To Tesco or not to Tesco (Tesco)

Member Name: flutel

Product:	Tesco
Date:	29/05/09 (31 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good stuff, discounts for staff, ok employer

Disadvantages: They waste food, they dominate the high street

I have a real ambiguity going on with Tesco. I sort of despise the place for a number of reasons but I also like the place too - and yes, I do shop there.


Gripes
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Firstly, I have a gripe. I bought some fine beans that on a fleeting glance seemed ok. They cost me £1. After a day in the fridge they had grown a green furry area in the corner. The whole packet was starting to look revolting and it was several days until the sell by date! By this point, I could not locate the receipt (I opten compost them) and spent a couple of days looking at the offending vegetables before I finally hoied them in the bin. Note to self - scrutinise even the most innocent veg for signs of mould.



Tesco makes so much profit. I have lost count of the number of new stores (Extra/Express/Metro) that have opened in my city. In one of the smaller suburb areas, a Coop had to shut dowm inmmediately after a Tesco Express store opened. Now, I like the Coop; it does not have the selection of Tesco but it has a great range of Veggie and Vegan products and has clear labelling. It also has the politically correct thing going on. Tesco just massacred it - and this was the view of the staff in Tesco.



Tesco refused to list their vegan products for the 'Compassionate Guide to Shopping' book. If they had done this, I would have been a happy vegan shopper - having to do less scrutinising of packets. It would have been the customer service thing to do; they can spare a member of staff to compile that list - we all know they are rolling in it!



Like many supermarkets, Tesco throws out a lot of perfectly edible food - into its bins where ultimately, it all goes to landfill - recyclable packaging and all. Unlike many other supermarkets, Tesco locks its bins - so 'freegans' can't get at and use the palatable waste. Sainsbury's and M&S distribute end of 'sell by' date food to charities. Tesco just chucks it in the bin and locks it. Picture a perfectly good bag of spuds - languishing in a locked bin because of a silly 'sell by' date.



Less of the moans
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My teenage daughter has worked there for well over a year (Tesco Express) whilst a 6th form college. A year, that says a lot for a teenager. They have been reasonable employers; rearranging shifts when she needed them, being understanding about sickness, offering reasonable holidays, not pressurising her to work extra shifts, finding extra shifts when she wants them. They even gave her a couple of weeks paid compassionate leave when we had a family disaster. They have allowed her to train up to the 'Gold' standard - even though she is not yet old enough to take on the responsibility yet. There have been niggles - but they have been sorted.



I shop there every week. I know they layout and can find everything easily and very quickly. I know what products I can buy and I like a lot of their products (value toilet roll, value soya milk, value tomatoes, gluten free stuff, dairy free chocolate etc). Because my daughter works for Tesco, we get a 10% discount on our shopping when she comes with me - and that makes a difference!

Summary: Tesco - both dream and nightmare.