Supermarkets at War

The Tesco bookkeeping announcement on 22 September 2014 is a useful reminder of what can happen when a retailer becomes so big that the cost of keeping up appearances might lead to all manner of shenanigans. For further reading, please visit newsletter 28 on LandlordZone

Supermarkets Visited

Thinking I was immune from advertising, my first trip to what has now become my local grocers was to satisfy professional curiousity but standing in the car park at Tesco' s l00 tth superstore, I was comfortably aware of some magnetic presence which has brightened up Neasden.

For those of us who thrive on fresh fruit and vegetables, it is paradise to be offered such a wide choice and although the quality may not always be up to Class I, the assortment easily compensates.

I gauge shops by the quality of the staff and my definition of service. Are they dressed nicely, do they smile when serving or look at the customer at the till? So used to staff indifference at the International, opposite my office, it came as a refreshing change to hear 'thank you sir' when having my vegetables weighed and priced. For the best service, however, I don't believe you can beat Waitrose. When I asked a supervisor at Waitrose Brent Cross for some help, she stopped what she was doing and promptly showed me to the stock. At Tesco however, the same situation was delegated by the supervisor so presumably she had more important things to do than serve a customer!

Living in the area means we are spoilt for choice amongst the supermarket majors. Asda Hendon is due open next year although it'll probably be as unimpressive as Park Royal. Gateway has just opened in far-away Willesden and there's Safeway, but we went there once and the getting any common sense out of the staff was clearly going to create problems. Sainsbury' s puts me off because, apart from never being able to find anything, their male staff can often be seen with their ties hanging off their collars which I think is sloppy. These may sound like little things but it's the little things that deter customers otherwise we'd all shop at the same place!

Returning to Tesco, the fact that the staff can be seen to like saying 'thank you' is sufficient recommendation although I do have my doubts whether they are as enthusiastic during the peak and horrific Friday & Saturday shopping periods.

The clear reduction in our weekly food bill in exchange for a wide assortment, easy parking and a relaxing shopping environment must be the recipe for future grocery retailing; I must remember to modify my remarks about people who shop at Tesco. It's blatantly obvious however that the store is only accessible to motorists but it's spending power that Tesco is after and not local convenience. Let's hope the staff travelling to work via Neasden Station don't, as is very likely, get mugged in the long friendless walk to the store. Even if you can resist temptation, it must be worth a detour off the North Circular Road to buy 4 star petrol at 192.3p a gallon