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Thread: Everyone email Sainsburys!

  1. #1
    chord monkey derwenna's Avatar
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    Default Everyone email Sainsburys!

    I emailed Sainsbury's a couple of days ago to ask if they had a list of products which were suitable for vegans, as they have dairy-free, egg-free etc. lists on the website, but no vegan list. I also commented that it was good that they're labelling some of their products as vegan (hoping to encourage them to do more). Here's the reply I just got (my emphasis):


    Thank you for your email. I understand you would like to know if we have a list of all the products we sell that are suitable for our vegan customers.
    I am sorry to tell you that we do not have such a list. This is because there is no demand for one and we believe the vegan diet is a lifestyle choice made by customers.


    That said, I have passed your suggestion on to our marketing team for their attention. They will certainly take your feedback on board and will discuss it during their next review meeting.


    I am also pleased to hear you are happy with the labelling of our vegan products. You may be interested to know that we have a specific section of our website, which is dedicated to the vegan diet. On this section of the website, you will find some useful information about the vegan diet, along with delicious vegan recipes that seem easy enough to prepare. You can find this information on www.sainsburys.co.uk.


    In the meantime, if you are unsure if a product is suitable for vegans, please feel free to contact us. Alternatively, you could call our freephone customer Careline on 0800 636 262. Our Careline is open Monday to Saturday, 8am until 7pm and my customer service colleagues will be more than happy to help.


    Thank you once again for taking the time to contact us. I do hope this information helps you and that you will continue to enjoy our range of vegan products in the future.

    Kind regards




    Anyone fancy emailing Sainsbury's asking where the vegan product list is? I know it's probably been done before but my immediate reaction to the "there is no demand for one" line is thoughts of mass e-mailage...

  2. #2
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Quote derwenna View Post
    along with delicious vegan recipes that seem easy enough to prepare.
    WTF is that supposed to mean? Vegans are idle whatsits for wanting to buy ready-made food when we could cook our own easily enough?

    I'll write - have we got an e-mail address?

    I think there was a long thread about this issue a few months ago BTW.

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    done! gotta wait for a reply now though...

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Quote harpy View Post
    WTF is that supposed to mean? Vegans are idle whatsits for wanting to buy ready-made food when we could cook our own easily enough?

    I'll write - have we got an e-mail address?

    I think there was a long thread about this issue a few months ago BTW.
    http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/template...ACHEHINT=Guest

  5. #5
    told me to Mr Flibble's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Quote derwenna View Post
    This is because there is no demand for one
    Do you really, really want one?

    I wrote to supermarkets when I turned vegan almost 8 years ago asking for lists and most of them replied with them. Like the ones that are available still today they were interesting to take a look at, but were full of errors and obvious products (rice, bananas etc), without many of the interesting ones left out. Hence I didn't bother again.

    Personally I'd much rather supermarkets labelled items rather than produced lists, and I'm glad this is the route that sainsburys have taken. Whilst it's nice to browse a list once in a while, I'd rather not traverse the isles with a wad of paper. If supermarkets were willing to do both then that'd be great, and if they were able to produce the list automatically from those labelled as such that'd be even better, but I've a feeling that it's a one or another thing.
    "Mr Flibble - forum corruptor of innocents!!" - Hemlock

  6. #6
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Both labelling and lists would be good, and a list shouldn't be hard to produce assuming they flag vegan products on their product database.

    I for one would use a list - I tend not to go to Sainsbury's very often but if I knew they had something specific that I wanted I might go more often.

    I wrote them a note saying I liked the labelling but would they please consider doing a list as well?

  7. #7
    Hemlock's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Huh! sainsburys around here (Newhaven) is rubbish. Corum and I went there this morning to look for some specialist ingredients as we want to experiment with thai cooking this weekend, stuff like galangal, tamari paste etc.
    They had nothing we wanted not even dried rice noodles and everything was horrifically expensive, 75p for a few fresh sage leaves - the stuff grows like grass in our garden!!!
    We left in disgust and got everything we needed and more in Morrisons in our home town.
    Well everything except galangal and we couldn't be bothered to drive 10 miles to Waitrose for it.
    Silent but deadly :p

  8. #8

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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Here's the wholly unsatisfactory reply i received:
    Dear Bryan

    Thank you for your email. I understand you would like to know why we do not have a list of products that are suitable for people following a vegan diet.

    I am sorry to tell you that there is currently no demand for a vegan guide. In addition to this, we do not provide a vegan guide, as following a vegan diet is a lifestyle choice and not a necessity, like our allergy guides are for people with food intolerances.

    That said, I have passed your suggestion on to our marketing team for their consideration. They will certainly take your feedback on board and will discuss it during their next review meeting.

    You may be interested to know that we have a section on our website that is dedicated to the vegan diet. This information provides vegan followers with useful tips and delicious recipes that seem easy enough to prepare. You can find this information on our website at www.sainsburys.co.uk.

    Thank you once again for taking the time to contact us. I do hope that despite this matter, you will continue to enjoy shopping with us.

  9. #9
    Abe Froman Risker's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Do they provide lists for religious diets?
    "I don't want to live on this planet any more" - Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth

  10. #10
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    In addition to this, we do not provide a vegan guide, as following a vegan diet is a lifestyle choice and not a necessity, like our allergy guides are for people with food intolerances.
    That's a complete non sequitur, isn't it? Why not have a list for a "lifestyle choice"?

    I just tried using a keyword search on the database on their on-line shopping site, and brought up one vegan product and seven kosher ones, so they may not do it for religions either, unless they produce the lists by some other method of course.

    Anyway, they're experiencing some demand for a vegan list now ETA that their web site points out that there are a quarter of a million vegans in the UK http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/food/spe...6x%3d0%26y%3d0 so you'd think they might think it was worthwhile from a commercial POV

  11. #11
    Noogle's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Dear Nicola
    Thank you for your email about our website. I am sorry to hear that you have been unable to find a list of vegan foods. I can understand how annoying this must be for you, especially as you have found them on the websites of other companies.
    I am sorry but we do not currently have a list of vegan foods available on our website. However, it is pleasing to let you know that we have a wealth of information about the diet as well as a wide range of interesting meal ideas. I have listed the steps below you will need to follow to access the information.
    1.Visit www.sainsburys.co.uk.
    2.Click on the ‘Food & Wine’ menu and select ‘Food & Wine home’ from the list.
    3.Click on ‘Special Diets’ from the third column in the main body of the page.
    4.To view information about the vegan diet scroll down the page and click on ‘Vegan’ written in orange or to view the recipes I refer to above, click on the orange ‘Try Something Vegan’ link.
    I hope the above is useful for you. Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. Your comments are valuable to us and I hope you are able to try and enjoy some of the recipe ideas we have.
    Kind regards
    Scott Levers
    Customer Manager

  12. #12
    alisont's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    I had this reply today:

    Thank you for your recent email asking if we have a list of all our vegan products.
    We do not currently have a list of vegan products but all our products are very clearly labelled as suitable for vegetarians and vegans, if this is the case. The only exceptions are those products that are obviously vegan and where our customers have indicated that labelling is unnecessary. Examples of this include plain waters, unseasoned flours, plain fruit and vegetables.

    You may also be interested to know that we have recipes and tips for vegan meals on our website. You can find these in the recipes, ideas and tips section at www.sainsburys.co.uk.
    Thank you once again for writing to me. I am glad to have had the opportunity to explain our policy and practice in this area.

    Kind regards

    Matthew Barlow
    Customer Manager


  13. #13
    phoenix rising's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Quote harpy View Post
    That's a complete non sequitur, isn't it? Why not have a list for a "lifestyle choice"?
    esp given that they have a vegetarian product list!

    Anyways, I've just emailed them
    when everything changes...change everything

  14. #14
    phoenix rising's Avatar
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    Angry Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Below is the very disappointing response I had from Sainsburys re: a producing a vegan product list.

    Dear Miss Clarke
    Thank you for contacting us. I note from your email that you would like to know if we have any plans to produce a list of vegan products that are available in our stores.

    I have contacted my colleagues here at our store support centre. They have advised me that we have no plans to produce a vegan list. This is because we feel that products lists we do produce for customers with a food intolerance are more of a necessity.

    Thank you once again for taking the time to contact us. I am sorry that I cannot be of any further assistance.

    Kind regards

    Teresa Martin
    Customer Manager
    when everything changes...change everything

  15. #15
    Noogle's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Phoenix - ask why they provide a list for vegetarians then!

  16. #16
    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    personally i'd much rather have proper labelling than a vegan list. it is inconsistent of them to have a vegetarian list and not a vegan one, but i'd prefer them to concentrate on putting the vegan label back on their packaging. it's much easier to buy things that way.
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

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    told me to Mr Flibble's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Quote Noogle View Post
    Phoenix - ask why they provide a list for vegetarians then!
    because there's magnitudes more of them?
    "Mr Flibble - forum corruptor of innocents!!" - Hemlock

  18. #18
    Noogle's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Quote Mr Flibble View Post
    because there's magnitudes more of them?
    "They have advised me that we have no plans to produce a vegan list. This is because we feel that products lists we do produce for customers with a food intolerance are more of a necessity."

    We're being fobbed off with 'you need a food intolerance for us to provide for you'. Now I know I've never personally heard of vegetarianism being a food intolerance. It's a diet based on belief - same as veganism. So if they're telling us they wont compile a list based on beliefs [only intolerances] then how can they explain vegetarianism?

  19. #19
    Noogle's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Quote Gorilla View Post
    personally i'd much rather have proper labelling than a vegan list. it is inconsistent of them to have a vegetarian list and not a vegan one, but i'd prefer them to concentrate on putting the vegan label back on their packaging. it's much easier to buy things that way.
    I wouldn't mind both! Lists are good though, for pre-planning what to buy from places.

  20. #20
    KarmaGirl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Quote phoenix rising View Post
    This is because we feel that products lists we do produce for customers with a food intolerance are more of a necessity.
    I do have a food intolerance to animal products- just thinking about eating them makes me want to puke.

  21. #21
    Dr Phibes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    I've just emailed to ask why the company produces a vegetarian list and not a vegan one - I'll post replies when received. However, I would much rather the labelling instore was reliable. An online list would be useful for those who have internet-enabled mobile phones though...

  22. #22
    phoenix rising's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Quote Dr Phibes View Post
    I've just emailed to ask why the company produces a vegetarian list and not a vegan one
    My original email alluded to the fact that Sainsbury's already produce a vegetarian list (see below). Hence why i'm so annoyed with the response i got

    -----Original Message-----
    Sent: 10.09.2007 09:19:45 PM
    To: "Customer.Service" <Customer.Service@sainsburys.co.uk>
    Subject: Other Questions
    Subject: Vegan Product List
    Comments:
    Are there any plans to produce a vegan product list on your website, similar to the free from and vegetarian product lists?

    Whilst it's very helpful that Sainsbury's label many of their vegan products instore, I find it's still very time consuming to shop online for vegan produce as I have to search the product details for every product (with exception of fruit/vegetables) in order to check its suitability. Furthermore, ingredient lists are absent from many products on the Sainsbury's website, making product selection difficult.

    Would appreciate your comments on the above.

    Regards,
    when everything changes...change everything

  23. #23
    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    i agree it's annoying shopping online if there's no vegan list or vegan labelling on the website. i haven't ordered anything from their website for years (partly due to the extortionate delivery charge though).
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

  24. #24

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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    In the latest issue of the Vegan Society mag, there was a snippet saying that you could email (or call?) Sainsbury with the bar codes of "unmarked" vegan items. My partner has the magazine with him at work, but I can post the contact info later if it's different than above.

    They have some very yummy ready-made stuff.

  25. #25
    Dr Phibes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Hello all
    I've just had a reply stating that Sainsbury's do not produce a vegetarian guide/list either. The company seems adamant that vegan/veggie is merely a lifestyle choice and therefore doesn't warrant the same consideration as a physical intolerance... However, the CS rep who mailed me did say that if in doubt send the product details off (including the bar code if possible) to:
    customerservice@sainsburys.co.uk or ring 0800 63 62 62 Monday to Saturday 8am to 7pm and all shall be made clear!
    Regards
    Phibes

  26. #26

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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    they definitely did a vegan list a few years ago! I think I got in from an Animal Free Shopper update.

    What are you supposed to do if you want to shop online then? Send them the entire store product list to check each item individually?

  27. #27
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Not a bad idea! What if everyone starts emailing to ask if their [extensive!] shopping lists are vegan? Make a huge list and hopefully, with enough time 'wasted' on replying, they might start re-thinking their policies on lists.

  28. #28
    Dr Phibes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Sainsbury's did indeed produce a list of vegan products, I think the last one was produced in the late 90's though. I must admit I'd never thought about online shopping, that'll give me something to reply with! I'll let you know...

    It has to be said though, an online database would be infinitely more useful than a printed list as the latter would be out of date before it even got printed.

    Regards
    Phibes

  29. #29
    Ali's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    sent a message
    will post if i get a reply
    Ali

  30. #30
    Dr Phibes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Has anyone received a reply recently - despite numerous reminders I'm not getting any replies?!?

  31. #31
    Ali's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Yep got this

    Thank you for your email. We aim to reply to all our customers within two days. Occasionally, due to higher volumes of customer contact, we may not be able to respond as quickly as we would like. We appreciate your patience until we can get back to you.

    Kind regards

    Sainsbury's Customer Services
    followed by an email stating that they do not have a list but they do stock vegan products (but i must have accidently deleted the email - doh)

    Cheezly
    Ali x

  32. #32
    Dr Phibes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everyone email Sainsburys!

    Hello all I emailed Sainsburys about the lack of useful information online and after 14 attempts have now got assurances that this will be looked into. A vegan list is unlikely to be produced no matter how much the demand but efforts to be transparent about instore labelling appear to be taking a turn for the better, products are now constantly checked for accuracy but Sainsburys would appreciate it if we pointed out any errors... Regards Phibes

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