I hate thee so much, so why can't I stop buying from you!! (Tesco)

Member Name: puddingmancan

Product:	Tesco
Date:	27/10/09 (75 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, convenient and got everything you need

Disadvantages: They are slowly taking over the world

I'm sure you can not be bothered to read about the history of Tescos as if you're really interested in that, you could Wiki it. What I will say is my view of Tescos, what Tescos provides and what I think of them.
I remember when a Tesco supermarket opened in my home town when I was a small child and how happy my mum was at how much money we could save as a family by shopping there. Tescos provided, and still does, a large 'Value' range, which is a much cheaper version on brand items. At the time they were of nearly the same quality as the branded item, if not better.
Today however, I feel they have started to fall short of a lot of their Value range and have lost what I believe was their original ethos of providing low price, good quality food to the masses. That said, they have now introduced the 'Tesco Finest' range which is back to their earlier high quality and is still usually cheaper that the branded items. Or else there is Tesco own brand, which is more like the old Value range. When I am shopping I do tend to go mostly for the foods that are Tesco own brand as it reduces my shopping bill and I don't have to suffer a loss of quality. The Value range has however fallen along the way side offering poorly made low quality knock offs that I would generally avoid. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule, with a lot of there biscuit items being pretty good.
The supermarkets are pretty much what you'd expect in any other chain, they all seem to follow the same format and what I find in one, I generally find in the same place in ASDA, Morrison, etc. My bug to bear in Tescos supermarkets though is their stupid self service checkouts. Fine if you're just getting a few things or you're not reusing a bag. Whenever I use one, I have to either scan it all, pay, then pack my bag (much to the annoyance of customers behind me) or try and scan and pack my bag whilst suffering the infernal machine telling me 'there's an unexpected item in the baggage area'!!
Tescos have now branched out of just being a supermarket, with Tesco Express taking the place of the local shop, selling things that you generally need to get more of in the week. It's a little bit more expensive than the supermarkets but still cheaper than your local shop. Tesco Direct, where you can get clothes, electricals, household stuff....pretty much everything you need to buy that you can't get in the Tesco supermarkets. Tesco are now also slowly moving into insurance, banking, telephone, broadband and a range of other things, until soon you will be able to get pretty much anything you need with Tesco; Tesco airlines, Tesco funeral services, Tesco doctors surgeries..........

Unfortunately, the expansion has to hurt someone and that someone is the small retailer. Tescos price and convenience means a massive drop in the small retailer's sales with a large amount going under.....it's alright though because Tescos will buy up that closed shop and put a Tescos there. I do fear that Tescos will one day take over the world, where I will live in a big white house, with a blue stripe across the top and 'House' written in big blue letters on the roof and I'll leave everyday to go to work at one of the ministry of Tesco.

Summary: You save money, but loss a little of your soul