Wayne.

39:56Like, what exactly do you want it to do?

39:58Give him a good hairline.

40:03I love our moustache, yeah.

40:05Without showing him pecs.

40:08Bit of a tan.

40:10Just make him overall better than what he is today.

40:17Please.

40:23The suspense is killing me.

40:25You and me both.

40:30Must be internet.

40:31Must be an hard job for it.

40:40Brilliant.

40:43Whatsapp.

40:44Have you checked your Whatsapp?

40:45No.

40:46Please be on the law.

40:51Are you happy with that, are you?

40:52Are you happy with it?

40:53So it's actually me?

40:55Magic.

40:56Why don't I grow an attach?

40:57I know.

40:58That's it.

40:59Handlebar.

41:00Cheat it.

41:01It works, doesn't it?

41:02Yeah, yeah.

41:03Get a wig?

41:04Hmm?

41:05Bang on, innit?

41:06Oh, Wayne.

41:07Lovely handlebars.

41:08Back in Liverpool, it's a big day for Chris and one beyond, as they prepare for the grand opening in less than an hour.

41:19Danielle's going outside to the front entrance now.

41:21Yeah.

41:22Danielle's doing leaflets.

41:25Everything's finally in place after a hectic two week turnaround.

41:29But they're bracing themselves for the arrival of their meticulous chairman, Chris Edwards.

41:34Very, very detail centric.

41:35So I think as he's going around, he really has got that keen eye for detail.

41:39He wouldn't be where he is without that skill.

41:42So I'm really looking forward to hearing his feedback as well, looking for anything that we can obviously improve on.

41:47But I'm relatively confident we've nailed this one today.

41:50And having opened over 400 shops in his time, he knows exactly what it takes to get it right.

41:58When you're in a business like this, you've got to be on the ball with everything.

42:01That's just running a business and there's nothing new.

42:04Yeah, we're all ready to go, the looks of it.

42:06So, fingers crossed.

42:09We're going to be busy today, I hope.

42:11You're not alone in that, Chris.

42:13Brother, walk around Chris, see where we're up to.

42:16Go on, let's see what we've got.

42:18Stocking everything from water guns to washing powder.

42:23If it ain't broke, don't fix it, is the approach to all new stores.

42:28So I really like this from the, obviously the latest promotion,

42:32we've kind of pushed all these £1 products to the front of the store.

42:35We're absolutely lovely and full tidy, fully priced, lovely and clean.

42:39I think it's the range on like, oops, everyday essential products.

42:43And using economies of scale, Chris sources products

42:47at the lowest possible prices.

42:50How are they going now?

42:51Oh, absolutely sensational.

42:52All the competitors are more expensive.

42:54It's lovely chocolate as well.

42:56Has anybody actually counted how many items at this?

42:59I know we've got seasonal items that come in due course and all that stuff.

43:02But today, when you look at a shop like this, how many items will we have?

43:06Talk about putting them on the spot.

43:09Has anybody thought how many thousand?

43:12Yeah, 7,000, maybe 8,000.

43:147,000.

43:15Nailed it.

43:16Yeah, that's nice.

43:18So far, yes, it's looking good, yeah.

43:21We're very proud.

43:22You can never tell whether it's going to be a good shop or a bad shop until you actually

43:27get open, get over the first two or three weeks when the newness wears off and see what

43:32you're taking to see whether we've made a good choice or not.

43:35You know, it's a bit nervy because if we're in a different shopping centre, it'd be buzzing

43:39outside by now, but we are at half past nine and it's a bit quiet, you know.

43:44So it'll all come together, hopefully.

43:47It amazes me how we can reach a standard, you know, in such a short time.

43:52And we're just ready to go and it looks good to me.

43:55It's instinct, but you need good people like we're talking here with these two fellas.

44:00You know, you need good people behind you.

44:03You can't do it all yourself.

44:05This is what we aim to look like every day now.

44:07When I come back in two weeks, will it still look the same?

44:10Well, that's the challenge, isn't it?

44:11I think, obviously.

44:12That's the manager's challenge.

44:13Yes, that is, always.

44:16Looks like smiles all round.

44:18They're filling me with a lot of confidence.

44:20As far as management's concerned, they haven't got one problem.

44:23I'm sure they'll pull it off.

44:24If the people's out there, put us to pull it off.

44:27We need people.

44:28We are now 15 minutes still open.

44:30So the tension's building now.

44:32We're all getting excited.

44:34Just enough time to squeeze in a rousing pep talk.

44:38Good morning, everyone.

44:39They've done an absolutely incredible job.

44:41We look the part.

44:42The shop's the part.

44:43Chris has given us the nod of approval.

44:45Just remember that real hard work starts now the second we open those doors.

44:49The most important people in the business for us will walk through the doors and that's our customers.

44:54Like any new store, their success is determined by the ring of the tills.

45:03And a healthy crowd has finally formed, awaiting the grand reveal.

45:07So we don't have to close.

45:08That'd be great.

45:09OK.

45:10We're now open.

45:14A surge of savvy shopping scousers hoping to bag a bargain or two.

45:18Great, yeah.

45:19It looks nice, yeah.

45:20Tired, yeah.

45:21Yeah.

45:22We need to fight for every penny, really.

45:23You know, there's a lot of competition around.

45:24We just need to keep it going and, you know, make people feel welcome every time they come in.

45:33This is another example of an old customer coming back.

45:37Not old, old.

45:38I mean, ex-customer.

45:40Need a spade, Kev?

45:45Every penny counts now.

45:47Every penny counts.

45:49I mean, everything's, you know, so expensive.

45:52But when you've got a store like this, it's worth coming in to.

45:56Finally, Kev can breathe a sigh of relief.

45:59Really good response of people.

46:01They're happy with the range of lines we've got in store.

46:04And they've been making quite a lot of purchase.

46:07It's been nice and steady all morning.

46:09But Chris is even doing a bit of merchandising there, yeah?

46:14Since we've reopened after Pound World, the high street is definitely different.

46:19It's a lot more low key.

46:21It's not the same.

46:22But it's customers out there if you're giving them valuable money.

46:25And cheaper prices mean happy customers.

46:28For the moment I've only picked a dog bone up.

46:31And happy pets.

46:35And have a great price.

46:36Let's give it aận性.

46:38That's some94 prince.

46:40Can we pick a dog over the portion justlappen?

46:42That's my gosh.

46:43That's sweet.

46:44There's so much money on that.

46:45Oh, that's my gosh.

46:46There's more than me on the marinade.

46:48Don't ignore me on video tests.

46:49Are you going to lick me?

46:50Is it my gosh?

46:51Yeah!

46:53That's my gosh.

46:54You're alone.

46:55That's who I have.

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