John Cletheroe's
UK and European Travel and Tourism Hints
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External Links - Restaurant, Shop And Supermarket Chains
Please report any broken links using the "EMail me" link at the bottom of this page.
Most of these web sites offer versions in the English language (look for "Anglais", "Engels", "English" or a Union Jack flag). However, some sites are only available in their own national language.
Aldi (deep discount supermarket chain)
This site has links to the Aldi web sites in each country where they operate. Verified May-03.
Aldi (UK) (deep discount supermarket chain)
This UK site includes details of current weekly special offers (with an option to subscribe to a free email newsletter), store locations and new additions to the range of regular products. It also has links to Aldi web sites in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands and the USA. Verified Aug-04.
Alldays (UK convenience store chain)
Verified Jan-03.
Asda (UK supermarket chain)
This UK supermarket chain was originally established by Associated Dairies (hence the name) but recently taken over by Wal-Mart. Verified Oct-00.
Auchan (hypermarket chain)
This hypermarket chain is based in France but also has a few stores in other countries, including the USA. Verified Oct-00.
B & Q (UK DIY equipment chain)
Verified Apr-04.
Big W (UK hypermarket chain)
This chain, part of Woolworths, has a store layout and range of good similar to the US chains KMart, Pamida, ShopKo, Wal-Mart, etc. However, their prices most certainly do not match the US chains. When I visited this web site in Nov-01 most of the home page's navigation buttons had not yet been implemented. Verified Nov-01.
Boots or Boots (UK retail chain)
Originally a chemists, Boots now also sell a wide range of goods. Both URL's lead to the same content. Verified Jan-03.
Verified Jan-03.
Budgens (UK supermarket chain)
Verified Dec-02.
Extremely slow, awkward and gimmicky. Includes a restaurant locator and details of current special offers. Verified Jun-04.
Carrefour (supermarket chain)
This supermarket chain is based in France but also has a large number of stores in several other European countries and other parts of the world. Verified Oct-00.
Verified May-03.
This site covers the UK Co-op's supermarkets and other shops. There are separate Co-op organisations in some other European countries. Verified Dec-02.
Comet (UK electrical and electronics retail chain)
Verified Jan-03.
CostCo (UK division of the US membership warehouse retail chain)
Verified Jan-03.
Both URL's lead to the same content. Verified Jan-03.
Farmfoods (UK supermarket chain)
This chain sells mainly but by no means exclusively frozen food. Verified Dec-02.
Iceland (UK supermarket chain)
Verified Oct-00.
Halfords (UK car parts retail chain)
Verified Jan-03.
Includes details of menu items and locations, but hardly any prices. Verified Jul-04.
HMV (UK audio CD retail chain)
Verified Jan-03.
Jessops (UK photographic retail chain)
Jessops cater both for traditional chemical photography with film cameras and modern electronic photography with digital cameras. Verified Jan-03.
Failed in Oct-00 with Netscape V4.6 but ok with Internet Explorer V4. OK with Internet Explorer V6 in Oct-03. Verified Oct-03.
Kaufhof (German department store chain)
Verified Oct-00.
This site includes details of menu items but I couldn't find any restaurant location information, which by current web site standards is a major failing. Verified Jun-04.
Kwik Save (UK supermarket chain)
A few years ago the Kwik Save chain was purchased by Somerfield, who as far as I know still own it. Verified Dec-02.
Lidl (Germany) (European deep discount supermarket chain)
Verified Jul-02.
Lidl (UK) (European deep discount supermarket chain)
Includes details of store locations, weekly specials, price reductions and a facility to subscribe to a weekly specials email newsletter. Verified May-04.
Littlewoods (UK department store chain)
Verified Oct-02.
Londis (UK supermarket chain)
Verified Jan-03.
Makro (UK hypermarket chain)
In theory this chain, part of the German Metro group, claim to be a "cash and carry" for trade customers only. However, the flimsiest of excuses is accepted, so in practice it is very nearly a normal shop. However, visitors to Britain might find difficulty in meeting the requirements for membership. Beware of Makro's prices not including VAT, and often being at least as expensive as in other shops. Verified Apr-04.
As well as having a chain of shops, Maplin also operate a mail order service. Verified Dec-04.
Verified Oct-00.
Matalan (UK discount clothing and kitchenware chain)
Verified Oct-00.
Includes full details of menu items and a restaurant locator. Verified Mar-04.
Migros (Swiss supermarket/hypermarket chain)
The name is pronounced "me-grow". Verified Mar-02.
Both sites appear to have very nearly the same or identical content, including a list of current special offers. First URL verified Dec-02; second URL verified Sep-03.
Netto (UK) (deep discount supermarket chain)
Includes details of locations and current special offers, and links to Netto sites in other countries. Verified May-03.
Poundland (UK discount retail chain)
All items in Poundland shops cost £1. Verified Jan-03.
A very useful summary of the current special offers available at various UK supermarkets and other shops. Unfortunately it does not yet include the deep discount supermarket chains such as Aldi and Lidl. Verified Sep-01.
Primark (UK discount clothing, footwear and household linen chain)
While this site has a list of locations, it totally lacks any mention of items on sale and prices. Verified Sep-01.
QD Stores (UK discount retail chain)
When I visited this site in Jan-03 it was under construction and only offered a limit amount of information. Verified Jan-03.
QS Stores (UK discount clothing retail chain)
Verified Jan-03.
This chain has a small number of large stores with a layout similar to K-Mart and Wal-Mart, but UK prices. Their range of departments is, in my opinion, somewhat strange. Verified Aug-04.
Richer Sounds (UK hi-fi separates discount chain)
Verified Oct-03.
Safeway (UK supermarket chain)
Most of Safeway's 479 supermarkets in Britain have now been acquired by Morrison's and will be re-branded. Presumably this web site will eventually be withdrawn. Safeway in the USA is a separate company and unaffected by this. Verified Dec-02.
Sainsbury's (UK supermarket chain)
Verified Oct-00.
Somerfield (UK supermarket chain)
Verified Dec-02.
Verified Jan-06.
WH Smith (UK retail chain)
WH Smiths sells books, magazines, stationary items and audio CD's. Verified Jan-03.
Spar (UK) (European convenience store chain)
This is Spar's UK site. Verified Dec-02.
This site covers Spar's operations in all countries. Verified Dec-02.
The Subway submarine sandwich chain has 150 locations in the UK and Ireland (as at May-03). This site includes details of both menu items and locations. Verified Feb-04.
Superdrug is primarily a chemists but they also sell some other goods. Verified Jan-03.
Tesco (UK supermarket chain)
Verified May-04.
Upim (Italian department store chain)
Verified Oct-00.
Waitrose (UK supermarket chain)
Part of the John Lewis organisation. Verified Dec-02.
This URL is for Waterstones' ecommerce service in association with Amazon.com. Verified Jan-03.
Wimpy's (UK fast food restaurant chain)
Includes details of menu items and a restaurant locator, but no prices. Verified Jul-04.
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As with all the other pages on this site, all the information on this page is solely the opinion of the author, who has no connection whatsoever with any of the companies and organisations mentioned other than as an actual or potential customer.
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Most recently modified 3-Jan-06