Love, hate and Tesco
Posted: Friday 6 April, 2007
I have a love / hate relationship with Tesco. I spent two very happy years working for the company about 20 years ago. I've always shopped there. I have very strong loyalty genes. And I really like my Clubcard points. Now, I know this is all very non-pc and it bothers me. I am very uncomfortable about the rising power of the supermarkets and I hate myself for all the reasons that I love Tesco.
So today, I'm feeling good because I have struck two very small blows against the power of teh supermarket. The Tesco board will have a sleepless night, I'm sure.
Firstly, I ordered a weekly copy of "The Scottish Farmer" from a newsagent in Alloa. This means that one, I'll buy the local papers and the "Radio Times" from there too, instead of Tesco. It also means that I have to go into town on a Saturday, so it will be no bother to go to the butchers, the chemist, the card shop etc etc while I'm there.
Secondly, I have arranged to have our milk delivered. I spoke to a very nice man who will deliver organic milk, butter and cream twice a week (once for the butter and cream, in case you were worried about our arteries). The milk etc is supplied by Graham's Dairies which is a local family firm based in Bridge of Allan.
Small steps, but hopefully in the right direction.
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Comments
Rosemary
I take your point - there must be a happy medium. There seems to be a picture painted in some of the media of "supermarkets bad, small traders good". But as you know, that's not the case, at least not in terms of customer service. Our retail standards and those of catering outlets are sometimes depressingly poor. It's more the feeling that the supermarkets will soon control our lives. Shopping in our local Tesco is hardly an uplifting experience - the customer service is less than fabulous, but it does have a decent range of products. There's been an ongoing series of letters in our local paper about the detrimental effect that the supermarkets are having on Alloa town centre. But none of those businesses have a right to trade - if Tesco are selling swaet pants at £3.50, don't sell sweat pants of the same quality or less for £4.50. Make it something different! Sorry to go on, but I do feel quite strongly about it.
Comments are now closed for this post.
David
Friday 6 April, 2007 at 8:22pm
I can understand some folks' complaints about Tesco, but I would *love* it if they opened here. It'd probably be a welcome wake-up call for the couldn't care less, don't-need-to-try-cos-there's-no-competition mentality of a lot of our local shops.