Reasons for Tescos lack of profit (other than Lidl and Aldi)

Apart from the presence of both Waitrose and Morrisons in my home town, I don't often shop in Tesco because I find it rather intimidating, especially the Tesco Extra stores. I do buy petrol from their service stations or from Sainsbury's - whichever I happen to be closer to when I get the low fuel warning.

I have shopped online with Tescos for years, but cannot do so now because of some technical cookie issue. My conversation with their tech bods resulted in a conclusion that I would have to shop elsewhere!

On the last news I heard, 2bn has been wiped off their shares in a day. The problem with growing so big is that it is a long way to fall.

This issue seems to be more to do with their accounting than their sales. I don't know much about the structure of the company but didn't their new CEO (?) join them very recently. Poor guy being faced with this.

The staff at my local Tesco seem very poorly trained in customer care compared to Asda staff, and they've been prosecuted twice for displaying out of date produce.

I rarely go to Tesco, even though it's closer. (No Waitrose or Sainsbury's for miles around!)

Agree with Ana about poor customer service instore.

But I use Tesco mobile service and have nothing but praise for this and likewise Tesco Direct where I can collect items from my local store. When I had to complain about a faulty product it was replaced with no hassle and brought to my door free of charge and they took the faulty item back at the same time.

Reasons for Tescos problems - greed and complacency. They need to face a bit of real competition.

Hubris. And it couldn't have happened to a nicer company! For years they have bullied Local Authorities, ignored planning constraints and beggared many of their smaller suppliers.

Now it appears that their last MD was bullying his senior staff so they fudged the figures to reach mandatory targets.

Poor staff training resulting in rude and unhelpful staff, poor product display and worst of all rotten fruit on shelves - I stopped shopping in Tesco a long time ago!

We were talking over breakfast this morning about why everyone, us included, seems to hate Tesco. To my mind, it is a build up of many things, their treatment of small suppliers and transport companies often forcing them out of business is well documented and often aired on Radio 4. Combine that with their generally poor staff training, and the scandal of the adulterated diesel in the South East which resulted in hundreds of cars breaking down, Dame Shirley Porter skipping the country to avoid prosecution......the list goes on. They have, possible unfairly, come to represent all that is greedy and grasping about business. As to the latest financial reporting scandal, I am not expert but understating costs and counting receipts before they are in is a fundamental action and should have been picked up by a first year audit clerk. Questions should also be asked about the fitness of whichever of the big accountancy firms it was who were happy to sign off such a fundamental mistake or fraud. On a personal note, I hate Tesco because the yobbo behind the till who was questioned by my Father ( early stages of AD) sneered at him and laughed. Irrational I know, but just indicative to me of the philosophy of the company.

They have just spent a fortune doing up our local one and I was thinking it was quite nice to shop there but have decided to stick with Sainsburys as I assume they will become more aggressive in their marketing

I agree - hubris!

We stopped shopping at Tesco almost a year ago because we felt they were greedy. They appeared to have a finger in every pie. I used to joke that we would be able to go in a Tesco store for an operation one day. Somehow I feel quite glad that it's all smacked them in the face. We have been shopping regularly at Morrisons and are quite happy with their prices and promotions. We always use the same cashier who is a lovely Irish lady who informs us of coming offers. We also use Aldi or Lidle for top ups.

I never shop at Tesco anymore due to their out of date stock and short dates on their fresh veg,putting cattorts in the fridge for the next day and then finding them to have gone off happened once to often,the staff are the most unhelpful people I have ever met they seem to clog up the isles with the big trollies for home shopping deliveries and cause massive congestion in the isles,Morrisons for me & Sainsburys from now on.

I don't shop at Tesco's because we don't have one. They have got planning permission but there is a lot of antipathy to them building and personally, from the point of view of the number of supermarkets we already have, I hope this gains momentum. I think there is one of their little shops in town but I am not sure.

If Tesco want to know why they have become so unpopular I would suggest they only need to read this thread. So many well written and well considered posts and one even includes the lovely word "hubris" (shades of gods looking down from above). I think that word alone tells us so much.

Tesco - You And Yours Radio 4 - NOW !

I think the staff problem may be a local one. I've never encountered any rude people in our local store (amongst the staff). Occasionally we shop in Waitrose,which is a more present experience, but I have found the short sell by date on fresh food more of a problem there than in Tescos, and the shop is too far to return the goods.
I agree that Tesco is too much of a giant, but on the other hand, I like to be able to buy my annual IOW ferry ticket for a third of the price with my coupons!

Tesco are trying to tempt me back by sending me some 'exclusive' coupons so I now have coupons to use on ..........

Any Ainsley Harriot cup soup, cous cous or savoury rice
Heinz baby biscotti
Spontex cloths or scourers
Covonia cough syrup (I can use that twice!)
Elvive shampoo
Tesco Steps toothpaste
Tesco double strength squash
Tesco mutipack crisps

I don't want or usually buy any of them. Words fail me !!

That's strange because we've just been sent some money off vouchers for items we always buy.

Feel torn on this, don't like the way they bully suppliers or lead to demise of high street shops. However I have always found their staff very helpful and they are very kind to DH who has aphasia. And when I can use their vouchers to treat myself to a Good Housekeeping subscription every Christmas I feel self indulgent without spending any money

My only complaint with Tesco is the quality of fruit and veg, I understand this can be down to the quantity they have to buy in and storage.

I find the staff in my local one very pleasant and helpful ( even if dealing with people being unpleasant), the store always looks clean and welcoming. Vouchers are normally for things I would buy.

I do think it has become quite a popular thing to always complain about Tesco, people seem to do it as a matter of course. Once negative comments get in to the media people seem to be easily led. This happens with other companies as well so not just Tesco.

My local Co-op is not as good and the staff are not as helpful and polite, Waitrose slightly better.

My local Tesco is a short walk away, however since summer it has been noticably empty.

Fruit and veg tasteless, except for certain seasons. With Citrus I watch the labels carefully and choose according to taste.

Great emphasis on ready meals, and less on the 'reduced' space, now pizzas are in the ascendant, pretty tasteless too.

I refuse to use the Clubcard as all it is is a marketing device to garner your shopping profile to sell on to others, I prefer to use my own discretion on shopping for the 'bargains' which suit us.

Staff in the Tesco have been there for years, and are super.

One gripe is that in trying to stuff the shop full, lots of things are on a high shelf, so I have to look for a tell person, they are not always around , but today , there must have been more staff on the shop floor than in HQ

I hate the greed and arrogance of Tesco I shop at Lidl or Asda we have a large Tescos out of town a smaller Metro in town a tesco express about a mile west and now they are fighting to turn a lovely old pub into another There is a lot of antagonism towards them and the majority don't want them to win, we have kept them on the run for best part of a year and it s still ongoing Fingers crossed now with their shares dropping they ll give up the fight

I doubt my little contribution has made that much of a dent - but I too began to see them as greedy and arrogant a good 4 years ago. Having moved to a new area I was nearer other supermarkets and also (living in a much more rural setting) nearer small shops and local suppliers, so was more than happy to shop around. I can honestly say I've not stepped into a Tescos of any sorts for at least 3 years and not done a full big shop there for probably 5 years.
To my shame my very old fashioned mobile phone is with them but as I only use it once in a blue moon (£10 credit lasts over a year) I shall not bother to change.
Its the way they have tried to do everything and yet not been able to do simple basic things properly. My last visit ...to a new big store on the edge of Shrewsbury 4 years ago...was when I noticed how badly the fresh fruit and veg was maintained...rotten apples and mouldy soft fruit, all mixed in, yet the store was making huge claims to being state of the art and extra environmentally sensitive.
Also back where I used to live - a small town in Oxfordshire they have opened 3 'local' stores and swamped the place.

www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-2766688/Tesco-mothballs-second-big-store-opening-crisis-leaves-supermarket-giant-wary-expansion.html

Greed and arrogance for sure. They even diverted a river bed for what will now be an abandoned monstrosity, not to mention the jobs that would have been on offer.

I think the phrase 'What goes around, comes around' applies to Tescos.As HildaW rightly says they were buying up land and swampimg towns with their eyesores. I won't be shedding any tears for their misfortunes.