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secrets of supercheap shopping s01e04 skyfire
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00:02For 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. Wallets are shrinking.
00:15Do you like a bargain? 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.
00:26Enter the discount disruptors.
00:28We take on the supermarkets by removing the friction.
00:32It's Christmas!
00:34The cost of living crisis is affecting everybody and 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 telling?
01:05I order from here.
01:07From budget brilliance.
01:09See these milkshakes for the kids at a bargain.
01:11To next big things.
01:13This one is an all time cracker.
01:15They're taking us beyond the shelves.
01:17I don't like the supermarkets.
01:19We're no fancy shelving.
01:20We're no big signs.
01:21It's no frills of us.
01:22And behind the scenes.
01:24This is where it all happens.
01:26It's a box of six bars.
01:28We're a panic.
01:29Yeah, I like it.
01:30To reveal the secrets of super cheap shopping.
01:35The bigger the sign, the cheaper the price, the more it's going to sell.
01:39You can beat the supermarkets.
01:45Coming up, the former boss of Pound World goes toe to toe with shoplifters costing him money.
01:52We did have the guys just fill their back, toothpaste, medication, 160 pounds later.
01:58So we went in town centre looking for somebody with the whitest teeth we've ever seen.
02:04A price cutting pet food retailer with a strategy that's just right for everyone's budget.
02:11Goldie locking, which is a good, better, best analogy.
02:17And one discount retailer uses dragons and robots to get me and you to part with our cash.
02:23Same taste.
02:24Same taste.
02:25Yeah, exactly.
02:27The difference is you're going to save money.
02:33With costs rising across the nation, we're all feeling the squeeze.
02:38It's terrible, especially now I've gone on the pension.
02:41You're watching what you eat.
02:43They're telling you to eat healthy.
02:44You can't do because the fruit, veg are so expensive.
02:49But it's not just our wallets being hit.
02:51It's our portion sizes too.
02:54I feel like the items are getting smaller and you're paying more money.
02:58And unfortunately that's just, it's such a problem for me as someone that meal preps and tries to cook in
03:04bulk.
03:04But not all retailers are relying on shrinkflation to boost their margins.
03:14In Wigan, MD Wayne Kirsch has a fresh, or rather not so fresh approach to keeping his company's prices down.
03:22So you've got last year's shortbread selection for Christmas.
03:27And there's very rarely not a lot wrong with them.
03:30Discount Dragon sells items that are close to or past their best before dates at knockdown prices.
03:38Four or five months, supposedly out of date.
03:41Absolutely nothing can go wrong with that.
03:43If we don't buy that, it's in landfill.
03:46That's end of June.
03:47Does that mean on July the 1st, it's going to taste not good?
03:50You know, we can't get our heads around that.
03:53There's big brands too.
03:54Why do we get so much Heinz?
03:56Something like that, they'll turn the machine on, I don't know, for a month or so producing that product.
04:01And of the 1 million that they make, they may only need 800,000.
04:05What do they do with the other 200,000?
04:07But it's cheaper than switching the machine up.
04:09So we get loads of their stuff.
04:11Every day, new deals come through the door and some are from very unlikely places.
04:18Those were intended for a very large airline.
04:23You'd pay what on board a plane, between five and eight quid, probably for a mac and cheese meal.
04:29We're doing all 24, 4.99 for 20-odd p a meal.
04:33Their business model is to get it in quick and get it out quicker.
04:38We shift a lot of weight in product.
04:40We had a promotion the week before last where we sold 60,000 ready meals in 24 hours.
04:48And they were tested, you know, chicken tikka masala coming out of our ears, from our place to your plate.
04:55But there's trouble at the mill.
04:58The grand old building is ageing not so gracefully.
05:02Careful!
05:03And it's hitting productivity.
05:07In the last six months, over two million items have passed through the warehouse.
05:13With growth accelerating, the old mill is causing logistic director Andrew a headache.
05:19It's a challenge being in an old mill and, you know, we're on the third and fourth floor.
05:24So we've got goods coming in and basically we rely on one lift.
05:29And that can be a massive problem, as we can have a look today.
05:33Delivery is literally grinding to a halt, often between floors.
05:39So we had pallets coming in today and basically about half past eight, nine o'clock, the lift broke.
05:46So effectively we can't get anything in and out until the engineer comes.
05:52We've had the lift go down about six or seven times this year so far.
05:56The worst was when it was out of action for two weeks over the Christmas period.
06:01We were carrying entire pallets from upstairs onto the fourth floor, one box at a time.
06:07And I'm knocking before I even get here because I'm walking upstairs.
06:10I can't even bother going for a smoke.
06:14MD Wayne is hoping his lift nightmare is finally over.
06:19Morning.
06:20Morning.
06:22Tell me the lift's fixed.
06:24Not yet.
06:25I'm still waiting for the engineer to come, hopefully today, by the end of the day.
06:29You're getting everything up and down okay.
06:31Yeah, yeah.
06:32But obviously limited.
06:34We've got less stock going down because they're using the smaller lift.
06:38But hopefully, hopefully we'll keep on top of it.
06:42But it's not just Dickie Liss concerning Discount Dragon's top brass.
06:46It's the square footage too.
06:49Meet Executive Chairman Martin and CEO Mike.
06:52They've been overseeing the company's rapid growth and have decided it's time to explore a much bigger warehouse.
06:58For me, the biggest upside of this is scale.
07:02Yeah.
07:02I mean, at the moment, we think this warehouse probably would cap out at about 3,000 orders a day.
07:08Yeah.
07:09Now, you know, what you've got with a fully automated system is capacity, I think, is something like 2 million
07:14a day.
07:15So what we can concentrate on, and I think is where our skill set is, is getting the prices.
07:20The more stock we can get through the door and the closer we work with brand owners, the better pricing
07:25we can deliver.
07:26And the better pricing we deliver, the more stock we sell.
07:30Moving with the times is an exciting prospect for Wayne and Andrew.
07:34Moving out of this, you know, mill is effectively moving into the 21st century, you know.
07:39I think for us and for our customers, you know, now customers expect quick delivery.
07:43Can I order at 8 o'clock and get it tomorrow?
07:46Yeah.
07:50But it's not just streamlining productivity that will bring down prices.
07:55They need to increase their customer base too.
07:59On the warehouse floor, more products are arriving.
08:03And it's a choice of a new generation.
08:08Not this generation though.
08:10Oosh.
08:11But there are some items that are always a winner.
08:15Hey, look at this order.
08:17Somebody's got some right good snacks in here.
08:21Marketing guru Sarah is selecting products to draw in new customers
08:25and has a big idea for a bit of a high street promo.
08:30Obviously we want some stellar big brands that are approaching or either past their best before date.
08:36The plan is to get the public to see if they can taste the difference between discounted products past their
08:43best before date against supermarket ones that are in date.
08:48Little basket of treats, watch yourself, don't fall now.
08:52Sarah is convinced that the best before dates are a waste of everybody's ink.
08:57I eat some of the snacks that come through that door every day.
09:00And you really can't taste the difference.
09:04That cat trace will never catch on.
09:10Wayne, wait till you see what I've got for our taste testing challenge.
09:15Go on.
09:15Right, so I tried to pick out some of the biggest brands.
09:18So I've picked up the Rubicon.
09:20This went out of date in May.
09:23Hang on Sarah, that's months out of date.
09:26You can get that in Tesco.
09:27Yeah, can you get it there?
09:28Yeah.
09:29Right.
09:29And then we thought Cadbury's going to be one of the better ones.
09:32What's the date on that?
09:33That's the first of this month.
09:35Yeah, nice.
09:35So we've passed that already.
09:37Time for a bit of sub-optimal stock quality control, Wayne.
09:41I mean they're fully intact.
09:43Crunch test.
09:47They're still crunch.
09:49If you didn't know, you wouldn't know.
09:51They taste fine to me.
09:53Yeah, I think so.
09:54What do we do if this goes pear
09:57and every member of the public says,
10:00that one tastes off?
10:02Well there's something to worry about.
10:05How about some distraction techniques?
10:07Wouldn't it be cool if one of us was dressed in a dragon suit?
10:10Where are you going to get a dragon suit?
10:11The internet.
10:12Now, if you only work with someone
10:15who'd be willing to dress up as a dragon...
10:17Niall?
10:18Yeah, he's a bit of a donkey innit?
10:20Yeah.
10:20Pleasure doing business with you.
10:22Shut the door on your way out.
10:24It auto shuts.
10:27Spook!
10:31While Discount Dragon's retail model is to save you money by selling products past their best,
10:37at one beyond, Discount Don Chris Edwards' MO is to keep his eye on the calendar.
10:45It's all predictable.
10:46You know, it's all very predictable.
10:47If you think about it, there's always a seasonal event all the time, whether you're talking about the obvious of
10:52Christmas and Halloween,
10:53but there's also Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's.
10:56There's all them.
10:57And we try to accommodate all those seasonal items.
11:00Just like the British weather, sales of some items blow hot and cold.
11:07So now we're getting into August.
11:09The sales have diluted down no matter how it gets.
11:12We'll be still selling a few, still carrying on, and by the end of August, it'll be over.
11:17Time's passed, even though there'll be a few sunny days left.
11:19I'd rather spend the money on something and then leave that for next year.
11:22The customer actually self-regulates it for you.
11:28Seasonal stock is key to any retailer's success,
11:31but it needs careful inventory tracking both in-store and at the warehouse.
11:37So Chris is heading to his distribution hub to check products are rotating to maximise sales.
11:45Of course, waste can be a very big cost for us.
11:48The cash flow situation, if you're having to carry, if it's been raining all summer
11:53and there's all the summer gears backing up like fans and paddling pools
11:58and all the different things that come in with it.
12:00I mean, it's like that's dead stock till next year again.
12:06Inventory tracking works both ways.
12:08We think we haven't done a good job.
12:10If we sell out too early in a season, everybody would be happy with that,
12:13but I know we are not happy with it.
12:16We'd rather sell to the limit rather than miss out on a lot of big sales
12:22because we've sold too quick.
12:25Chris holds his team to some pretty high standards.
12:29And to prove it, his experienced eye may just have spotted something.
12:34I've just said all the summer's sold out.
12:37There's some mixed cartons and that could have been, and I hope it's not.
12:43This could be last, not this summer, this could be last summer stock.
12:46I'm not sure.
12:47But they don't call him Discount Dom for nothing.
12:50Chris tracks down the origins of the pallet himself.
12:53This is legacy stock.
12:57Legacy stock is items that are left over from previous seasons or even years.
13:03That'll have come from the Huddersfield shop from not this summer, last summer.
13:07And in theory, that should be out now.
13:10But how we managed to accumulate 20 pallets of mixed summer stuff,
13:14but it's still going to go out.
13:16So just on the safe side, I'll come next week and see whether it's gone.
13:22Coming up, Sarah's coaxing Niall into cosplay.
13:26Not a chance I'm wearing that.
13:27You've got to.
13:28I'm not. I'm not.
13:29Chris is on a mission to combat the grab-and-go gang.
13:33Once you could pick a potential shot lifter out, you can't do that anymore.
13:37Everybody's at it.
13:38And the pet food retailer in Essex helping customers to claw back some cash.
13:43Puffed pig snout.
13:44This would have gone to waste.
13:46A bit like a pork scratching for a dog.
13:53Up and down the country, if you ask anyone on the street about their feelings
13:57as they approach the checkout, you'll likely get the same response.
14:01How I feel when I get to the till, usually it's just, I don't know really,
14:05it's a bit anxious, I suppose, because you don't know what exactly it's going to be, price-wise.
14:10The average weekly grocery shop in the UK has gone up by almost 30% in the past two years.
14:17So many are struggling to even make ends meet.
14:20So I used to spend, say £50, but now I'm spending, easy, £90 to £120 per week, yeah, for just
14:29two of us. Easy.
14:30Stores are also being impacted by our stretched budgets.
14:34Not only in slumping sales figures, but also with the number of products disappearing off the shelves without being paid
14:41for.
14:42Shoplifting jumped 20% in 2025.
14:46And as retailers lose more to theft, prices can rise for the rest of us.
14:53At One Beyond, it's an issue that's causing Chris a lot of stress.
14:58If I want to end up with an heart attack, that's how I'm going to get it when I see
15:01what goes wrong in some of our shops,
15:03where the shoplifters are concerned.
15:06Luckily, some thieves don't get far, like one spotted by sharp-eyed Shauna, who's only made it across the car
15:13park.
15:14He piles stuff into his baskets and he'll walk out with a basket.
15:18But more often than not, they get away scot-free.
15:23Stuff like this.
15:24I'd have to go in damages because it's now got no lead inside and it probably has been stolen.
15:29Chris arrives at his Seacroft store, the worst for shoplifting, to find out why thefts are so high.
15:36First thing I've noticed, there's no guard.
15:38And at this time, which is now two o'clock, there should be a guard there.
15:42Unless he's on his break, unless he's got the loo or something, who knows?
15:46Someone must know.
15:48Get management on the blower, Chris.
15:50Where's the guard?
15:51Me and you need to sit down and look at all this.
15:53And we know the busiest time in the shop is between half twelve and probably half two.
15:59What I'm saying is, why haven't we got a guard at the busiest time?
16:02Why do we have him?
16:03Was it your choice, our management choice?
16:06Having a security guard present can reduce shoplifting by 30%.
16:11Am I feeling...
16:13Am I feeling my own?
16:14I'm attempting to that one.
16:16It's an issue because when shoplifters see there's no guard, they walk in to help themselves.
16:20And if there's a guard there, they'll probably wait till he's knocked off, then come back again.
16:25Do you need a bag?
16:26And at this minute, it's two o'clock, more or less, and there's no guards.
16:29So I've got to find out where he is.
16:38Just find the manageress.
16:40Today, it's Kim holding the fork.
16:42And even though the missing backup isn't her fault, she's the one answering to the boss.
16:49Right, I've just walked past the shop window and realised there's no guard there.
16:53So I'm asking you the question is, if I consider the busiest time of the shop during the day
16:59is any time between 12.30 to half two, and we've got no guard, but we had him earlier
17:03before half twelve, so why would we have him when it's quiet and not have him when it's busy?
17:09It's the first time it's happened, it has only because he has an appointment today.
17:12I don't know the time of the appointment.
17:13But that's not our problem, I don't want him to have an appointment he's going to miss.
17:16But if he's not coming in for the best time of the day, don't come.
17:21Even without security, Kim has her eye on the crime hotspots within her store.
17:27This aisle shampoos is the worst one.
17:29Have you got anything on CTV?
17:31Yeah, I've got a woman that came in and did all the shampoos.
17:33Did she get away with it or did he manage to stop her?
17:35No, she got away with it.
17:38She's known but keeps changing her hair colour.
17:41Right.
17:41So she used to have red hair.
17:43She's looking now then, yeah?
17:45They don't even use bags anymore, they just, they use the coat.
17:48Like they'll just, they'll do whatever they need to do.
17:52So she looks like she's buying one?
17:54Yeah.
17:54And pinching six?
18:03Yeah.
18:23But not every grab is greed.
18:25And what, she'll give it back?
18:26She gave it back, yes.
18:27Yeah.
18:28And then he said, you're not allowed to come in again.
18:30Nothing goes unmissed when he's on shift.
18:32But when he's not here, it can be quite bad still.
18:35It's annoying, obviously, when you see him doing it.
18:37But with security guard, he obviously deals with it and then that's, sorts the situation.
18:42Kim has the police on speed dial.
18:44They tell us to keep hold of them till they get here.
18:47I mean, after that's two hours of our time, then we've got to sit there and we've got
18:50to wait with the shoplifter while they'll come out.
18:51Yeah.
18:51So while you're tied up with one shift at the back, the rest of the shoplifter are in open
18:54themselves?
18:55That's it.
18:55So you kind of can't, we've got no, it's a vicious circle.
19:00Known as shrinkage, retailers raise prices to cover loss takings and it's estimated to
19:06add roughly 6p for every two quid you spend.
19:10I'm aware of all this is going on and that's why I walk around with a miserable face because
19:14I realise sometimes we're getting more stolen than what money we're taking.
19:18Yeah.
19:19Thieving has moved on since Chris's Pound World days and not for the better.
19:24Once you could pick a potential shoplifter out, you can't do that anymore.
19:28Everybody's at it.
19:30Hey, speak for yourself Chris.
19:31I always pay for my Dubai chocolate.
19:34But sadly, thieves have a sweet tooth just like the rest of us.
19:38The chocolate is here simply because the tills are there.
19:41Because this is the main item for stealing isn't it?
19:43Yeah.
19:44Yeah.
19:44So we try and put more stuff in a sensible position so the staff has got half a chance
19:48of watching, is that right?
19:51You want him to get down here love?
19:52She's trying her best but when you're up against it and she can't just call on support,
19:57yeah we have a guard here when he's here or we've got the police when they finally
20:01can turn up.
20:02So she's here, she's got an old army of shoplifters, what's the poor girl supposed to
20:07do?
20:08Really we should be going more into technology for picking and all that but businesses can
20:13only afford so much so any profit we've got that we might put into technology is walking
20:17out currently and the shopping basket is going home, we're not paying for it.
20:20Thanks for that then.
20:21Apart from all the shoplifters have you got any more problems?
20:24No honestly everything else is fine, everything's going out as it should but yeah.
20:28Alright, okay then.
20:31While Kim keeps the sticky fingers at bay, over in Wigan.
20:38Well my puffs, I don't think we've had those. I can maybe take more than a pallet on them.
20:44Wayne's facing an issue that divides shoppers.
20:47Are you a hater?
20:48Put it on a piece of bread and eat it.
20:50Yeah, yeah.
20:51I like it.
20:51I'm on the love side.
20:54I wouldn't do it.
20:56I would do it.
20:57I wouldn't do it.
20:58Cheese.
20:59Cheese and eggs.
21:00Cheese and marmer.
21:01And it's not the only thing splitting opinion.
21:06Not a chance I'm wearing that.
21:07You've got to?
21:08I'm not, I'm not.
21:09I will wear it but I'm not wearing around Leigh.
21:11You are.
21:12I'm not.
21:13I think you forget I'm from Leigh.
21:14Fine.
21:15I will see people from Leigh.
21:16That's fine.
21:18Today, they're planning a taste test to see if people can tell the difference between
21:22goods past their best before dates and fresh ones.
21:27How's he standing like that?
21:28You've got to stand like that.
21:28He's not opening.
21:29Like what's with a facial expression?
21:31I'd pay 100 quid seeing nails stood around town looking like that.
21:35The social team should really be using it and doing more field tests.
21:39So, really, it's an investment piece going forward.
21:44Wouldn't you say?
21:46I guess we'll soon see.
21:50Four hours down the M6 in Essex.
21:53Another retailer is satisfying our pets as well as our wallets.
21:58£55.07 today then, please.
22:01With food inflation soaring every month, the average UK family today
22:05spends about 16% of their household budget on food.
22:10That's over £5,000 a year.
22:12You wouldn't imagine ostriches being on the menu.
22:15But as a nation of animal lovers, the humans aren't the only mouths costing more to feed.
22:20He's a North American husky.
22:22I used to have a team of six of them.
22:23I used to race them nationally.
22:25Chicken feet.
22:26She actually adores those.
22:27Dog owners alone can spend up to £100 a month just to feed Fido.
22:32Ultimately, if you have a pet, you have it because you love them
22:35and you want to give them the best you possibly can.
22:38Look at these, Yoshi.
22:39He loves these.
22:41Another popular treat is the puffed pig snout.
22:44A bit like a pork scratching for a dog.
22:46It goes in that way and it comes out that way.
22:50It doesn't change shape or form.
22:56Based in Colchester, Dan runs his family-owned discount pet food business
23:00and has been feeding our four-legged friends in Essex for generations.
23:05How long have you been here, Daph? 80 years?
23:08It seems like you're working with you, yes.
23:1127 years in October.
23:13She's the face of the company and everyone meets Daphne.
23:15I think I'm older than the fixtures and fittings.
23:19Richard is the manager here.
23:21He's been with us for 25 years, is it, Rich?
23:24Yeah, something like that, yeah.
23:25And he actually started here as a work experience boy,
23:28so he's been with us a long time.
23:30Long time.
23:31Can't get rid of him.
23:32Dan and his team have seen their customers
23:34feeling the pinch of pet food price rises.
23:36A lot of people are struggling.
23:38The cost of living crisis has hit hard
23:39and people need to save money where they can
23:42and that's where we step in.
23:43We stock everything from dogs and cats
23:46to chickens, llamas, alpacas, a range of everything.
23:52With over 30 years in the business,
23:54Dan's learned a few tricks of the trade
23:56in cutting costs for his customers.
23:59We keep plenty of stock in
24:01so that we can fulfil the large orders that we get
24:04and keep prices low.
24:05We work on a low margin, essentially.
24:07We take the cost price, which we negotiate as best we can
24:10to get the best prices, whether that be buying in bulk
24:13or buying direct from the manufacturer.
24:14If someone buys a single bag, they're paying 9.39,
24:17and if they buy five or more, that drops down to 8.69.
24:21And for customers not wanting to fork out for dog food by the ton,
24:25Dan and the team have got that covered too.
24:28So what we do to save people a little bit more money where we can
24:31is we take big bags, big boxes of product.
24:33So we buy in bulk.
24:35We pack it down into smaller bags
24:37so that you can basically pay big bag money
24:40and buy a small bag.
24:42So, yeah, you save yourself a bit of money that way as well.
24:45Two Skinners chicken.
24:46Is there anything else for you to do?
24:48No, that's it. Thank you very much.
24:51We've been coming for 10 years plus, a good long time.
24:57The big stores, all they're driven by is, you know,
25:02cost and reward in terms of profit.
25:04They're offering what they want you to buy
25:07and not what you want to buy.
25:10Bulk buying isn't the only way businesses
25:12can save their customers money.
25:14With more tricks up his sleeve,
25:16Dan's even cutting his carbon footprint into the bargain too.
25:20Greening is a big, big keyword for us.
25:23We talk about that a lot.
25:24It's essentially keeping things local as much as possible
25:27to avoid those transports,
25:29to avoid the lorries on the road
25:30and just protect the environment.
25:33Dan's got another buzzword too.
25:35And this one is just right for everyone's budget.
25:39What we offer is a Goldilocks system
25:42which is offering a good, better, best analogy.
25:45So we've got some good birdseed, we've got the better
25:49and then we've got the best.
25:50All at very, very good price points.
25:53He's on trout, salmon, sweet potatoes and asparagus.
25:58How good's that?
26:00With us Brits spending a fortune pampering our pets too,
26:04money can be saved by making sure nothing goes to waste.
26:08This is actually a deer's leg.
26:10One of our most popular natural treats.
26:12This would have gone to waste.
26:14My dog has had one of these for going on three months
26:17and still can't get through it.
26:18Admittedly, he's a miniature Dachshund,
26:20so it takes him a while but...
26:21Ticking feet.
26:22Yeah, it's fantastic value.
26:24Without a doubt.
26:25You can't beat it.
26:26Customers here in Essex are also cutting costs
26:29at their convenience too.
26:31So we've got a click and collect system here
26:34and basically customers place an order
26:36either over the phone or online
26:37and we place them in one of our cabinets
26:40we've got at the front with a combination lock
26:41and it means people can just pick it up whenever they like.
26:44For us it means we don't have to stay open quite so long.
26:47We haven't got lights running, we haven't got staff here.
26:50It means we're saving money and we can pass it on to the customer.
26:53And that's what it's all about,
26:54keeping our prices as low as we possibly can.
26:57I think independent traders like this are a well-kept secret
27:02and hopefully that word's starting to get out now
27:05and people will vote with the pound in their pocket.
27:09Going toe-to-toe with the big online retailers
27:12is just another way businesses like this are saving shoppers money.
27:20Coming up, the dragon spreads his wings in search of bite-sized feedback.
27:25We've got a selection of products here.
27:27It's not going to be sick, is it?
27:29No.
27:30Chris is hot on the tail of the basket bandits.
27:33You try to walk out with the baskets?
27:35Right. Unstoppable.
27:37And Andrew investigates how automation
27:39can help put the pennies back in our pockets.
27:42These are the 380 robots that make all the magic happen.
27:52Right now, life for the average person is getting tougher.
27:56A weekly shop for us is, like, way more than it was last year.
28:00Three words to describe my weekly shop.
28:04Getting more expensive.
28:06Once I've paid my bills, I could afford to do about a week's shop
28:10and then I'm, you know, struggling.
28:18It's a sunny day in Wigan town
28:20and the Discount Dragon Think Tank
28:22has made a tactical company investment.
28:25I've got a surprise for you, Wayne.
28:27The dragon costume is part of the new taste test marketing idea.
28:31We're going to have to put you in this
28:33just to make sure people know it's us.
28:36Creative manager now was meant to wear the outfit
28:39but he's got other ideas.
28:43What do you think?
28:46You happy?
28:48You up for it?
28:49Do you expect me to be happy?
28:51Yes or no, are you happy?
28:53No.
28:53No.
28:54Why can't you wear it?
28:55It's a bit big, innit?
28:58Come on, let's go and do it.
29:01Known in the game as consumer sampling,
29:03their taste test will challenge the public
29:06to see if they can taste a difference
29:07between products that have passed their best before
29:10and those well within date.
29:14I think it's going to be really interesting actually.
29:18Because we genuinely can't tell the difference in the office.
29:21Let's see what the public has to say.
29:28They should have been prepared before, hadn't they?
29:30No, we've done all right.
29:32Wing it.
29:33Did you just say wing it?
29:35Wayne, you know you're dressed as a dragon.
29:38I'm a celebrity, get me out of here.
29:41Wrong channel, Wayne.
29:43So, have you heard of Discount Dragon?
29:45No, I've not.
29:45So, we're a company based in Lee.
29:47We specialise in short dated food.
29:50We've got a selection of products here.
29:52Well, you did have.
29:54Some of them are out of date.
29:56When I say out of date, they're past the best before.
29:58And you're going to compare it to the exact same product
30:02that was bought in a supermarket this morning.
30:04Touch them, sniff them, obviously taste them.
30:06You tell us which one is supermarket
30:08and which one is close to or past its best before.
30:12I'm quite, if I know something's gone off,
30:16I'm one of these, I won't risk it and do it.
30:19It's crunch time and Pringles are up first.
30:22Once you pop, you can't stop.
30:24Which is fine when you're only given two.
30:26Yeah, no difference in luck.
30:28Yeah, no difference if I go for that one first.
30:34Nice.
30:37Nothing.
30:38No difference.
30:38The discount Dragon Pringles are three weeks beyond their best before date.
30:43I mean, even three weeks, you expect it to be quite chewy and stale.
30:46Particularly with crisps.
30:47Yeah, yeah, that's it.
30:49They're both crunchy, crispy, nice.
30:51It's not going to make me sick, is it?
30:53No.
30:54Best before dates show when quality might drop,
30:58but used by dates means stop eating.
31:01It's unsafe after that.
31:03Play it right and you'll save your stomach and your wallet.
31:07Do you know what? A big thing as well is cost.
31:09Yeah, we're talking big savings.
31:11OK, bring in the next tester.
31:13It's chocolate o'clock.
31:15Cadbury caramel.
31:16Yeah, Cadbury caramel.
31:17Clearly a connoisseur.
31:19I'd say they were from the same bar.
31:21You thought they were from the same bar?
31:24Yeah, yeah, that's it.
31:26Shall we do the Rubicon?
31:34All right, I've got to say that one's got more fizz.
31:37So that one's actually ours.
31:38Really?
31:38Yeah, yeah.
31:42That's got more carbonate in it.
31:45That one tastes a bit flat.
31:46If this guy on the street is right,
31:49fizzy drinks actually taste better past their expiry date.
31:52Might as well see it off.
31:53Got questions?
31:55You're not alone.
31:56This lady's up first.
31:58Why are you dressed like that?
32:00Because we're from Discount Dragon.
32:02Have you heard of us?
32:02I have, yeah, actually.
32:03Have you?
32:04There you go.
32:05Oh, sorry.
32:06So one is Discount Dragon,
32:07one was bought this morning in a supermarket.
32:10OK.
32:10The Discount Dragon one has got a best before date of today.
32:14Yeah.
32:14Obviously the supermarket one is six, twelve months in advance.
32:22Same taste?
32:23Same taste.
32:24No, I can't tell the difference.
32:25You can't tell the difference?
32:26No, no difference.
32:26Yeah, exactly.
32:27The difference is you're going to save money.
32:31We're not spoiling your tea, are we?
32:33A bit late now, Wayne,
32:35but Discount Dragon's rep is safe.
32:37Both of them tasted.
32:38And of the 17 people who took part in the challenge,
32:42not one of them could taste the difference.
32:44It's really confirmed what we already suspected.
32:47There doesn't appear to be any difference.
32:49No one can tell the difference.
32:51Hopefully people will learn, you know,
32:53best before is not, doesn't need to go in the bin,
32:56doesn't need to go into landfill or whatever.
32:58Save yourself some money and eat normally.
33:01You will not tell the difference and there's the proof.
33:04You are on fire today, lads.
33:06You'll be telling this tale for years.
33:09This is commitment, this.
33:10This is commitment.
33:12If this isn't a pay rise, I don't know what it is.
33:15But at one beyond, some people are just helping themselves,
33:19without even paying for it.
33:21After being at Seacroft yesterday and speaking to the manageress
33:25and all their problems with shoplifters and everything,
33:28I'm now making my way to a town centre shop in Leeds.
33:31Just how you expect your staff to come back,
33:34the wave and wave of shoplifters, is nearly impossible.
33:38You don't give up, you get security guards,
33:40you keep the best you can.
33:41It's very, very difficult.
33:44Keeping things running on the shop floor
33:46are the dynamic duo, Johanna and Renata.
33:50She's very helpful.
33:51But if she's got a bad day, you don't want to beat her.
33:55I'm just going to say.
33:57I've just slugged you off on camera, Renata.
34:01I can't stop this at this.
34:04Renata, they're different price, love.
34:06How is that one?
34:07A pound?
34:07One-fifteen.
34:09You can't put the hedgehog in a pound of one-fifteen.
34:11I can put that one behind.
34:13Winch, winch, winch.
34:16That's what I mean.
34:17That's why I don't like her sometimes.
34:20The boss has arrived and he wants to know
34:22that the team are running a tight and secure ship.
34:27When I went to Seacroft, we had no guard,
34:30which didn't please me very well.
34:31But here, as we just got here, the guard is here and he's on duty
34:34and he's watching the CCTV, so this is a little bit better
34:38than what I've seen yesterday.
34:40So far, so good for store manager Renata.
34:43Renata.
34:44Oh, hello.
34:45Hiya.
34:47How you doing?
34:48How you doing?
34:50Are you happy with things?
34:52I'm always happy.
34:53You know me. I'm always happy.
34:54I could be angry sometimes, but I'm happy.
34:57I've just been up at Seacroft and found horrendous it is there.
35:00I'm shoplifting.
35:01Yeah.
35:03It's everyday.
35:04It's like everyday battle.
35:07I'm just saying, you probably come up against it, you know,
35:09where you ask somebody, you know, can you please,
35:11where they want to pay for one,
35:12and they've snuck a dozen pieces of whatever it is in the bag.
35:16I don't use please, love.
35:17Pardon?
35:17I don't use please.
35:19Do you?
35:20How you pay cash or cash?
35:22Cash, please.
35:23Chris is concerned.
35:25The team's brave approach to confronting shoplifters isn't just risky.
35:29It goes against company policy.
35:32What frightens me is that all of a sudden someone's got to get a knife,
35:34and if you sort of held around to get whatever they've got in their hand.
35:39We have a lady, you know, like, she was coming and stealing,
35:42and she's still a lot of cosmetics.
35:44And she, I pick as well, you know, the mirror and grab her outside,
35:50and she break the mirror in half and try to swing it.
35:55Swing me on a, you know, that's why I have a big wrinkle, but, you know,
35:59swing on the, on the face.
36:00It's not, not very big scars, but, you know, try to stab me from the back as well.
36:04It's just soul destroying.
36:08Thieves target pricier items, known as hot products,
36:11so these aisles are on high alert.
36:13That's all the medication and, you know, that's, that's a vulnerable section as well,
36:17I would presume with the Lemsips and, you watch them, don't you?
36:20Just do that.
36:21Don't test it, don't worry.
36:22That's it.
36:23I'll see you later.
36:26It's the easy stuff, like, to sell.
36:28Yeah.
36:29Shampoos.
36:30Shower gels.
36:31But the stolen products aren't always destined for their own bathrooms.
36:35We've got shoplifters who don't pinch you for their own use.
36:38No.
36:39The pinches sell on.
36:40Sell on, yeah.
36:41You know.
36:41Any of this on here, which is retail $2.50, $3.75,
36:45they open the bag up and say, you can have any of them for a pound,
36:48and people just buy it.
36:51And some of these brazen bandits don't even use a bag.
36:54Look, let me just show you a few examples.
36:57Right.
36:59So, what's he filling up there?
37:00Is it a push shirt?
37:01No.
37:02Just our basket.
37:03Right.
37:04He tried to walk out with the basket.
37:06Right.
37:07Unstoppable.
37:08Right.
37:08Got it.
37:09Because it's not heavy, so you can easy run past the point.
37:14Yeah.
37:14And off.
37:16And she just called the bell and would catch him, you know, on the street.
37:19Did he go out and catch him?
37:20Yeah, yeah.
37:20That one, yeah.
37:21That one, yeah.
37:23He'll know that's one of his best sellers out in the street.
37:25Yeah.
37:26He'll be taking that out in the street to earn his money.
37:29It's anger.
37:30Yeah.
37:30It's anger.
37:31The first thing, what was, is for me, anyway, is anger.
37:34Yeah.
37:35Yeah.
37:35Makes you feel depressed.
37:40And I have many shoplifters saying, like, yeah, why are you bothered?
37:44It's not yours.
37:45It's not yours.
37:45Yeah, but it is, you know, at some point, it is mine.
37:50This is my store.
37:52We did have, you know, like a shoplifter.
37:54The guys just filled their back, toothpaste, medication, 160 pounds later.
38:00160 pounds.
38:00So we went into our centre looking for somebody with the whitest teeth you've ever seen.
38:06Yeah.
38:06Yours are pretty white, Chris.
38:11Well, I take them out every night and clean them.
38:13While the fight continues against the age-old problem of shoplifting.
38:20Over in Manchester, Discount Dragons logistics director, Andrew, is exploring a brave new world.
38:27Well, that looks completely different than the build.
38:31He's scoping out a potential new high-tech HQ, which will increase productivity and drive down prices.
38:38Hi.
38:39I'm Andrew.
38:39Costa.
38:40Nice to meet you.
38:41All right.
38:41Are you ready to take you around?
38:42Brilliant.
38:43Awesome.
38:43Let's go.
38:45He's getting a guided tour of the kind of facility the business is hoping to call home.
38:51There is a lot of stairs.
38:53Not as many as the mill, though.
38:55He's also getting the hard sell.
38:57There are obviously other automation systems out there, but we've got very accurate monitoring of exactly where every pallet and
39:06every product is in the warehouse.
39:08From the moment they get unloaded, they get scanned and a little barcoded clip is placed on the pallets.
39:17Sounds technical.
39:18Luckily, the warehouse is a team of robots that read barcodes as easily as we read a menu.
39:24So these are the robots?
39:26These are the 380 robots that make all the magic happen.
39:32Unbelievable.
39:34So all these robots now, they know exactly where they're going, they're picking all the products that have been ordered
39:39off customers,
39:40and then the other one comes and brings the other one until they've got all the products that the customer's
39:44ordered and then it's ready to be packed.
39:45That's precisely correct. The speed of the robot is approximately 330 miles per hour.
39:52It's 30 for a reason, and that reason is throughput enhancement.
39:57So the robots bring all the products to the packers.
40:01Everything's moving in, coming in very quickly.
40:04It's all moving out.
40:05All the paper, all the packing materials is all there at hand.
40:09So massive packing and picking efficiencies.
40:12Exactly.
40:13Looks like this old dragon could be about to get a makeover.
40:19Coming up, security saviour Bernie's locking down on Lightfingers.
40:25You get that bit where I detained him, didn't you?
40:28And Wayne's put to the test on the factory floor.
40:32What do I do next?
40:34Please answer or confirm.
40:36No-one showed me this.
40:43Shoplifting in the UK is on the rise.
40:46Some retailers estimate they add around 6p to every transaction to cover the cost of their losses.
40:52At One Beyond in Leeds, Head of Security Bernie is reviewing a recent theft.
40:57So basically, you go from there, you go on from there.
41:00When I detained him, he tried to go past me.
41:03I pulled the stuff out of his clothing.
41:05Then he's trying to get away.
41:06He wants me to let go of him.
41:08Probably try and make a run for it, but...
41:10So, yeah.
41:11So that's what they do.
41:14You get that bit where I detained him, didn't you?
41:16Yeah.
41:17Yep, we saw it, Bernie.
41:18You're doing your job.
41:20Yeah.
41:21Enter CEO Chris Edwards, still on his anti-thieving mission.
41:25How we doing, Bernie?
41:27Not too bad, my man.
41:28How are you going?
41:28How many shoplifts have we got today?
41:31Everything's been quiet on the western front.
41:33Western front today.
41:33That makes somebody change for this shop.
41:36Stopping shoplifters in their tracks is essential to keep prices low.
41:40I've got a few things to show you.
41:41Have you?
41:42And some new updates as well.
41:43I'm interested about that.
41:44So, if I take it through to the back and then we can hear each other speak then.
41:48So, Chris and Bernie are going through their new security procedures,
41:52which aim to tackle the problem head on.
41:55I've had some updates with the police on the basis of how they're going to combat
41:58getting the information across to them as quick as possible.
42:02This just makes it a lot quicker for us to upload it and send it to them.
42:07Bernie has a new system which allows him to send CCTV evidence of shoplifting
42:13directly to the police.
42:14If all stores and different organisations report these thefts, people get detained, then it gets noted on the systems.
42:23If it's not noted on the system, you've got this circle of people doing the same thing over and over
42:27again.
42:28Rapid sharing of evidence could increase the chances of shoplifters being detained and ultimately convicted.
42:34This is one of the stores where we're very much on top of it because of Bernie and all his
42:38procedures and everything.
42:40And you just don't realise the scale of how much.
42:43It's not now just an individual and thinking, you know, is anybody looking? I'll just have that item.
42:47It's not the pinching by the dozens.
42:50By clamping down on sticky fingers.
42:53We've just got to keep it going.
42:56Chris can continue crunching down his prices.
43:00See you later, Bernie. You know, I'll be back next week.
43:02OK.
43:03See you soon.
43:0950 miles away in Wigan, Wayne's heard about the robots in the swanky new factory, but he knows his current
43:16staff are faster than the speed of light.
43:19And to prove it...
43:20Monica, competition. You pick, me pick.
43:24Oh.
43:24Maybe me quicker than you.
43:26Sounds like Wayne's already sacrificing grammar for speed.
43:30Are you quicker than me?
43:31Yeah.
43:31No.
43:32Yeah.
43:33We'll see.
43:35I know who my money's on.
43:36Ready?
43:37I'm ready. Are you ready?
43:38Yeah.
43:38Are you going to win?
43:39Yeah.
43:40I'm quicker.
43:41Who can put together an online order in the shortest amount of time?
43:45Come back.
43:47In the blue corner, we've got desk jockey Wayne.
43:51The last thing he picked was what to watch on the telly.
43:56First one in the bag.
43:57And in the red corner, there's Monica.
44:00She's been a premier picker for over five years.
44:04Oh, no.
44:05Hang on.
44:06What do I do next?
44:08Please enter or confirm.
44:10No one showed me this.
44:12I'm not having this.
44:13It's not fair, this.
44:16Monica!
44:17If only someone from senior management was around to show him the ropes.
44:21Do you think you're faster than Wayne?
44:23Yeah.
44:24Where Wayne?
44:26Wayne, maybe tomorrow finish.
44:29You know, it's not always just about speed.
44:31Accuracy is absolutely key because...
44:35Hang on.
44:38Where's Monica gone?
44:39Is she, like, finished?
44:40What?
44:41Finished.
44:42Rocking now.
44:43A13.
44:45You're finished?
44:46Yeah.
44:47Already?
44:47Yeah.
44:49Where do I?
44:51I think I'm getting quite good at that.
44:54Wayne.
44:55Come on, I'm finished.
44:57You're finished?
44:58Yes.
44:58No way.
44:59Yes.
45:00And you've got the easy orders done.
45:02Yeah, look at mine.
45:03Drink, drink, drink, drink, drink.
45:05No, no, no.
45:06Drink, drink, drink, drink, drink.
45:07What did you get?
45:08Small.
45:08You got chocolate.
45:10You got chocolate, yeah?
45:11I don't care.
45:12Sorry, I win.
45:13No, you're not win.
45:14As is so often the case in the corporate rat race,
45:17the reward for getting your work done the fastest...
45:20I'll get her to finish this.
45:23..is more work.
45:24Because you're very quick, yeah?
45:26Yeah.
45:26Maybe I'm not as quick as you.
45:29Mm-hm.
45:29So you take this.
45:31What's happened?
45:32I don't know.
45:33I don't know.
45:33You fix it.
45:35You're asleep.
45:37Don't say he never gives you anything, Monica.
45:39But this might have been a humbling experience for Wayne
45:43as a potential move looms.
45:45So we are moving to the new warehouse.
45:47It would appear to be the right thing to do.
45:50You've got to look at the business and the next natural step.
45:53How do we grow?
45:54How do we scale?
45:55Ultimately, a good move for the business
45:57is a good move for the customer.
45:59Cheaper running costs will keep prices low for customers.
46:03But vacating the mill will still be bittersweet.
46:07I'll be sad to see it go.
46:08I think you can get attached to a building.
46:10I think when we first moved in here, it was really cheap.
46:12Way bigger than we needed.
46:14I think we had maybe one or two aisles of stock,
46:16and just seeing that stock expand and expand and expand,
46:19this place will be a legacy.
46:21And wherever we end up,
46:23this place will always be a legacy of Discount Dragon.
46:25We've got memories.
46:28We've got memories.
46:56Let's hope for you.
46:57We've got memories.
46:58We've got memories
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