to ask why everybody hates Tesco on MN

[Charliefarlie1192]

Am I missing something (not very au fait with current affairs, apologies)

I don't have a problem with Tesco, and any negative stuff they do is balanced by positive, like the fact that they provide employment and a service I need.

I quite like them, I work in there sometimes!

I don't much like Tesco, but that has nothing to do with MN. I used to work for them, and they were pretty awful to their staff. Tesco is our nearest big supermarket, and was our cheapest option for quite some time, but when they started hiking the prices up we started trying to shop elsewhere. We do still go to Tesco for some things, the time being, but we probably only spend about 30% of what we used to there.

My issue with Tesco is thus. Its not a pleasant shopping experience. If you go into the shop to do your shopping, its full of packers who are fulfilling the internet shopping service with big massive packing palettes on wheels that get in the way, plus they think they have more right to be there than you (okay so they are just doing their job probably on a tight time schedule but it doesn't make it okay for the customer who has hauled ass into the shop to do their own shopping). You have to practically beg for bags at the checkout if you haven't brought bags-for-life. Often their 2 for 1 type deals don't show up at checkout and if you want to claim them then you then have to go and queue at Customer Services.

If you use their internet delivery service, its random as to whether or not things are in stock or not, but you don't find out till the point they deliver. Substitutions are often beyond useless. You pay quite a bit for the delivery, its a 2 hour slot and they are often later than that meaning you have to be "in" for up to 3 hours to accept delivery, and then you find you don't have a couple of things you really need.

That's why I prefer to shop at Waitrose and use Ocado. Might cost a little more but its less frustrating. I do pop into Tesco once a fortnight or so because I like their own brand nappies and wipes. I like to have a nose around the clothing bit. And it does stock some stuff that Waitrose doesn't, because my Waitrose is quite small. So its not all bad. But I can't be doing with doing a weekly shop with them either in store or online for the reasons mentioned above.

I hate Tesco because the not very bright eighteen year old serving me at the checkout wouldn't sell me a bottle of wine with my weekly shop in case I was buying it for the little girl I had with me, whom I was babysitting. I pointed out that I could equally have be buying it for a teenager waiting outside. She said she definitely woulnd't sell it to me if there were teens waiting outside! It was like reasoning with a confused toddler! I summoned the manager, who agreed with her...so I abandoned the entire £130 shop at the till.

I think there's 9 within a half hour walk of my house. I do use them, cos its just so DAMN HANDY but I feel like I shouldn't because they're taking over the whole city.

I feel really uncomfortable in Waitrose as I have a regional accent.

I dont shop at tesco, mainly becasue i find it more expensive than the places i do shop at. Locally to me there is a tesco express which i avoid at all costs as it costs lots more than the local corner shop.
I'm not keen on most of the big supermarkets ethics tbh, but i still use them (mainly sainsburys as thats the cheapest other than lidls) and i like to pop into waitrose now and again and usually a saturday evening instead of a takeaway. I find tesco convenience food doesnt taste anything like the real thing, e'g the currys taste of nothing with horrible tasteless chicken. so would rather buy the ingrediants and make my own or buy takeaway than tescos on taste.

Personally prefer Sainsbury's as I think the own-brand stuff is often better, and the fresh produce too, and our local store is usually less overcrowded (though I tend to do online shopping now so that's less important).

But have no real problem with Tesco - people shop there instead of small independent retailers, because they offer a better, cheaper or more convenient service. That's just how things work. The small independent shops perhaps just don't fit with modern lifestyles so well, and often are not willing to adapt.

I do find it weird all the value judgements and class issues attached to different supermarkets. It's just grocery shopping! e.g. we use Waitrose for top-up shopping mid-week - not because we're posh, but because DP and I both happen to pass one on our way home from work.

That's fine if you can afford "a little more". I'd probably use W & O too if I wasn't on a low income. But for some of us, Tesco it is.

"That's why I prefer to shop at Waitrose and use Ocado. Might cost a little more but its less frustrating."

Because they are actually quite expensive for the things I buy, especially for the quality you get.

I did a comparison shop last week when I was bored and because this sort of thing interests me

Four of us, two adults, two children 6 and 2. Shopping for one week-mostly meat, fresh veg, nappies, cleaning products, wine. No brand names, own brand products or equivalents. Tesco own brand aren't as good as Sainsburys own brand so I had to scale up there. I menu/meal plan some of the meals, otherwise I go with offers/Bogoffs.

Sainsburys online delivery £74.93
Tesco online delivery £79.14

Aldi-£19; Butchers-£9; Fruit market/grocers-£11; Savers/Poundland-£7 - Total £46

So for me they are not a cheaper supermarket. I also don't think the quality of their meat/fresh produce or own brand are good at all, Sainsburys are much better and are still cheap enough to make me want to visit there occasionally for store cupboard stuff.

Tesco is by far the cheapest supermarket I have for my area. I use it for groceries, clothes, toys etc. I am on a really tight budget and for what I buy it works out really well for us.

Tescos really came into Northern Ireland about 15/16 years ago and I remember the expensive shite local supermarkets used to sell to us before then.

Apart from their snidey buying up of land to stop any competitors type of business dealings, they have huge shops full of things but strangely often not much choice - someone has mentioned the lack of meat choices for Indian ready meals.

Plus more and more often the meat you buy stinks when you use it even if you only bought it that day. You take your life into your hands when you decide whether to eat it and risk food poisoning or chuck it away (again). I've wasted so much money lately on meat there I won't buy Tesco meat any more and go to the butchers instead where it's going to be fresh. Those stories about how they leave fresh food for hours outside of chillers must be true.

I live in in a part of the country where there are several old small market towns. My nearest has e.g. a superb outdoor market with cheap and excellent quality veg and fruit, a butchers where you know the meat is top rate and a bakers that has been operating since 1860 (yummy cakes ) and proper bread....

I dread the day that Tesco decides to open up one of its Tesco Expresses and tries to kill off the High Street - I am hoping it won't and if it did I am hoping the people who shop value quality and won't desert the independents to shop at a Tesco Express to save a few pence.

I don't like Tesco because:

The stores in my hometown are a mess, with dirty trollies that don't work properly

The staff in my local stores are rude and arrogant

They participate in Workfare

They don't treat their employees very well

They hike their prices up all the time

They think they can take over the entire country's shopping needs and don't care who they trample on in the process

I wonder who gets, the 3 billion plus, profits.

My DD works for Tesco and tbh is on quite a good wage , certainly more than minimum wage, she also gets shares every year.

The sickness policy is crap though.

Someone I know worked for Tesco and had emergency surgery one night. Her DH phoned Tesco the following morning and they said they will not accept a sickness call from anyone but the employee, and that unless they heard from her they would be expecting her at work that day as normal!

cognito not sure it's fair to say I'm jumping on the band wagon, but around here there was a nasty nasty confrontation between Tesco and protesters. Part of the problem, I think, is that the planning process doesn't take into account the use. For instance, a disused former retail premises (is it A2?) can be used without having to get planning permission. The issue that needs to be debated is how local people can object to multi national companies. I don't know, but the vote with your feet sometimes works, sometimes not...

They aren't cheap. They're food isn't particularly good ( we dislike more than we like). They're ethics are non existent.

I like Sainsburys but we are currently very skint so it's Asda for the cheapest shop possible.

I like Tesco .

In my town we have Tesco, a Waitrose, which is very popular, but it doesn't have an adjacent car park and an M&S Simply Food which is small and limited.

Tesco is most convenient for me, I have never had any problems there and I get a huge amount of benefit from the clubcard voucher scheme.

I also get to use my DDs discount so it's all good .

They put nut warnings on all their own products, including the lemonade

Their staff are rude and unhelpful.

They don't sell enough branded products - in order to avoid the unnecessary nut warnings.

Their stores are poorly lit - flourescent lighting makes my head ache, gives me anxiety attacks and I can't see properly within the stores.

They're horrible to their suppliers.

Their meat is dodgy.

Their fruit/veg is horrible.

They're expensive.

They're arrogant and love themselves.

We never visit our Tesco store. We have a Morrisons, or I go in the car to Sainsburys.