A Guide to BOGOF: Special Offers at Superquinn

I’ve heard all the reasons for customers to dislike supermarket’s buy one, get one free offers. They can make us buy things we don’t really want or need. They can encourage us to overspend on products we’ll never get to eat. They’re often on perishable goods, and a lot of the food ends up in the bin, causing environmental damage and leaving a heavy carbon footprint. And don’t get me started on the pressure they can put on food producers to take the hit during these special offer promotions.

But I’m not convinced. I reckon if you’re pre-armed with knowledge of a shop’s offers, especially BOGOFs – you’ll find the information on this or other Irish consumer blogs, or supermarket websites – and make your shopping list based on what you’ll get through, you’re less tempted to impulse buy. And you can stock up on freezer items: meat and fish, bread, frozen food.

Superquinn’s current special offers are all BOGOFs, which will doubtless irk or enrage some. I can see a lot of BOGOF items here that would be worth stocking up on:

• SQ Seabass fillets – €3 each
• SQ Premium Mince (454g) – €4.99
• SQ Large White Pan – €2.19
• Robinson’s Fruit Squash range (1litre) – €1.89
• Go Cat Healthy Heart (2kg) – €6.95
• Carex Liquid Hand Soap – €2.49
• SQ North Atlantic Prawns (400g) – €7.89

Equally, there’s plenty of items that generally make little sense to stock up on. Unless, of course, you have a large family, or you happen to eat or use a lot of a particular item, such as:

• SQ Medium Free Range Eggs (6 pack) – €1.59
• Rooster Potatoes (2.5kg) – €4.19
• Aero Mousse Chocolate (4 pack) – €2.19
• SQ Hot Smoked Irish Salmon/ Hot Smoked Lemon Pepper Irish Salmon (100g) – €4.99
• Cookstown Premium Crumbed/ Oven Baked Ham (120g) – €3.29
• Conditorei Bailey’s/ Strawberry Cheesecake (485g) – €4.99
• And because you’ll eat them all immediately… Lindt Lindor Coronet Milk/ Assorted (200g) – €4.99

I think it’s all about judicious shopping. The offers are here until February 9. Click here to see them all.