LIDL items more expensive in Malta

fyi <<>> http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20131001-grocery-cart-savings, Further>> "If you consistently pass over generic store brand items for name brand ones, you are losing the opportunity to save big. Before you thumb your nose and complain about taste differences, you might be surprised who, exactly, makes that generic. (Hint: watch to find out." SPEAKS FOR ITSELF!!!

Why is Malta Today allowing only negative comments to be aired? Truthfully, up to now, I always thought Malta Today was a beacon for honest balanced reporting. Do I need to start having doubts re this balance?

And the gullible Maltese public still go to their stores in their thousands..never mind the price and never mind the eternal chaos caused by LIDL's insistence on stacking during the day,especially when the corridors are so narrow. The only time that the San Gwann shop was halfway decent ,wit all the stacking having been done probably during closing hours was when ,a few months ago, they had some bigwigs in their grey suits visiting. The short voyage between Sicily and Malta should not warrant price hikes of up to nearly 100%.

"...the difference in prices was simply due to freight expenses." Codswallop!!! What about freight from Italy to Sicily? Or doesn't that count? How convenient.

I give you a small calculation on freight of the products shipped to Malta. Example if we are charged 50c on a tin of 200g tuna fish. A 20ft container takes about 900 cases by 48 tins, so total of tins in this container will be 43,200 tins. If we are charged 50 cents extra for each tin because of freight then Lidl is getting and extra 21600 Euros which is far more the cost of shipping a container to Malta from any port in the world.

All we have to do is get together and BOYCOTT Lidl for a couple of months. That will screw up their whole demand and supply logistics. THEN perhaps they will start playing fairly.

One shops at Lidl in order to obtain the best quality at the best value for money. This does not mean that all products are the topmost in their sector! It simply means that you get very good value for your buck! No wonder Lidl has earned over 25% of total market share on these islands in just 5 short years. Reason being that this company purchases the production of whole factories, and does not have the huge marketing expenses which other products suffer from (in some cases, the marketing budget would exceed 65% of the cost of a product. Then factor in taxes and profit margins.... Just look at the cosmetics market with all their giveaways). Moreover this allows these discount sellers to control and supervise the quality of production, materials and the whole manufacturing process. Producers would be stupid to lose such good trouble free business. Hence the enormous success of this brand and other discounters. <<>> As far as CC is concerned, I have always had extremely good service locally, i.e. when I returned products in their original condition, ACCOMPANIED by the fiscal receipt and within a reasonable time limit, always being fully refunded. I have also had a coffee machine replaced straight from the manufacturer (not Lidl) in Germany (via courier) again after producing the ORIGINAL fiscal receipt. Most complainers expect to walk up to any cashier with unpacked damaged goods after some months and without a fiscal receipt and expect MIRACLES. Don't! If you want miracles go to church!!

We live on an island so there are certain transport expenses. What we should focus on is to minimise these extra costs because they add directly to the cost of what we buy thus reducing our purchasing power and ultimately our standard of living. We should be asking ourselves why we have some of the highest port charges in Europe? As for the pricing policy of individual shops, we can always vote with our feet.

Why are the Maltese always treated like stupid from foreigners?

Freight expences my foot. A full load container from Sicily costs around € 2000 so considering that a price difference of € 10 on each phone, then only 200 phones are shipped in one 20ft container. Just an excuse. By the way if these are shipped from China, one 20ft container cost around $1600 in shipping.

Pull the other leg please. As always the freight cost is the blame. if freight cost is spread on all products brought over rest assured that it would not make a difference at all.

Pull the other leg please. As always the freight cost is the blame. if freight cost is spread on all products brought over rest assured that it would not make a difference at all.

i always thought that i was buying things on the same price as those on the continent....now the company has put the difference on freight charges. ok but are other expences equal to those abroad /? meaning are the wages , electricity bills and land aquisition or leasing or renting the same as on the continent and if not are they taken in consideration when the selling price is established? by the same reasoning when the gozo branch is opened then we will be charged differently from malta.................

On average LIDL prices in the UK are 2/3 times less expensive than Malta. This cannot be justified by freight costs as LIDL is based in Germany and the difference between the two locations in mileage is minimal, It is all down to less competition in Malta

On average LIDL prices in the UK are 2/3 times less expensive than Malta. This cannot be justified by freight costs as LIDL is based in Germany and the difference between the two locations in mileage is minimal, It is all down to less competition in Malta

This is daylight robbery!

Maybe they are charging ecotax (which they do not have in Italy) on telephones. This amounts to nearly 7 Euro on a telephone.

EVERYTHING is more expensive in Malta than in the rest of Europe. Why should Lidl be ant different? €11.00 to ship a cordless 'phone? That's not "extra shipping expenses", That is profiteering

freight expenses my arse. €11 difference on a cordless phone!!! Another case of how the Maltese consumer is being constantly robbed.

If this is true, it's foul play. All we should do, just boycott it. We still have other supermarkets

If this is true, it's foul play. All we should do, just boycott it. We still have other supermarkets

I've been to the London,Berlin,Amsterdam and Sicilian Lidles and they all carried the same price. If Lidle Malta tries to play the fiddle with us, it will surely loose my custom.

I've been to the London,Berlin,Amsterdam and Sicilian Lidles and they all carried the same price. If Lidle Malta tries to play the fiddle with us, it will surely loose my custom.

I've been to the London,Berlin,Amsterdam and Sicilian Lidles and they all carried the same price. If Lidle Malta tries to play the fiddle with us, it will surely loose my custom.

I've been to the London,Berlin,Amsterdam and Sicilian Lidles and they all carried the same price. If Lidle Malta tries to play the fiddle with us, it will surely loose my custom.

A telephone might be more expensive in Malta because Eco tax have to be paid on this product while it might not be paid in Italy or Sicily. On the other hand it is true that a lot of products are sold at a higher price in Malta then in Sicily and even more higher then in UK.Lately I am buying more from Maltese Supermarkets then from lidl as price are not that difference and besides I purchase the brand I prefer cause here in Malta I feel we are discriminate by Lidl price wise

Everything at Lidl in Malta is far more expensive in Malta than in Germany or Belgium. But many things are the same price or even cheaper than in Lidl Ireland. Lidl, and other discount supermarket, calibrate their prices according to those of mainstream retailers.

And that's not all. If you buy a product covered by a guarantee and it happens that the product develops a fault after 30 days from the purchase date you are in for a hard time.  They make you contact Lidl Germany by email and after a lot of email exchanges they send you to a specific Lidl supermaket, within a specified time frame, where the problem is supposed to be solved. They try their best to disenhearten you in their quest to make you give up your guarantee rights. Then when you visit the specified Lidl supermaket you need to convince the person in charge to reimburse you your money while you return the defective product. One must keep in mind that if a customer is not computer literate (and very patient) his rights will be forfeited.

The usual most banal excuse ever given, especially when I know that wholesaler pick up the products in bulk for mere pennies. That cordless phone would probably only cost then Eur3 in reality. Sad indeed and what a rip off.

Apart from higher prices. LIDL's customer care is hopeless. My son bought a coffee machine and it was defective, they promised to change it but some 6 months have passed and no coffee machine in site. On another occasion I bought an electric wire finder and to my amazement it did even trace a one inch deep electrical wire. I went to Lidl at Zejtun and was informed that a month have passed. I told her I am sorry but spend the last fortnight in hospital, and the was "Are we to blame?" . Since then I have never been to that supermarket. When I want some tool I prefer to pay a little bit extra but get what I bargain for. Do like me when you see a Lidl Plaque just turn your head the other way.