#video #short #film #movie
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
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.
00:14Wallets 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.
00:26Enter the discount disruptors.
00:28We take on the supermarkets by removing the friction.
00:32It's Christmas!
00:34The cost of 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?
01:05I order from here.
01:07From budget brilliance...
01:09See these milkshakes for the kids at a bargain?
01:11...to next big things.
01:13This one is an all-time cracker.
01:15They're taking us beyond the shelves.
01:18Unlike the supermarkets, we're no fancy shelving, we're no big signs, it'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. We're 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.
01:38You 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 later.
01:58So we went in town centre looking for somebody with the whitest teeth you'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
03:02tries to cook in bulk.
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.
03:23So you've got last year's shortbread selection for Christmas.
03:27And there's very rarely not a lot wrong with them.
03:30Discount Dragons 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?
03:51You 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.
03:57They'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, because 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?
04:25Between 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,
04:53from our place to your plate.
04:55But there's trouble at the mill.
04:58The grand old building is ageing not so gracefully.
05:02And 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.
06:10So I can't even bother going for a smoke.
06:14MD Wayne is hoping his lift nightmare is finally over.
06:19Morning. Morning.
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, but 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.
07:02And I mean, at the moment, we think this warehouse probably would cap out at about 3,000 orders a
07:08day.
07:08Yeah.
07:09Um, now, you know, what you've got with a fully automated system is capacity.
07:13I think it's something like 2 million a 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,
07:24the better pricing we can deliver. And the better pricing we deliver, the more stock we sell.
07:30Moving with the times is an exciting prospect for Wayne and Andrew.
07:35Moving 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 eight 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 at all.
08:11But there are some items that are always a winner.
08:15Hey, look at this order. Somebody's got some right good snacks in here.
08:21Marketing guru Sarah is selecting products to draw in new customers
08:26and 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
08:42past their best before date against supermarket ones that are in date.
08:48A little 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.
09:01And you really can't taste the difference.
09:04That catchphrase 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.
09:18Yeah.
09:18So I've picked up the Rubicon. This went out of date in May.
09:22Nice.
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. Right.
09:29And then we thought we said Cadbury is 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.
09:42Crunch test.
09:47They're still crunch.
09:48Hmm.
09:50If 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 and 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.
10:13Now, if you only work with someone who'd be willing to dress up as a dragon...
10:18Niall?
10:18Yeah, he's a bit of a donkey, isn't he?
10:20Yeah.
10:20Pleasure doing business with you.
10:22Shut the door on your way out.
10:24It auto shuts.
10:27Burn!
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, you 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
10:51the obvious of Christmas and Halloween, but there's also Mother's Day, Father's Day,
10:56Valentine's, there's all them, and we try to accommodate all those seasonal items.
11:01Just like the British weather, sales of some items blow hot and cold.
11:07So now we're getting into August, the sales will dilute down no matter how it gets.
11:12We'll be still selling a few, you know, still carrying on, and by the end of August,
11:16it'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,
11:32but 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 there's, if it's been raining all summer
11:53and there's all the summer gears backing up, like fans and paddling pools and all the different
11:59things that come in with it, I mean, it's, it's like a, that's dead stock till next year again.
12:06Inventory tracking works both ways.
12:09We think we haven't done a good job if we sell out too early in a season.
12:12Everybody would be happy with that, but 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, we've sold too quick.
12:26Chris holds his team to some pretty high standards and to prove it, his experienced
12:32eye may just have spotted something.
12:34I've just said all the summer's sold out, there's some mixed cartons and that could have been
12:41and I hope it's not.
12:43This could be last, not this summer, this could be last summer stock, I'm not sure.
12:47But they don't call him Discount Dom for nothing. Chris tracks down the origins of the pallet himself.
12:54This 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, but how we managed to accumulate 20 pallets of mixed
13:13summer stuff, but it's still going to go out. So just on the safe side, I'll come next week and
13:18see
13:18whether 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. This would have gone to waste. A bit like a pork scratching for a dog.
13:53Up and down the country, if you ask anyone on the street about their feelings as they approach
13:58the checkout, you'll likely get the same response.
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.
14:28Yeah, for just two of us. Easy.
14:31Stores are also being impacted by our stretched budgets, not only in slumping sales figures,
14:37but also with the number of products disappearing off the shelves without being paid for.
14:42Shoplifting jumped 20% in 2025. And as retailers lose more to theft, prices can rise for the rest of
14:50us.
14:53At One Beyond, it's an issue that's causing Chris a lot of stress.
14:57If 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
15:02in some of our shops, where the shoplifters are concerned.
15:06Luckily, some thieves don't get far, like one spotted by sharp-eyed Shauna,
15:11who's only made it across the car park.
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. I'd have to go in damages because it's now got no lead inside,
15:27and it probably has been stolen.
15:29Chris arrives at his Seacroft store, the worst for shoplifting,
15:33to 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?
15:47Someone must know. Get management on the blower, Chris.
15:50Where's the guard? Me 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? Was it your choice, our management choice?
16:06Having a security guard present can reduce shoplifting by 30%.
16:11Am I feeling my own?
16:16It's an issue because when shoplifters see there's no guard,
16:19they walk in to help themselves.
16:21And if there's a guard there, they'll probably wait till he's knocked off,
16:23then come back again.
16:25Do you need a bag?
16:26And at this minute, it's two o'clock, more or less,
16:29and there's no guards, so I've got to find out where he is.
16:38Just find the manageress.
16:40Today, it's Kim holding the fort, and even though the missing backup isn't her fault,
16:46she's the one answering to the boss.
16:49Right, I've just walked past the shop window and realised there's no guard there.
16:52So I'm asking you the question, if I consider the busiest time of the shop during the day
16:59is any time between 12, half 12 till half 2, and we've got no guard. But we had him earlier,
17:03before half 12, 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's got an, he has an appointment today.
17:13I don't know the time of the event.
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 hot spots within her store.
17:27This aisle shampoos is the worst one.
17:29Have you got anything on CCTV?
17:31Yeah, I've got a woman that came in and did all the shampoos.
17:33Did she get away with it or did she manage to stop her?
17:35No, she got away with it.
17:38She's known but keeps changing her hair colour.
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 and pinching six.
17:55But not every grab is greed, sometimes it's need.
17:59Desperation theft is on the rise and for some,
18:01that means stealing has become a last resort.
18:04That one there, she's a mum, in with her baby.
18:07Well, she's obviously pinching many, many, many, many items,
18:10so she's maybe putting £25, £30 worth of stock in that bag.
18:13So what did we do next?
18:15When that happens there, she's on her way out, what did we do?
18:18So he stopped her and she put the till and he said,
18:21are you going to pay for that stuff in your bag as well?
18:23And then that's when she's given it and she said, I'm sorry.
18:25And what did she do, giving it back?
18:26She gave it back, yes, and she didn't.
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
18:39and 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,
18:48then we've got to sit there and we've got to wait with this shoplifter
18:50while they'll come out.
18:51So while you're tied up with one shifter at the back,
18:53the rest of the shoplifter are in open themselves?
18:55That's it. So 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
19:05and it's estimated to add 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
19:13because I 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. I 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. So we try and put more stuff in a sensible position
19:47so the staff has got half a chance of 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
19:55and she can't just call on support, yeah, we have a guard here when he's here,
19:59or we've got the police when they finally can turn up.
20:02So she's here, she's got an old army of shoplifters.
20:06What's the poor girl supposed to do?
20:08Really, we should be going more into technology for picking and all that,
20:12but businesses can only afford so much,
20:14so any profit we've got that we might put into technology
20:16is walking out currently in the shopping baskets going on.
20:19We're not paying for it.
20:20Thanks for that, then.
20:21Apart from all the shoplifters, have you got any more problems?
20:25No, honestly, everything else is fine.
20:26Everything's going out of its head, but yeah.
20:28All right. OK, then.
20:36Well, my pups, I don't think we've had those.
20:40I could 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, I like it. I'm a lover. I'm on the love side.
20:54I can think of better things on toast and whatnot.
20:57I would do. Cheese.
20:59Cheese and eggs. Cheese and whatnot.
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 going around Lee.
21:12You are.
21:12I'm not.
21:13I think you forget I'm from Lee.
21:14Fine.
21:15I will see people from Lee.
21:18Today, they're planning a taste test
21:20to see if people can tell the difference
21:22between goods past their best before dates and fresh ones.
21:27How's he standing?
21:28Got to stand like that.
21:28Like, what sort of facial expressions?
21:31I'd pay 100 quid seeing nails stood around town looking like that.
21:35The social team should really be using it
21:38and doing more field tests.
21:40So, really, it's an investment piece going forward, wouldn'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.
22:00With 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. I used to have a team of six of them. I used to race them
22:24nationally.
22:25Chicken feet.
22:26She absolutely adores these.
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. He loves these.
22:40Another popular treat is the puffed pig snout. A 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.
23:16I think I'm older than the fixtures and fittings.
23:19Richard is the manager here. He's been with us for 25 years, is it, Rich?
23:24Yeah, something like that.
23:25And he actually started here as a work experience boy, so he's been with us a long time.
23:30Long time. Can't get rid of him.
23:32Dan and his team have seen their customers feeling the pinch of pet food price rises.
23:36A lot of people are struggling, the cost of living crisis has hit hard
23:40and people need to save money where they can and that's where we step in.
23:44We stock everything from dogs and cats to chickens, llamas, alpacas, a range of everything.
23:52With over 30 years in the business, Dan's learned a few tricks of the trade
23:56in cutting costs for his customers.
23:59We keep plenty of stock in so that we can fulfil the large orders that we get
24:04and keep prices low. We work on a low margin, essentially. We take the cost price,
24:09which we negotiate as best we can to get the best prices, whether that be buying in bulk
24:13or buying direct from the manufacturer. If 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, Dan and the team have got
24:27that
24:27covered too. So what we do to save people a little bit more money where we can is we take
24:32big bags,
24:32big boxes of product. So we buy in bulk, we pack it down into smaller bags so that you can
24:38basically
24:39pay big bag money and buy a small bag. So yeah, you save yourself a bit of money that way
24:44as well.
24:45Two skinners, chicken. Is 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, cost and reward in terms of profit.
25:04They're offering what they want you to buy and not what you want to buy.
25:10Bulk buying isn't the only way businesses can save their customers money.
25:14With more tricks up his sleeve, Dan's even cutting his carbon footprint into the bargain too.
25:20Greening is a big, big keyword for us. We talk about that a lot.
25:24It's essentially keeping things local as much as possible to avoid those transports,
25:29to avoid the lorries on the road and just protect the environment.
25:33Dan's got another buzzword too. And this one is just right for everyone's budget.
25:39What we offer is a Goldilocks system, which is offering a good, better, best analogy.
25:46So we've got some good birdseed, we've got the better and then we've got the best,
25:50all at very, very good price points.
25:52This is 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, one of our most popular natural treats. This would have gone to waste.
26:14My dog has had one of these for going on three months and still can't get through it. Admittedly,
26:19he's a miniature Dachshund, so it takes him a while, but...
26:21Ticking feet. Yeah, it's fantastic value, without a doubt. You can't beat it.
26:26Customers here in Essex are also cutting costs at their convenience too.
26:31So we've got a click and collect system here and basically customers place an order either over
26:37the phone or online and we place them in one of our cabinets we've got at the front with a
26:41combination
26:41lock and it means people can just pick it up whenever they like. For us it means we don't have
26:46to stay open
26:47quite so long. We haven't got lights running, we haven't got staff here. It means we're saving money
26:51and we can pass it on to the customer and that's what it's all about, keeping our prices as low
26:55as
26:55we possibly can. I think independent traders like this are a well-kept secret and hopefully that
27:04word's starting to get out now and people will vote with the pound in their pocket. Going toe-to-toe
27:10with the big online retailers is just another way businesses like this are saving shoppers money.
27:21Coming up, the dragon spreads his wings in search of bite-sized feedback. We've got a selection of
27:26products here. It's not very sick is it? No. Chris is hot on the tail of the basket bandits.
27:33We try to walk out with the baskets. Unstoppable. And Andrew investigates how automation can help put
27:40the pennies back in our pockets. These are the 380 robots that make all the magic happen.
27:52Right now life for the average person is getting tougher. A weekly shop for us is like way more than
27:59it was last year. Three words to describe my weekly shop. Getting more expensive. Once I pay my bills,
28:08I could afford to do about a week's shop and then I'm you know struggling.
28:18It's a sunny day in Wigan town and the discount dragon think tank has made a tactical company
28:24investment. I've got a surprise for you Wayne. The dragon costume is part of the new taste test
28:30marketing idea. We're going to have to put you in this just to make sure people know it's us.
28:36Creative manager now was meant to wear the outfit but he's got other ideas. What do you think?
28:46You happy? You up for it? Do you expect me to be happy? Yes or no are you happy? No.
28:53No.
28:54Why can't you wear it? It's a bit big isn't it? Come on let's go and do it. Known in
29:01the game as consumer sampling,
29:03their taste test will challenge the public to see if they can taste a difference between products that
29:09have passed their best before and those well within date. I think it's going to be really interesting
29:16actually because we genuinely can't tell the difference in the office. Let's see what the public has to say.
29:28They should have been prepared before haven't they? No we've done all right. Wing it. Did you just say wing
29:35it? Wayne you know you're dressed as a dragon.
29:38I'm a celebrity get me out of here. Wrong channel Wayne. So have you heard of discount dragon? No I've
29:45not.
29:45So we're a company based in Lee. We specialise in short dated food. We've got a selection of products here.
29:52Well you did have. Some of them are out of date. When I say out of date they've passed the
29:57best before
29:58and you're going to compare it to the exact same product that was bought in a supermarket this
30:03morning. Touch them, sniff them, obviously taste them. You tell us which one is supermarket and which
30:09one is close to or past its best before. I'm quite, if I know something's gone off I'm one of
30:17these I won't
30:17risk it and do it. It's crunch time and Pringles are up first. Once you pop you can't stop. Which
30:24is
30:25fine when you're only given two. Yeah no difference if I go for that one first.
30:34Nice. Nothing. Nothing. No difference. No no. The discount dragon Pringles are three weeks beyond
30:42their best before date. I mean even three weeks you expect it to be quite chewy. Yeah. Particularly
30:47with crisps. Yeah yeah that's it. They're both crunchy crispy nice. It's not going to make me sick is it?
30:53No.
30:54Best before dates show when quality might drop but used by dates means stop eating. It's unsafe after that.
31:03Play it right and you'll save your stomach and your wallet. And do you know what a big thing as
31:08well
31:08is cost. Yeah we're talking big savings. Okay bring in the next tester. It's chocolate o'clock.
31:15Cadbury caramel. Yeah Cadbury caramel. Clearly a connoisseur. I'd say they were from the same bar.
31:21Yeah. You thought they were from the same bar. Yeah yeah that's it. Shall we do the Rubicon.
31:34All right I've got to say that one's got more fizz. So that one's actually ours. Really? Yeah yeah.
31:40Nice. Yeah. That's got more carbonate in it. That one tastes a bit flat.
31:47If this guy on the street is right. Fizzy drinks actually taste better past their expiry date.
31:52Might as well see it off. Got questions? You're not alone. This lady's up first.
31:58Why are you dressed like that? Because we're from Discount Dragon. Have you heard of us?
32:03I have yeah actually. Have you? There you go. Oh sorry. So one is Discount Dragon. One was bought this
32:08morning in a supermarket. Okay. The Discount Dragon one has got a best before date of today. Yeah.
32:14Obviously the supermarket one is six, twelve months in advance.
32:22Same taste. Same taste. No I can't tell the difference. You can't tell the difference.
32:26No you're the difference. Yeah exactly. The difference is you're going to save money.
32:31We're not spoiling your tea are we? A bit late now Wayne but Discount Dragon's rep is safe. Both of
32:38them tasted.
32:38And of the 17 people who took part in the challenge not one of them could taste the difference.
32:44It's really confirmed what we already suspected. There doesn't appear to be any difference. No one
32:49can tell the difference. Hopefully people will learn you know best before is not doesn't need to go in
32:55the bin. Doesn't need to go into landfill or whatever. Save yourself some money and
33:00eat normally. You will not tell the difference and there's the proof. You are on fire today lads.
33:06You'll be telling this tale for years. This is commitment. This is commitment. This isn't pay rise. I don't know
33:13what it is.
33:15But at one beyond some people are just helping themselves without even paying for it.
33:22After being at Seacroft yesterday and speaking to the manageress and all the problems with shoplifters
33:27and everything I'm now making my way to a town centre shop in Leeds. Just how you expect your staff
33:33to
33:33come back the wave and wave of shoplifters is nearly impossible. You don't give up. You get security
33:40guards. You keep the best you can. It's very very difficult. Keeping things running on the shop floor
33:46are the dynamic duo Joanna and Renata. She's very helpful but if she's got bad day you don't want to
33:54be
33:54there. I'm just going to say. I've just slugged you off on camera Renata. I'm going to stop this place.
34:04Renata, they're different price, love. Oh, is that one? A pound? £1.15. You can't put
34:09the hedgehog in front of £1.15. I can put that one behind her. Winch, winch, winch.
34:16That's what I mean. That's why I don't like her sometimes.
34:20The boss has arrived and he wants to know that the team are running a tight and secure ship.
34:27When I went to Seacroft we had no guard which didn't please me very well. But here as we just
34:32got here,
34:33the guard is here and he's on duty and he's watching the CCTV so this is a little bit better
34:38than what I've seen yesterday. So far so good for store manager Renata. Renata.
34:45Oh, hello. Hiya. How you doing? How you doing? Are you happy with things?
34:52I'm always happy. You know me. I'm always happy. I could be angry sometimes but I'm happy.
34:57I've just been up at Seacroft and found a horrendous it is there.
35:00Yeah. I'm shoplifting. Yeah.
35:03He's everyday. He's like everyday battle. I'm just saying, you probably come up against it,
35:09you know, where you ask somebody, you know, can you please, where they want to pay for one and
35:13they've snuck a dozen pieces of whatever it is in the bag. I don't use please, love.
35:17Pardon? I don't use please.
35:20How you pay cash or cash? Cash please.
35:24Chris is concerned the 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 and if you sort of
35:35held around to get the whatever they've got in their hand.
35:39We have a lady, you know, like she was coming and stealing and she's still a lot of cosmetics
35:44and she, I pick as well, you know, the mirror and grab her outside and she break the mirror
35:52and a half and try to swing it. Swing me on her, you know, that's why I have a big
35:57wrinkle, but you
35:58know, swing on her on the face. Not very big scars, but you know, try to stab me from the
36:03back as well.
36:04It's just soul destroying.
36:08Thieves target pricier items, known as hot products, so these aisles are on high alert.
36:13That's all the medication and, you know, that's the vulnerable section as well, I would presume
36:18with the Lemsips and... You watch them, don't you? Just do that.
36:21Just, don't worry. That's it. I'll see you later.
36:26It's the easy stuff, like, to sell. Shampoos, shower gels.
36:31But the stolen products aren't always destined for their own bathrooms.
36:35We've got shoplifters who don't pinch for their own use.
36:39No. The pinches sell on. Just sell on, yeah.
36:41You know. Any of this on here, which is retail $2.50, $3.75, they open the bag up and
36:47say,
36:47you can have any of them for a pound and people just buy it.
36:51And some of these brazen bandits don't even use a bag.
36:54Well, let me just show you a few examples. Right.
36:59So, what's he filling up there? Is it a pusher?
37:01No, just our basket. Right.
37:04He tried to walk out with the basket. Right.
37:07Unstoppable. Right, got it.
37:09Because it's not heavy, so you can easy run past the point and 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? Yeah, yeah, that one, yeah. That one, yeah.
37:23He'll know that's one of his best sellers out in the street.
37:25Yeah. He'll be taking them out in the street to earn his money.
37:29It's anger. It's anger. The first thing what was, is for me anyway, is anger.
37:34Yeah, makes you feel depressed.
37:40And I have many shoplifters saying like, why are you bothered? It's not yours. It's not yours.
37:46Yeah, but it is, you know, at some point it is mine. This is my store.
37:52We did have, you know, like a shoplifter, the guys just fill their back,
37:57toothpaste, medication, £160 later, £160.
38:00So we went in town centre looking for somebody with the whitest teeth you've ever seen.
38:06Yours is pretty white, Chris.
38:10Well, I'll 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,
38:25is exploring a brave new world.
38:27Well, that looks completely different than the mill.
38:30He's scoping out a potential new high-tech HQ,
38:34which will increase productivity and drive down prices.
38:38Hi, I'm Andrew. Costa, nice to meet you.
38:40Hi. All right, are you ready to take your round?
38:43Brilliant. Awesome, let's go.
38:45He's getting a guided tour of the kind of facility
38:48the business is hoping to call home.
38:51There is a lot of stairs. Not 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
39:03monitoring of exactly where every pallet and every 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 has 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.
39:37They're picking all the products that have been ordered off customers,
39:40and then the other one comes and brings the other one until they've got all the products
39:43that the customer's ordered, and then it's ready to be packed.
39:46That's precisely correct.
39:47The 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, everything's moving in,
40:02coming in very quickly, it'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, go on and I've detained him.
41:02Try to go past me and pull the stuff out of his clothing.
41:05Then he's trying to go get away.
41:07He wants me to let go of him, probably try and make a run for it.
41:10So yeah, so that's what they do.
41:14You get that bit where I detained him, didn't you?
41:16Yep, 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 are we doing Bernie?
41:27Not too bad my man, how are you going?
41:28How many shoplifters have we got today?
41:31Everything's been quiet on the western front.
41:33Western front today, that makes a big 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 and some new updates as well.
41:43I'm interested about that.
41:44So if I take you 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,
42:19people 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
42:26doing the same thing over and over again.
42:28Rapid sharing of evidence could increase the chances of shoplifters
42:31being detained and ultimately convicted.
42:35This is one of the stores where we're very much on top of it because of Bernie and all his
42:38procedures
42:39and everything, and you just don't realise the scale of how much...
42:43It's not now just an individual and thinking,
42:45you 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.
43:04Yeah, that's all right.
43:0950 miles away in Wigan, Wayne's heard about the robots in the swanky new factory,
43:15but he knows his current staff are faster than the speed of light.
43:19And to prove it...
43:20Monica, competition. You pick, me pick.
43:24Maybe me quicker than you.
43:26Sounds like Wayne's already sacrificing grammar for speed.
43:30Are you quicker than me?
43:31Yeah.
43:32No.
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?
43:44Come 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.
44:04Ah, no. Hang 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 that.
44:14It's not fair, that's.
44:16Monica.
44:17If only someone from senior management was around to show him the ropes.
44:22I think you're faster than Wayne.
44:24Where do I?
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?
44:41I'm finished now.
44:42I'm rocking now.
44:43A13.
44:45You're finished?
44:46Yeah.
44:47Already?
44:48Yeah.
44:49Where do I?
44:51I think I'm getting quite good at that.
44:54Wayne, come on, I'm finished.
44:57You're finished?
44:58Yes.
44:58No way.
44:59Yes.
45:00And you've got the easy orders then.
45:02Yeah, look at mine.
45:03Drink, drink, drink, drink, drink, drink, drink, drink, drink, drink, drink, drink.
45:07What did you get?
45:08That was a small quarter.
45:09You got chocolate.
45:10You got chocolate, yeah?
45:11No, I don't care.
45:12Sorry, I win.
45:13No, I need not win.
45:14As is so often the case in the corporate rat race, the reward for getting your work done the fastest...
45:20I'll get her to finish this.
45:22...is more work.
45:24Because you're very quick, yeah?
45:26Yeah.
45:26Maybe I'm not as quick as you.
45:29So you take this.
45:31What's going on?
45:32I don't know.
45:33I don't know.
45:33You fix it.
45:35You're on a snake.
45:37Don't say he never gives you anything, Monica.
45:39But this might have been a humbling experience for Wayne, as 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 is 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.
46:10And I think when we first moved in here, it was really cheap, way 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, this place will be a legacy.
46:21And wherever we end up, this place will always be a legacy.
46:24I'll discount dragon.
46:27Good memories.
46:28Good memories.
46:56Thanks.
Comments