Tesco's £900 million quid in 6 months

[OwlHoot]

Well not sure what Tesco you shop in but at my local (Warwick Road, West Kensington) there is a good mix of all people. As an aside I was the first ever customer when that store opened back in 99. Got to meet Julia Carling.

My local is Sainsbury (Warwick Road, West Kensington), almost as cheap as Tesco and not so relentlessly cheap and cheerful "basic" chav stuff with no treats.

[Lucifer Box]

I agree with your sentiments, Becs, but you're repeating that shibboleth that the supermarkets are cheaper. It's been shown quite recently that they aren't, with the exception of a handful of known-value low cost items (bread, eggs, milk). Clever, non-stop marketing perpetuates that myth.

[Lucifer Box]

I am sure you will find that affordability is more a question of priority. You may find that many of the people you say have affrodability problems have them becuase booze and fags are the first thing in the trolley with an afterthought of turkey twizzlers for the kids.

Food in the UK is not that expensive relative to income.

Agreed, sunnysan. I'm not buying this "I can't afford proper fresh food argument". People earn more and food costs less than for our parents' generation, so how can this be.

Interestingly enough, a businessman in one of the south London tulipholes (might have been Kennington) recently decided to put the "I can't afford decent food argument" to the test. Every day he would take a van to New Covent Garden to buy a range of good quality fresh fruit and veg and then pitch up in the middle of the council estate and sell it to the locals at the wholesale price he paid for it (so typically one third the cost the local supermarket was charging). He had no takers. All the local scum still kept going to Asda and stocking up on turkey twizzlers and microchips.

[DimPrawn]

Would you feel the same if your clients only picked services from a large agency? And if you were then forced to go through that agency they told you to take a 60% pay drop because they're having a promotion? And if you don't, we'll find someone else? And there was no other agency or direct to go through because the client only uses the large agency?

I think we are seeing some of this already. Big businesses with one or two "preferred supplier" agencies that push down contractor rates and push up their own margins.

But that's business.

Tescos are very successful and perfect for Chav Britain.

I just wish more people would support smaller stores that provide healthy local produce. Trouble is everyone wants a one stop shop, free parking and long opening hours and this is something big supermarkets can offer that small shops can't.

What we don't need is MORE government legislation. That's for sure.

Oh, and this might interest the Tesco shoppers here:

http://www.silicon.com/research/spec...9126910,00.htm

Tesco is set to move over 400 IT roles to India by the end of 2005 after officially opening its own service centre in Bangalore this week.

The offshore facility is captive - meaning it is fully owned and managed by Tesco rather than outsourced - and will handle software development and back-office financial business processes.

silicon.com revealed details of Tesco's offshoring plans back in July last year when the supermarket said a total of 420 UK jobs would be moved to India, with 90 IT jobs affected.

At the official opening of the centre Philip Clarke, Tesco's director for international operations, told Indian newspapers that 770 staff will be hired in Bangalore by the end of the year, with over 400 IT positions being "transitioned over".

Tesco would not rule out job losses as a result of the move but said all those in the UK affected would be offered alternative roles within the company.

Tesco is the UK's biggest supermarket chain and operates over 2,300 stores across 13 countries, employing more than 330,000 staff.

[voron]

Interestingly enough, a businessman in one of the south London tulipholes (might have been Kennington) recently decided to put the "I can't afford decent food argument" to the test. Every day he would take a van to New Covent Garden to buy a range of good quality fresh fruit and veg and then pitch up in the middle of the council estate and sell it to the locals at the wholesale price he paid for it (so typically one third the cost the local supermarket was charging). He had no takers. All the local scum still kept going to Asda and stocking up on turkey twizzlers and microchips.

It's established as part of our culture. Everyone knows that pizza and chips is bad for them, just as they know smoking is bad for them - but it doesn't stop them from doing it. There exists a notion that junk food somehow tastes better than 'real' food, but that is self-deception reinforced by incredibly intelligent marketing.

[OwlHoot]

I shop at Tesco. It's cheap and convenient, they have a nice big car park, and they help you with your packing.

What kind of paraplegic needs help with their packing? I'd rather do it myself.

Some of the people on here really need to get out more.

I do get out - to Sainsbury once a week

[Lucifer Box]

It's established as part of our culture. Everyone knows that pizza and chips is bad for them, just as they know smoking is bad for them - but it doesn't stop them from doing it. There exists a notion that junk food somehow tastes better than 'real' food, but that is self-deception reinforced by incredibly intelligent marketing.

For sure, Voron, but time and again you see Mr and Mrs Scum being interviewed and saying "we would buy fresh fruit and veg, but we can't afford it [after the designer trainers, 40 fags and 8 pack of Diamond White], it's so expensive". This fellow just showed that argument to be bollox and all it really is is that they are lazy, uneducated scum.

[The Lone Gunman]

For sure, Voron, but time and again you see Mr and Mrs Scum being interviewed and saying "we would buy fresh fruit and veg, but we can't afford it [after the designer trainers, 40 fags and 8 pack of Diamond White], it's so expensive". This fellow just showed that argument to be bollox and all it really is is that they are lazy, uneducated scum.

and when you consider how many of them are on the social so have plenty of time to walk around the local stores to find the bargains just how do they manage to be such fat lazy bastards? e.g. Rochdale swamp donkey.

[Lucifer Box]

how do they manage to be such fat lazy bastards? e.g. Rochdale swamp donkey.

She sponsors me...



or is it the other way around?

[ladymuck]

Though guess it could be worse, could be wal-mart (aka asda) with market dominance

I heard on Radio 4 the other day that Wal-Mart wanted Tesco be investigated by the monopolies commission! Clearly a case of the pot calling the kettle a PC-shade of charcoal, don't you think?