Please help!! Waitrose refuse to stock 'LivLife Low Carb Bread'

this is too difficult

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The total number of sufferers is irrelevant.
It is the number of people who adopt dietary restrictions who matter.

Unfortunately the vast majority of T2Ds don't seem to be adopting a low carb lifestyle - so until they do there won't be a sustainable market for specialist products.

Whereas I think coeliacs (and other people with e.g. IBS) see gluten free as a way to eat bread without the problems, and there is a thriving market.

My personal view is that T2Ds shouldn't be eating bread at all - but I find it easier to just give something up than dole out a finely controlled ration each day.

As the very reasonable response said, it wasn't selling.
So blame the customers, not the store.

Cheers

LGC
Supermarkets all have free from sections. None of the things I have seen are free from or even low carb. It is infuriating. :grumpy:
 
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catherinecherub

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DD said,

"There is a huge difference in people that frequent your stores compared to Tesco etc. I commented on this fact to my partner whilst sat in your cafe in Rushden last week. There were less obese people in your store in Rushden compared to all other supermarkets that we have shopped at... Looking at your stores and the ranges of foods is the reason why. You do not specialise in junk, carb high foods"

How sad that you think not many obese people shop in your Waitrose. Have you ever stopped to consider that Waitrose prices are higher than other supermarkets, almost on a par with Marks and Spencer. People cannot afford Waitrose prices in this economic climate regardless of their weight
You can buy pizzas, ready meals including indian and chinese, white flour, sweets cakes, biscuits,cheap breads,crisps, fizzy pop,pastries and pies there.
All supermarkets have junk food and even skinnies partake of it. You can also buy healthy foods in all of them They all stock things that sell and it is evident that Burgen Soya and Linseed has a high turnover because they all stock it.

I wonder how many loaves of Livlife they actually sold, compared to other breads, before they stopped stocking it?

Not everyone on this forum is an ideal weight and throwaway comments like this can be hurtful
 
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donnellysdogs

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Good afternoon and thank you for writing to Waitrose on the subject of Livlife sliced bread.

I am sorry that you have been disappointed by the recent decision to remove this line from our shelves - the reason was actually very simple, and you elude to it in your note..... low sales and very high wastage, something which a business cannot overlook entirely.

When we first ranged this product it was certainly seen as visionary. Bringing a healthy low carb approach to a category that has historically tended to limit itself to the conventional high fibre, blended flours or heavily seeded approach to health was very different, and we launched it with high hopes...

In the end the outcome has been less than successful, which is most disappointing, because we had hoped this product might mark the start of a new and fresh piece of thinking that we could build on in the coming months - sadly not.

However, because we are of the view that the line still has the potential to break new ground, our intention is to take stock and consider relaunching the line in the wrapped speciality breads category, chiefly to see if this might prove a more successful 'home' for this product. If this were to happen then it would be a month or two away before this would be seen in-store.

That's where we are and why, so I hope this reassures you that our decision to take this line out was not a rash one, and that we remain focused on trying to make this peoduct work.


Loving life
 
A

AnnieC

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Hello :)

It's some time since I logged into the forums, but I just wanted to make you all aware, especially those on reduced or low carb diets, that Waitrose, in their wisdom, have decided this week to stop all stocks of 'LivLife low carb Bread'.

Apparently, they 'do not have the shelf space' to cater for Diabetics or low carb products! :rolleyes:

Now, as I pointed out in store this morning to their Customer Services person, they manage to find shelf space for hundreds of loaves of standard sliced bread, many of which are identical and also in fact duplicate products, just under different brand names. There are rows and rows of the same standard white bread, the same wholemeal, the same granary, the same grain breads, all standard recipes and standard high carbs, just different brands.

Yet 'LivLife' is (was) the ONLY low carb loaf of bread available in the uk. and it is the ONLY bread that many Diabetics, like myself, can eat without any negative effect on our blood sugar levels (I eat it every day, and my HbA1C was 6.2 last reading, 6.5 before that!). And it's not just eaten by Diabetics either! I know people who eat it as it doesn't bloat them like standard bread.

If like me, you low carb, or are maybe just keen to see more choices and alternatives for healthier breads on the supermarket shelves, or wish to alert the big stores to the benefits of stocking at least ONE low carb and diabetic-friendly bread to their offerings, then please, PLEASE join me and send a written, email request to the man who made the decision to delete LIVLIFE Low Carb bread from Waitrose stores to reconsider his decision, and provide at least ONE choice of bread for us Diabetics !

I mean, Waitrose are quick to jump on the "healthy" bandwagon, and stock hundreds of "Gluten Free" and "Free From" ranges, even though there are statistically far fewer genuine Coeliacs in the UK than Diabetics... and while I don't wish to knock anyone (with a health condition or not) many people just think it's 'trendy' to say they have a "Gluten intolerance", when they have NO intolerance at all, let alone any genuine or medical need to buy Gluten Free products.

Yet millions of Diabetics in the uk DO have a proven Medical condition, and one which is adversely affected by carbohydrate intake!

So, exactly how many of the millions of loaves of bread which are currently stocked on supermarket shelves are suitable for Diabetics or low carbers??? NONE! (as of this week, thanks to Waitrose's decision to stop selling LivLife Bread!).

Please, even if you aren't a low-carber, write them a short message/email and let them know that there should at least be ONE choice of bread available for Diabetics! Lord knows they give over enough space in supermarkets to sugar-filled junk foods, highly processed snacks and other unhealthy options!

If you want to join me in sending a message to the man responsible, here'e his contact details:

[email protected]

that's

james . dickson @ waitrose . co . uk (just in case hyperlink doesn't work!)

Please join me in dropping him a line. Without any action we are all (well.. many of us!) doomed to a life of avoiding the bread aisles... a life devoid of yummy sandwiches... or hot crunchy toast with butter and homemade Diabetic jam.... or LCHF Cheese toasties...... or low carb Bruscettas... { :(


Thank you everyone ! :)

p.s. I mention Waitrose only because they are the only major supermarket who did stock LIVLIFE bread, and who this week suddenly decided to stop it. There are no other supermarkets stocking it (in spite of my email requests to the other supermarkets in my area). So please, if you do send a message or letter or email to Waitrose, please copy it also to the to other supermarkets in your area, or even better, their Head Offices or their Customer Service Heads or their Bakery Directors!!

... and now I'm off to re-think my breakfast and lunch options... all over again.. like going back to when I was first diagnosed and didn't know what to eat :(

Sainsbury's do a low carb bread called HiLo they have it where the gluten free bread is in our local store I think is much nicer than the LivLife bread which I can't eat it is to horrible Mainly I have Bergen Linseed and Soya bread
 

Adhill61

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I bought the LivLife loaf in a Morrisons store two weeks ago and paid less for it than I did in Waitrose unsurprisingly.

Haven't been in store recently so dont know if still stocked.
 
A

Avocado Sevenfold

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I bought the LivLife loaf in a Morrisons store two weeks ago and paid less for it than I did in Waitrose unsurprisingly.

Haven't been in store recently so dont know if still stocked.
I tried our nearest Morrisons yesterday with no joy. It's not a wee shop either...it's like an aircraft hangar.
 

Adhill61

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I tried our nearest Morrisons yesterday with no joy. It's not a wee shop either...it's like an aircraft hangar.
Will try mine again at the weekend.

Meanwhile going to try to bake my own as follows...

Basic low-carb bread recipe

a basic recipe for almond-flour low-carb bread. Add other ingredients such as whole seeds and nuts – sunflower, pumpkin, sesame seeds, pistachio and pine nuts. Chopped bacon and cheese also work well.

Method:

  1. Combine all dry ingredients and mix well
  2. Lightly beat the eggs and mix with oil
  3. Combine dry and wet ingredients
  4. Pour the mixture into a greased loaf tin
  5. Bake at 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5 for about 45 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean)
Nutritional informationAssuming 10 slices are made from the amounts above, per slice:
211 cals, 2g net carbs, 18g fat, 10g protein

Worth a try...
 
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Brunneria

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Good afternoon and thank you for writing to Waitrose on the subject of Livlife sliced bread.

I am sorry that you have been disappointed by the recent decision to remove this line from our shelves - the reason was actually very simple, and you elude to it in your note..... low sales and very high wastage, something which a business cannot overlook entirely.

When we first ranged this product it was certainly seen as visionary. Bringing a healthy low carb approach to a category that has historically tended to limit itself to the conventional high fibre, blended flours or heavily seeded approach to health was very different, and we launched it with high hopes...

In the end the outcome has been less than successful, which is most disappointing, because we had hoped this product might mark the start of a new and fresh piece of thinking that we could build on in the coming months - sadly not.

However, because we are of the view that the line still has the potential to break new ground, our intention is to take stock and consider relaunching the line in the wrapped speciality breads category, chiefly to see if this might prove a more successful 'home' for this product. If this were to happen then it would be a month or two away before this would be seen in-store.

That's where we are and why, so I hope this reassures you that our decision to take this line out was not a rash one, and that we remain focused on trying to make this peoduct work.


Loving life

With any business, it's the bottom line that makes the final decision.

The thing I don't get is why so many people act as if bread is necessary. It isn't.

I haven't bought it for years, then got a couple of Livlife loaves out of curiosity, froze them, and still have half a loaf 4 months later. It was curiosity, not need.

Oh, I like a good croissant, fresh crusty loaf, etc. but really, they might as well be poison for what they do to my BG. Livlife is not the kind of bread I adore, it is a bit tough, a bit dry, and only really good for toast.
 
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donnellysdogs

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I had the waitrose bread, but since getting hubby to go low carb and going higher fat haven't purcased for 3 months and haven't missed at all. Only ever introduced bread to have breakfast as was advised by another person that I ought to have breakfast.

Now don't miss it, but do have a loaf thats running out in freezer.. Just use one slice occasionally for my fishcakes.

Bread is definitely not one of a 5aday or is it 7 or 25 a day necessitys. far better to have my summer berries a d yogurt for breakfast..


Loving life
 

donnellysdogs

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Oh and poached eggs on spinach ratner than toast is fab!!


Loving life
 
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madusmacus

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Ocado home delivery always have livlife in stock in my area kent
 

Madbazoo

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My local Waitrose have also not had any Burgen Soya & Linseed bread for over a week.


Type 2. Was out of control till I found this forum. Low Carb and testing saved me. Glucophage 1 per day down from 4. HBa1c down to 36
 

JontyW

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I'm a T1 for past 45 years and in last two years have started down the low carb route aiming for about 100g carbs/day. I don't bother with any carbs at lunchtime, so my main carbs are breakfast and dinner plus the odd fruit, and I like to keep my breakfast to 2 or 3 slices of toast with thin smear of marmalade or scrabbled egg.

So I aim to get lowest carb bread as possible and like many in this thread I started buying LivLife from my local store (Waitrose) since 3 slices were a total of 3.8 x 3 = ~11g CHO. This is low because the slices are very small compared to others, but I also did not like the taste of it so had to have marmalade to improve taste. I did notice that often it was being sold at 'reduced' price due to nearly past due date, which showed that sales were not good. Then also special discounted price for a few weeks, then ... nothing ... they stopped stocking it. So this supports what the Waitrose guy said about poor sales etc.

So what did I do next .... I hunted around all the small brown/wholemeal loaves stacked on the multiple shelves, and realised just what a massive overlap there was for many of the brands. In the end I chose Hovis Wholemeal and the slices are a reasonable size (27g) and 10g carbs, so that's 20g for my 2 slices. More importantly it smells & tastes really nice without needing marmalade to improve the taste. But I expect Waitrose will soon stop that since Hovis have just introduced a new range of 'Wholemeal MEDIUM' and 'Wholemeal THICK' which now dominates the Waitrose shelves :-(
 
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AnnieC

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With any business, it's the bottom line that makes the final decision.

The thing I don't get is why so many people act as if bread is necessary. It isn't.

I haven't bought it for years, then got a couple of Livlife loaves out of curiosity, froze them, and still have half a loaf 4 months later. It was curiosity, not need.

Oh, I like a good croissant, fresh crusty loaf, etc. but really, they might as well be poison for what they do to my BG. Livlife is not the kind of bread I adore, it is a bit tough, a bit dry, and only really good for toast.
Some of us can eat a couple of slices of bread so should we stop
You may have lost a loaf, but the manufacturer of Livlife has lost its biggest customer. Gotta feel for them. Maybe they have plans to supply a different supermarket?

I believe Sainsburys do a low carb loaf now. Don't know what it's called as they don't sell it in Scotland o_O
it is called HiLo
 
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AnnieC

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With any business, it's the bottom line that makes the final decision.

The thing I don't get is why so many people act as if bread is necessary. It isn't.

I haven't bought it for years, then got a couple of Livlife loaves out of curiosity, froze them, and still have half a loaf 4 months later. It was curiosity, not need.

Oh, I like a good croissant, fresh crusty loaf, etc. but really, they might as well be poison for what they do to my BG. Livlife is not the kind of bread I adore, it is a bit tough, a bit dry, and only really good for toast.
Some of us can eat a couple of slices of bread so should we stop
With any business, it's the bottom line that makes the final decision.

The thing I don't get is why so many people act as if bread is necessary. It isn't.

I haven't bought it for years, then got a couple of Livlife loaves out of curiosity, froze them, and still have half a loaf 4 months later. It was curiosity, not need.

Oh, I like a good croissant, fresh crusty loaf, etc. but really, they might as well be poison for what they do to my BG. Livlife is not the kind of bread I adore, it is a bit tough, a bit dry, and only really good for toast.
Maybe not actually necessary but some of us can eat some so why not. I always have a slice of toasted. Bergen bread with my breakfast and I enjoy it
 
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Brunneria

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Some of us can eat a couple of slices of bread so should we stop

Maybe not actually necessary but some of us can eat some so why not. I always have a slice of toasted. Bergen bread with my breakfast and I enjoy it

You seem to have misinterpreted my comment, because your two posts don't relate to what I wrote.
Perhaps you should have another look at what I did write.

You will notice that I clearly spoke about my personal experience with bread, and passed no judgement on people that do.

I also stated two simple, common sense facts.
 
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Lin 26

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Hi I too eat this bread and whilst not the tastiest it does it's job and keeps my levels low.
I had stocked up when it was on a BOGOF so have some in the freezer.
I work for Waitrose!! Don't shoot me
I will look internally to see if I can find anything for you.
I do know it was slow selling and caused large wastage.
I personally always felt it was located on the incorrect fixture layout.
I feel it would be better placed with the "free from" foods aisle.
But we would need to careful regarding those people who may be confused about purchasing this products for their needs.
I also have a fantastic breadmaker and make bread daily for my family. I allow myself to eat it only for Sunday breakfast as a treat.
I have yet to find a low carb recipe without almond flour or additives I don't want to consume.
If anyone has a good recipe please post and I will try it.
Best wishes to all

Lin
 
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graj0

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There is a huge difference in people that frequent your stores compared to Tesco etc. I commented on this fact to my partner whilst sat in your cafe in Rushden last week. There were less obese people in your store in Rushden compared to all other supermarkets that we have shopped at... Looking at your stores and the ranges of foods is the reason why. You do not specialise in junk, carb high foods.

That's an interesting observation and I have noted something similar. Beaconsfield for example is a very wealthy area, only has a Waitrose, if my memory serves me well. It does have an M&S food place. So, maybe obesity can be associated to wealth or rather lack of it. Amongst all the other factors that affect weight.