Tesco: sharp-toothed Wolves in fluffy Sheep's clothing?
Discussion
Tesco.
A huge multi-national business, familiar to us all. Apparently one of the 'darlings' and success stories of modern Britain. A reverential source of compounded year-on year financial gains for shareholders and directors alike. A highly regarded institution in the City and on the FTSE.
Profits set to continue to rise, no end to the gravy train in sight.
Cited by the Government as a perfect business model that all businesses should try to emulate to help us out of recession. Loved even more by the Government for it's ability to be a huge corporate employer and keep tens of thousands of people from bothering the dole queues.
I cannot describe in words my pathalogical hatred for this sharp, nasty, greedy company of megalomaniacs. Dick Turpin had the good grace to at least wear a mask and happily be dubbed a thief and a robber. Tescos seem to be able to commit, in my opinion, far greater theft from ordinary people with a bare-faced gall, and not only get away with it, but actually be endorsed by our administration.
Why do I think this?
1) I recently read an article that looked at the staffing methods and wages paid to most of the employees Nationally. Despite being hailed as a huge 'employer', the fact is that most of the staff are on minimum wage, and Part - Time working is encouraged and favoured. As we know, even living like Srooge, nobody can have a decent existence on minimum wage, and certainly not even begin to contemplate being a home owner.
I personally know a few staff too - they all live at home, scraping by, most of them don't have a car.
So the situation is that, according to the report, and bourne out by the staff I know - their earnings are so low that they all top up their incomes via the benefits system in some way. Some just a little via tax credits, others with children and rented houses paid for by the Local Authority to the tune of thousands of pounds of benefits a month.
So that means, the tapayer - you and I, all contribute a huge sum of money to people who actually have a 'job.'
2) A bit of time spent Googling reveals the clever kind of tax-avoidance chicanery this company and it's accountants continually strive for (and get away with). Despite extracting Billions from the UK economy via shoppers, and paying the staff as little as they can legally get away with, with a straight face, they go out of their way to avoid putting money back into the economy as much as possible.
So, happy to take, take, take - not so happy to re-invest a percentage of their shameful and absurd profits.
3) One of the items that came up at the State opening of Parliament - and long overdue in my opinion - is a bill to create a 'Fair Trade' type system in the UK to prevent Tescos and others from bullying and holding to ransom our indigenous producers.
When you hear the words 'Fair Trade' you normally think of some poor, hapless bugger who lives in a mud hut and feeds his family on rice, in a backward, destitute Third World Country somewhere grateful to receive a few pennies more for his hard-produced stock.
But it's kinda happening here! It's long been known that they screw our Farmers and producers down, down, and down on price to a point that it almost becomes loss-making for them to supply Tesco. They also decide that they're going to have a 'price war promotion' one month on a particular line, but they don't lose their margin in store. Oh no, they expect the supplier to provide the product for the discounted price - so the supplier is now making a loss to fund a promotion.
So Farmers have to receive state subsidies to survive - paid for by, yep, you and I yet again.
4) Their aggressive expansion of stores - both large supermarkets and local Metro shops, have forced thousands of local businesses to close and people to lose their livelihoods. In some cases I know of locally, the poor owners have ended up taking a job in the new Tescos itself, just to survive!
This has also helped to create a dearth of locally-run outlets, supplying interesting goods and locally-sourced produce, and driven out a local sense of unique identity and eradicated retail diversity.
I know our shopping habits and local retail is going through a painful change due to online shopping habits and the economy, but now so many local streets and town centres all look the same with the same big retailers peddling the same stuff.
Something else that may be little known - Tesco are one of the biggest property speculators and developers in the UK, with huge land bank reserves to put some housebuilders to shame. They regularly buy up chunks of land or buildings - both in towns and out of town. They hold onto them and then submit plans to the Local Authority for another new store. This might take years of wrangling, arguments, lobbying and changing the plans to get round local opposition and objections.
Meanwhile, that land cannot be used, developed or otherwise for a better use for the local community.
Tesco's huge pockets also mean that if they want a piece of land, by God they're gonna get it - no matter the price. I know of at least one situation round here where a very wealthy, well-known and respected local developer put in a bid and a planning application for some land, intending to build some much-needed mixed use housing, some social housing, and some nice local ameneties - community centre, a little Park with play equipment.
Tesco came along and froze him out - they baically out bid him by a massive amount, and paid about half as much again for the land than it was really worth.
Meanwhile the seller of the land swiftly absolved himself of any moral obligations to the local community, and the Council just sat back and rubber stamped the whole deal. Disgraceful.
5) Their prices. Despite all their coulourful deals, promotions and price wars - it's also well proven that most of it is clever marketing at best, and a shameless mis-direction at worst. Because they pay their suppliers so little - make no mistake, their markup and margins are huge on all their goods. Just take a look at last year's balance sheet and gross profits, arf!
As consumers, we're being ripped off like never before for all our basic staples and necessities. I'm no Communist, but I think it might be about time fo some legal caps on prices of at least the basics. I think the same for energy and fuel suppliers too, but that's another thread!
6) Finally, with all the above in mind, the most galling and teeth-grinding rage building inside me about these swines is their marketing and advertising. Their no-doubt very expensive but genius marketing team have come up with a system of clever visual and aural cues that present the corporate face of Tescos perfectly to the consumer.
Their TV ads have a simple, clean presentation of apparently nice little deals to tempt the average consumer. They employ well-known, recognisable and well-loved actors to voice the commercials, often with regional accents, to appeal to people personally because you know and trust the voice. Cleverly scripted to get the message across, but in a light way like a friend of yours giving you a little tip over a cup of tea.
The way it's read out is in a very light, almost sing-song fashion. Then the convincer is the price, delivered in a red dot with a 'ting' which is intended to make you go 'oooh, that's good - aren't Tesco nice, giving us these fabulous offers?
It's all delivered over a soundtrack that's been written and played on very inoffensive, happy sounding musical instruments - with a tune that's designed to be all 'light and airy' and 'familiar' and 'trustworthy' - 'beep beep beeee, beep de deep de de beep, bom!' Big smiles - hey, 'doop doop dooo' we're you're little supermarket that's on your side 'doop de doop de doop doop' helping you SAVE money - aren't we generous and helpful? Ha ha, etc.
Make no mistake - the advertising is cunningly and ruthlessly created, with big budgets and cynical subconcious direction.
Ok, you can cite other big businesses who all do the same thing. But Tescos are by far the worst IMHO. They are raping and bleeding us dry of Billions, but no-one seems to care.
That is why I hate Tesco
A huge multi-national business, familiar to us all. Apparently one of the 'darlings' and success stories of modern Britain. A reverential source of compounded year-on year financial gains for shareholders and directors alike. A highly regarded institution in the City and on the FTSE.
Profits set to continue to rise, no end to the gravy train in sight.
Cited by the Government as a perfect business model that all businesses should try to emulate to help us out of recession. Loved even more by the Government for it's ability to be a huge corporate employer and keep tens of thousands of people from bothering the dole queues.
I cannot describe in words my pathalogical hatred for this sharp, nasty, greedy company of megalomaniacs. Dick Turpin had the good grace to at least wear a mask and happily be dubbed a thief and a robber. Tescos seem to be able to commit, in my opinion, far greater theft from ordinary people with a bare-faced gall, and not only get away with it, but actually be endorsed by our administration.
Why do I think this?
1) I recently read an article that looked at the staffing methods and wages paid to most of the employees Nationally. Despite being hailed as a huge 'employer', the fact is that most of the staff are on minimum wage, and Part - Time working is encouraged and favoured. As we know, even living like Srooge, nobody can have a decent existence on minimum wage, and certainly not even begin to contemplate being a home owner.
I personally know a few staff too - they all live at home, scraping by, most of them don't have a car.
So the situation is that, according to the report, and bourne out by the staff I know - their earnings are so low that they all top up their incomes via the benefits system in some way. Some just a little via tax credits, others with children and rented houses paid for by the Local Authority to the tune of thousands of pounds of benefits a month.
So that means, the tapayer - you and I, all contribute a huge sum of money to people who actually have a 'job.'
2) A bit of time spent Googling reveals the clever kind of tax-avoidance chicanery this company and it's accountants continually strive for (and get away with). Despite extracting Billions from the UK economy via shoppers, and paying the staff as little as they can legally get away with, with a straight face, they go out of their way to avoid putting money back into the economy as much as possible.
So, happy to take, take, take - not so happy to re-invest a percentage of their shameful and absurd profits.
3) One of the items that came up at the State opening of Parliament - and long overdue in my opinion - is a bill to create a 'Fair Trade' type system in the UK to prevent Tescos and others from bullying and holding to ransom our indigenous producers.
When you hear the words 'Fair Trade' you normally think of some poor, hapless bugger who lives in a mud hut and feeds his family on rice, in a backward, destitute Third World Country somewhere grateful to receive a few pennies more for his hard-produced stock.
But it's kinda happening here! It's long been known that they screw our Farmers and producers down, down, and down on price to a point that it almost becomes loss-making for them to supply Tesco. They also decide that they're going to have a 'price war promotion' one month on a particular line, but they don't lose their margin in store. Oh no, they expect the supplier to provide the product for the discounted price - so the supplier is now making a loss to fund a promotion.
So Farmers have to receive state subsidies to survive - paid for by, yep, you and I yet again.
4) Their aggressive expansion of stores - both large supermarkets and local Metro shops, have forced thousands of local businesses to close and people to lose their livelihoods. In some cases I know of locally, the poor owners have ended up taking a job in the new Tescos itself, just to survive!
This has also helped to create a dearth of locally-run outlets, supplying interesting goods and locally-sourced produce, and driven out a local sense of unique identity and eradicated retail diversity.
I know our shopping habits and local retail is going through a painful change due to online shopping habits and the economy, but now so many local streets and town centres all look the same with the same big retailers peddling the same stuff.
Something else that may be little known - Tesco are one of the biggest property speculators and developers in the UK, with huge land bank reserves to put some housebuilders to shame. They regularly buy up chunks of land or buildings - both in towns and out of town. They hold onto them and then submit plans to the Local Authority for another new store. This might take years of wrangling, arguments, lobbying and changing the plans to get round local opposition and objections.
Meanwhile, that land cannot be used, developed or otherwise for a better use for the local community.
Tesco's huge pockets also mean that if they want a piece of land, by God they're gonna get it - no matter the price. I know of at least one situation round here where a very wealthy, well-known and respected local developer put in a bid and a planning application for some land, intending to build some much-needed mixed use housing, some social housing, and some nice local ameneties - community centre, a little Park with play equipment.
Tesco came along and froze him out - they baically out bid him by a massive amount, and paid about half as much again for the land than it was really worth.
Meanwhile the seller of the land swiftly absolved himself of any moral obligations to the local community, and the Council just sat back and rubber stamped the whole deal. Disgraceful.
5) Their prices. Despite all their coulourful deals, promotions and price wars - it's also well proven that most of it is clever marketing at best, and a shameless mis-direction at worst. Because they pay their suppliers so little - make no mistake, their markup and margins are huge on all their goods. Just take a look at last year's balance sheet and gross profits, arf!
As consumers, we're being ripped off like never before for all our basic staples and necessities. I'm no Communist, but I think it might be about time fo some legal caps on prices of at least the basics. I think the same for energy and fuel suppliers too, but that's another thread!
6) Finally, with all the above in mind, the most galling and teeth-grinding rage building inside me about these swines is their marketing and advertising. Their no-doubt very expensive but genius marketing team have come up with a system of clever visual and aural cues that present the corporate face of Tescos perfectly to the consumer.
Their TV ads have a simple, clean presentation of apparently nice little deals to tempt the average consumer. They employ well-known, recognisable and well-loved actors to voice the commercials, often with regional accents, to appeal to people personally because you know and trust the voice. Cleverly scripted to get the message across, but in a light way like a friend of yours giving you a little tip over a cup of tea.
The way it's read out is in a very light, almost sing-song fashion. Then the convincer is the price, delivered in a red dot with a 'ting' which is intended to make you go 'oooh, that's good - aren't Tesco nice, giving us these fabulous offers?
It's all delivered over a soundtrack that's been written and played on very inoffensive, happy sounding musical instruments - with a tune that's designed to be all 'light and airy' and 'familiar' and 'trustworthy' - 'beep beep beeee, beep de deep de de beep, bom!' Big smiles - hey, 'doop doop dooo' we're you're little supermarket that's on your side 'doop de doop de doop doop' helping you SAVE money - aren't we generous and helpful? Ha ha, etc.
Make no mistake - the advertising is cunningly and ruthlessly created, with big budgets and cynical subconcious direction.
Ok, you can cite other big businesses who all do the same thing. But Tescos are by far the worst IMHO. They are raping and bleeding us dry of Billions, but no-one seems to care.
That is why I hate Tesco
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
Tesco.
A huge multi-national business, familiar to us all. Apparently one of the 'darlings' and success stories of modern Britain. A reverential source of compounded year-on year financial gains for shareholders and directors alike. A highly regarded institution in the City and on the FTSE.
Profits set to continue to rise, no end to the gravy train in sight.
Cited by the Government as a perfect business model that all businesses should try to emulate to help us out of recession. Loved even more by the Government for it's ability to be a huge corporate employer and keep tens of thousands of people from bothering the dole queues.
I cannot describe in words my pathalogical hatred for this sharp, nasty, greedy company of megalomaniacs. Dick Turpin had the good grace to at least wear a mask and happily be dubbed a thief and a robber. Tescos seem to be able to commit, in my opinion, far greater theft from ordinary people with a bare-faced gall, and not only get away with it, but actually be endorsed by our administration.
Why do I think this?
1) I recently read an article that looked at the staffing methods and wages paid to most of the employees Nationally. Despite being hailed as a huge 'employer', the fact is that most of the staff are on minimum wage, and Part - Time working is encouraged and favoured. As we know, even living like Srooge, nobody can have a decent existence on minimum wage, and certainly not even begin to contemplate being a home owner.
I personally know a few staff too - they all live at home, scraping by, most of them don't have a car.
So the situation is that, according to the report, and bourne out by the staff I know - their earnings are so low that they all top up their incomes via the benefits system in some way. Some just a little via tax credits, others with children and rented houses paid for by the Local Authority to the tune of thousands of pounds of benefits a month.
So that means, the tapayer - you and I, all contribute a huge sum of money to people who actually have a 'job.'
2) A bit of time spent Googling reveals the clever kind of tax-avoidance chicanery this company and it's accountants continually strive for (and get away with). Despite extracting Billions from the UK economy via shoppers, and paying the staff as little as they can legally get away with, with a straight face, they go out of their way to avoid putting money back into the economy as much as possible.
So, happy to take, take, take - not so happy to re-invest a percentage of their shameful and absurd profits.
3) One of the items that came up at the State opening of Parliament - and long overdue in my opinion - is a bill to create a 'Fair Trade' type system in the UK to prevent Tescos and others from bullying and holding to ransom our indigenous producers.
When you hear the words 'Fair Trade' you normally think of some poor, hapless bugger who lives in a mud hut and feeds his family on rice, in a backward, destitute Third World Country somewhere grateful to receive a few pennies more for his hard-produced stock.
But it's kinda happening here! It's long been known that they screw our Farmers and producers down, down, and down on price to a point that it almost becomes loss-making for them to supply Tesco. They also decide that they're going to have a 'price war promotion' one month on a particular line, but they don't lose their margin in store. Oh no, they expect the supplier to provide the product for the discounted price - so the supplier is now making a loss to fund a promotion.
So Farmers have to receive state subsidies to survive - paid for by, yep, you and I yet again.
4) Their aggressive expansion of stores - both large supermarkets and local Metro shops, have forced thousands of local businesses to close and people to lose their livelihoods. In some cases I know of locally, the poor owners have ended up taking a job in the new Tescos itself, just to survive!
This has also helped to create a dearth of locally-run outlets, supplying interesting goods and locally-sourced produce, and driven out a local sense of unique identity and eradicated retail diversity.
I know our shopping habits and local retail is going through a painful change due to online shopping habits and the economy, but now so many local streets and town centres all look the same with the same big retailers peddling the same stuff.
Something else that may be little known - Tesco are one of the biggest property speculators and developers in the UK, with huge land bank reserves to put some housebuilders to shame. They regularly buy up chunks of land or buildings - both in towns and out of town. They hold onto them and then submit plans to the Local Authority for another new store. This might take years of wrangling, arguments, lobbying and changing the plans to get round local opposition and objections.
Meanwhile, that land cannot be used, developed or otherwise for a better use for the local community.
Tesco's huge pockets also mean that if they want a piece of land, by God they're gonna get it - no matter the price. I know of at least one situation round here where a very wealthy, well-known and respected local developer put in a bid and a planning application for some land, intending to build some much-needed mixed use housing, some social housing, and some nice local ameneties - community centre, a little Park with play equipment.
Tesco came along and froze him out - they baically out bid him by a massive amount, and paid about half as much again for the land than it was really worth.
Meanwhile the seller of the land swiftly absolved himself of any moral obligations to the local community, and the Council just sat back and rubber stamped the whole deal. Disgraceful.
5) Their prices. Despite all their coulourful deals, promotions and price wars - it's also well proven that most of it is clever marketing at best, and a shameless mis-direction at worst. Because they pay their suppliers so little - make no mistake, their markup and margins are huge on all their goods. Just take a look at last year's balance sheet and gross profits, arf!
As consumers, we're being ripped off like never before for all our basic staples and necessities. I'm no Communist, but I think it might be about time fo some legal caps on prices of at least the basics. I think the same for energy and fuel suppliers too, but that's another thread!
6) Finally, with all the above in mind, the most galling and teeth-grinding rage building inside me about these swines is their marketing and advertising. Their no-doubt very expensive but genius marketing team have come up with a system of clever visual and aural cues that present the corporate face of Tescos perfectly to the consumer.
Their TV ads have a simple, clean presentation of apparently nice little deals to tempt the average consumer. They employ well-known, recognisable and well-loved actors to voice the commercials, often with regional accents, to appeal to people personally because you know and trust the voice. Cleverly scripted to get the message across, but in a light way like a friend of yours giving you a little tip over a cup of tea.
The way it's read out is in a very light, almost sing-song fashion. Then the convincer is the price, delivered in a red dot with a 'ting' which is intended to make you go 'oooh, that's good - aren't Tesco nice, giving us these fabulous offers?
It's all delivered over a soundtrack that's been written and played on very inoffensive, happy sounding musical instruments - with a tune that's designed to be all 'light and airy' and 'familiar' and 'trustworthy' - 'beep beep beeee, beep de deep de de beep, bom!' Big smiles - hey, 'doop doop dooo' we're you're little supermarket that's on your side 'doop de doop de doop doop' helping you SAVE money - aren't we generous and helpful? Ha ha, etc.
Make no mistake - the advertising is cunningly and ruthlessly created, with big budgets and cynical subconcious direction.
Ok, you can cite other big businesses who all do the same thing. But Tescos are by far the worst IMHO. They are raping and bleeding us dry of Billions, but no-one seems to care.
That is why I hate Tesco
Just so I can read this tomorrow.....A huge multi-national business, familiar to us all. Apparently one of the 'darlings' and success stories of modern Britain. A reverential source of compounded year-on year financial gains for shareholders and directors alike. A highly regarded institution in the City and on the FTSE.
Profits set to continue to rise, no end to the gravy train in sight.
Cited by the Government as a perfect business model that all businesses should try to emulate to help us out of recession. Loved even more by the Government for it's ability to be a huge corporate employer and keep tens of thousands of people from bothering the dole queues.
I cannot describe in words my pathalogical hatred for this sharp, nasty, greedy company of megalomaniacs. Dick Turpin had the good grace to at least wear a mask and happily be dubbed a thief and a robber. Tescos seem to be able to commit, in my opinion, far greater theft from ordinary people with a bare-faced gall, and not only get away with it, but actually be endorsed by our administration.
Why do I think this?
1) I recently read an article that looked at the staffing methods and wages paid to most of the employees Nationally. Despite being hailed as a huge 'employer', the fact is that most of the staff are on minimum wage, and Part - Time working is encouraged and favoured. As we know, even living like Srooge, nobody can have a decent existence on minimum wage, and certainly not even begin to contemplate being a home owner.
I personally know a few staff too - they all live at home, scraping by, most of them don't have a car.
So the situation is that, according to the report, and bourne out by the staff I know - their earnings are so low that they all top up their incomes via the benefits system in some way. Some just a little via tax credits, others with children and rented houses paid for by the Local Authority to the tune of thousands of pounds of benefits a month.
So that means, the tapayer - you and I, all contribute a huge sum of money to people who actually have a 'job.'
2) A bit of time spent Googling reveals the clever kind of tax-avoidance chicanery this company and it's accountants continually strive for (and get away with). Despite extracting Billions from the UK economy via shoppers, and paying the staff as little as they can legally get away with, with a straight face, they go out of their way to avoid putting money back into the economy as much as possible.
So, happy to take, take, take - not so happy to re-invest a percentage of their shameful and absurd profits.
3) One of the items that came up at the State opening of Parliament - and long overdue in my opinion - is a bill to create a 'Fair Trade' type system in the UK to prevent Tescos and others from bullying and holding to ransom our indigenous producers.
When you hear the words 'Fair Trade' you normally think of some poor, hapless bugger who lives in a mud hut and feeds his family on rice, in a backward, destitute Third World Country somewhere grateful to receive a few pennies more for his hard-produced stock.
But it's kinda happening here! It's long been known that they screw our Farmers and producers down, down, and down on price to a point that it almost becomes loss-making for them to supply Tesco. They also decide that they're going to have a 'price war promotion' one month on a particular line, but they don't lose their margin in store. Oh no, they expect the supplier to provide the product for the discounted price - so the supplier is now making a loss to fund a promotion.
So Farmers have to receive state subsidies to survive - paid for by, yep, you and I yet again.
4) Their aggressive expansion of stores - both large supermarkets and local Metro shops, have forced thousands of local businesses to close and people to lose their livelihoods. In some cases I know of locally, the poor owners have ended up taking a job in the new Tescos itself, just to survive!
This has also helped to create a dearth of locally-run outlets, supplying interesting goods and locally-sourced produce, and driven out a local sense of unique identity and eradicated retail diversity.
I know our shopping habits and local retail is going through a painful change due to online shopping habits and the economy, but now so many local streets and town centres all look the same with the same big retailers peddling the same stuff.
Something else that may be little known - Tesco are one of the biggest property speculators and developers in the UK, with huge land bank reserves to put some housebuilders to shame. They regularly buy up chunks of land or buildings - both in towns and out of town. They hold onto them and then submit plans to the Local Authority for another new store. This might take years of wrangling, arguments, lobbying and changing the plans to get round local opposition and objections.
Meanwhile, that land cannot be used, developed or otherwise for a better use for the local community.
Tesco's huge pockets also mean that if they want a piece of land, by God they're gonna get it - no matter the price. I know of at least one situation round here where a very wealthy, well-known and respected local developer put in a bid and a planning application for some land, intending to build some much-needed mixed use housing, some social housing, and some nice local ameneties - community centre, a little Park with play equipment.
Tesco came along and froze him out - they baically out bid him by a massive amount, and paid about half as much again for the land than it was really worth.
Meanwhile the seller of the land swiftly absolved himself of any moral obligations to the local community, and the Council just sat back and rubber stamped the whole deal. Disgraceful.
5) Their prices. Despite all their coulourful deals, promotions and price wars - it's also well proven that most of it is clever marketing at best, and a shameless mis-direction at worst. Because they pay their suppliers so little - make no mistake, their markup and margins are huge on all their goods. Just take a look at last year's balance sheet and gross profits, arf!
As consumers, we're being ripped off like never before for all our basic staples and necessities. I'm no Communist, but I think it might be about time fo some legal caps on prices of at least the basics. I think the same for energy and fuel suppliers too, but that's another thread!
6) Finally, with all the above in mind, the most galling and teeth-grinding rage building inside me about these swines is their marketing and advertising. Their no-doubt very expensive but genius marketing team have come up with a system of clever visual and aural cues that present the corporate face of Tescos perfectly to the consumer.
Their TV ads have a simple, clean presentation of apparently nice little deals to tempt the average consumer. They employ well-known, recognisable and well-loved actors to voice the commercials, often with regional accents, to appeal to people personally because you know and trust the voice. Cleverly scripted to get the message across, but in a light way like a friend of yours giving you a little tip over a cup of tea.
The way it's read out is in a very light, almost sing-song fashion. Then the convincer is the price, delivered in a red dot with a 'ting' which is intended to make you go 'oooh, that's good - aren't Tesco nice, giving us these fabulous offers?
It's all delivered over a soundtrack that's been written and played on very inoffensive, happy sounding musical instruments - with a tune that's designed to be all 'light and airy' and 'familiar' and 'trustworthy' - 'beep beep beeee, beep de deep de de beep, bom!' Big smiles - hey, 'doop doop dooo' we're you're little supermarket that's on your side 'doop de doop de doop doop' helping you SAVE money - aren't we generous and helpful? Ha ha, etc.
Make no mistake - the advertising is cunningly and ruthlessly created, with big budgets and cynical subconcious direction.
Ok, you can cite other big businesses who all do the same thing. But Tescos are by far the worst IMHO. They are raping and bleeding us dry of Billions, but no-one seems to care.
That is why I hate Tesco
Do you hate Tesco or capitalism in general?
The only point of yours I can really agree with is the way behave towards suppliers. But when youre competing against spanish produce (for instance) at a fraction of the cost, what are the options? Further Government subsidy? Fat chance.
WIth regard to employement, large scale minumum wage, part time and semi skilled employers are as essential to the economy as those providing the 50k+ positions. I would consider Tesco a valuable employer in this country.
Largely, we seek conveneience and reduced costs. Thats what they provide. If people hated it, they would still be paying for local butchers and bakers etc. But people hve voted with their feet.
The only point of yours I can really agree with is the way behave towards suppliers. But when youre competing against spanish produce (for instance) at a fraction of the cost, what are the options? Further Government subsidy? Fat chance.
WIth regard to employement, large scale minumum wage, part time and semi skilled employers are as essential to the economy as those providing the 50k+ positions. I would consider Tesco a valuable employer in this country.
Largely, we seek conveneience and reduced costs. Thats what they provide. If people hated it, they would still be paying for local butchers and bakers etc. But people hve voted with their feet.
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
Tesco.
I know of at least one situation round here where a very wealthy, well-known and respected local developer put in a bid and a planning application for some land, intending to build some much-needed mixed use housing, some social housing, and some nice local ameneties - community centre, a little Park with play equipment.
Tesco came along and froze him out - they baically out bid him by a massive amount, and paid about half as much again for the land than it was really worth.
Meanwhile the seller of the land swiftly absolved himself of any moral obligations to the local community, and the Council just sat back and rubber stamped the whole deal. Disgraceful.
Bitter NIMBY? Heaven forfend the lovely gentle local developer got outbid(!)I know of at least one situation round here where a very wealthy, well-known and respected local developer put in a bid and a planning application for some land, intending to build some much-needed mixed use housing, some social housing, and some nice local ameneties - community centre, a little Park with play equipment.
Tesco came along and froze him out - they baically out bid him by a massive amount, and paid about half as much again for the land than it was really worth.
Meanwhile the seller of the land swiftly absolved himself of any moral obligations to the local community, and the Council just sat back and rubber stamped the whole deal. Disgraceful.
EDLT said:
Also big business in cut-throat industry uses cut-throat tactics shocker!
I'm not anti Capitalist, no - business with a fairly free rein to trade, and competitively employ clever tactics to thrive and grow, is essential to a modern economy - especially in a country like ours that has next to no manufacturing anymore. It's the only way we can make money and survive.However - making profits in a clever and unique way is one thing - exploiting tax loopholes, ordinary people desperate for a job, and suppliers is another, no? If a huge corporate makes massive profits but can be shown that a percentage of those profit are made at the expense of the taxpayer, that's not really Capitalism, is it? Because it involves the State and subsidies, right?
And with regard to cut-throat tactics, the thing that induces nausea in me is that they ruthlessly utilise cut-throat tactis on a business level, but present themselves through clever marketing and advertising as 'fluffy, trustworthy friends of the consumer' who are constanlty 'doing us all a favour' with these lovely little promotions and deals.
Which are not deals, favours or any help at all in reality - just cynical marketing that still makes a massive profit out of people who HAVE to buy their products just to survive.
As I said, their margins are huge on everything.
Tesco's have pushed farmers to well below the price of production for years, and when the farmer goes under, they pick up another, since the milk board went down, farmers, and especially the dairy boys have been royally bumf
ked.
and although Tesco are one of the worst, all the supermarkets do it to one degree or another, and on the subject of ombudsmans they said that it would drive prices up for the customer, despite the fact that supermarkets get way more than the producer, for instance...
a farmer gets around 30PPL(pence per liter) - the cost of production is 33PPl at a minimum.
he raises the calf, gets up at 4:00AM, milks once, feeds, does work, 1:00PM milks, does work 4:00PM milks, feeds... that doesn't include calving at 3AM the night before, or, doing silage, he then stores the milk for the next day, he then goes out and has to buy a new tractor... that's £60,000 sir... new mower? £12,000....
so, he feeds, washes, milks, cares for, breeds, acts as midwife, trims feet.... and so on.
the supermarket
picks it up, puts it in a bottle and stacks it... that's it.
'
Long, and OTT rant I know, but currently you are watching the end of agriculture in the UK. we can't go on, the dairy farms are going, beef is slipping, and pig farms are following...
anyway, carry on
ked.and although Tesco are one of the worst, all the supermarkets do it to one degree or another, and on the subject of ombudsmans they said that it would drive prices up for the customer, despite the fact that supermarkets get way more than the producer, for instance...
a farmer gets around 30PPL(pence per liter) - the cost of production is 33PPl at a minimum.
he raises the calf, gets up at 4:00AM, milks once, feeds, does work, 1:00PM milks, does work 4:00PM milks, feeds... that doesn't include calving at 3AM the night before, or, doing silage, he then stores the milk for the next day, he then goes out and has to buy a new tractor... that's £60,000 sir... new mower? £12,000....
so, he feeds, washes, milks, cares for, breeds, acts as midwife, trims feet.... and so on.
the supermarket
picks it up, puts it in a bottle and stacks it... that's it.
'
Long, and OTT rant I know, but currently you are watching the end of agriculture in the UK. we can't go on, the dairy farms are going, beef is slipping, and pig farms are following...
anyway, carry on
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
Tesco.
A huge multi-national business, familiar to us all. Apparently one of the 'darlings' and success stories of modern Britain. A reverential source of compounded year-on year financial gains for shareholders and directors alike. A highly regarded institution in the City and on the FTSE.
Profits set to continue to rise, no end to the gravy train in sight.
Cited by the Government as a perfect business model that all businesses should try to emulate to help us out of recession. Loved even more by the Government for it's ability to be a huge corporate employer and keep tens of thousands of people from bothering the dole queues.
I cannot describe in words my pathalogical hatred for this sharp, nasty, greedy company of megalomaniacs. Dick Turpin had the good grace to at least wear a mask and happily be dubbed a thief and a robber. Tescos seem to be able to commit, in my opinion, far greater theft from ordinary people with a bare-faced gall, and not only get away with it, but actually be endorsed by our administration.
Why do I think this?
1) I recently read an article that looked at the staffing methods and wages paid to most of the employees Nationally. Despite being hailed as a huge 'employer', the fact is that most of the staff are on minimum wage, and Part - Time working is encouraged and favoured. As we know, even living like Srooge, nobody can have a decent existence on minimum wage, and certainly not even begin to contemplate being a home owner.
I personally know a few staff too - they all live at home, scraping by, most of them don't have a car.
So the situation is that, according to the report, and bourne out by the staff I know - their earnings are so low that they all top up their incomes via the benefits system in some way. Some just a little via tax credits, others with children and rented houses paid for by the Local Authority to the tune of thousands of pounds of benefits a month.
So that means, the tapayer - you and I, all contribute a huge sum of money to people who actually have a 'job.'
2) A bit of time spent Googling reveals the clever kind of tax-avoidance chicanery this company and it's accountants continually strive for (and get away with). Despite extracting Billions from the UK economy via shoppers, and paying the staff as little as they can legally get away with, with a straight face, they go out of their way to avoid putting money back into the economy as much as possible.
So, happy to take, take, take - not so happy to re-invest a percentage of their shameful and absurd profits.
3) One of the items that came up at the State opening of Parliament - and long overdue in my opinion - is a bill to create a 'Fair Trade' type system in the UK to prevent Tescos and others from bullying and holding to ransom our indigenous producers.
When you hear the words 'Fair Trade' you normally think of some poor, hapless bugger who lives in a mud hut and feeds his family on rice, in a backward, destitute Third World Country somewhere grateful to receive a few pennies more for his hard-produced stock.
But it's kinda happening here! It's long been known that they screw our Farmers and producers down, down, and down on price to a point that it almost becomes loss-making for them to supply Tesco. They also decide that they're going to have a 'price war promotion' one month on a particular line, but they don't lose their margin in store. Oh no, they expect the supplier to provide the product for the discounted price - so the supplier is now making a loss to fund a promotion.
So Farmers have to receive state subsidies to survive - paid for by, yep, you and I yet again.
4) Their aggressive expansion of stores - both large supermarkets and local Metro shops, have forced thousands of local businesses to close and people to lose their livelihoods. In some cases I know of locally, the poor owners have ended up taking a job in the new Tescos itself, just to survive!
This has also helped to create a dearth of locally-run outlets, supplying interesting goods and locally-sourced produce, and driven out a local sense of unique identity and eradicated retail diversity.
I know our shopping habits and local retail is going through a painful change due to online shopping habits and the economy, but now so many local streets and town centres all look the same with the same big retailers peddling the same stuff.
Something else that may be little known - Tesco are one of the biggest property speculators and developers in the UK, with huge land bank reserves to put some housebuilders to shame. They regularly buy up chunks of land or buildings - both in towns and out of town. They hold onto them and then submit plans to the Local Authority for another new store. This might take years of wrangling, arguments, lobbying and changing the plans to get round local opposition and objections.
Meanwhile, that land cannot be used, developed or otherwise for a better use for the local community.
Tesco's huge pockets also mean that if they want a piece of land, by God they're gonna get it - no matter the price. I know of at least one situation round here where a very wealthy, well-known and respected local developer put in a bid and a planning application for some land, intending to build some much-needed mixed use housing, some social housing, and some nice local ameneties - community centre, a little Park with play equipment.
Tesco came along and froze him out - they baically out bid him by a massive amount, and paid about half as much again for the land than it was really worth.
Meanwhile the seller of the land swiftly absolved himself of any moral obligations to the local community, and the Council just sat back and rubber stamped the whole deal. Disgraceful.
5) Their prices. Despite all their coulourful deals, promotions and price wars - it's also well proven that most of it is clever marketing at best, and a shameless mis-direction at worst. Because they pay their suppliers so little - make no mistake, their markup and margins are huge on all their goods. Just take a look at last year's balance sheet and gross profits, arf!
As consumers, we're being ripped off like never before for all our basic staples and necessities. I'm no Communist, but I think it might be about time fo some legal caps on prices of at least the basics. I think the same for energy and fuel suppliers too, but that's another thread!
6) Finally, with all the above in mind, the most galling and teeth-grinding rage building inside me about these swines is their marketing and advertising. Their no-doubt very expensive but genius marketing team have come up with a system of clever visual and aural cues that present the corporate face of Tescos perfectly to the consumer.
Their TV ads have a simple, clean presentation of apparently nice little deals to tempt the average consumer. They employ well-known, recognisable and well-loved actors to voice the commercials, often with regional accents, to appeal to people personally because you know and trust the voice. Cleverly scripted to get the message across, but in a light way like a friend of yours giving you a little tip over a cup of tea.
The way it's read out is in a very light, almost sing-song fashion. Then the convincer is the price, delivered in a red dot with a 'ting' which is intended to make you go 'oooh, that's good - aren't Tesco nice, giving us these fabulous offers?
It's all delivered over a soundtrack that's been written and played on very inoffensive, happy sounding musical instruments - with a tune that's designed to be all 'light and airy' and 'familiar' and 'trustworthy' - 'beep beep beeee, beep de deep de de beep, bom!' Big smiles - hey, 'doop doop dooo' we're you're little supermarket that's on your side 'doop de doop de doop doop' helping you SAVE money - aren't we generous and helpful? Ha ha, etc.
Make no mistake - the advertising is cunningly and ruthlessly created, with big budgets and cynical subconcious direction.
Ok, you can cite other big businesses who all do the same thing. But Tescos are by far the worst IMHO. They are raping and bleeding us dry of Billions, but no-one seems to care.
That is why I hate Tesco
A huge multi-national business, familiar to us all. Apparently one of the 'darlings' and success stories of modern Britain. A reverential source of compounded year-on year financial gains for shareholders and directors alike. A highly regarded institution in the City and on the FTSE.
Profits set to continue to rise, no end to the gravy train in sight.
Cited by the Government as a perfect business model that all businesses should try to emulate to help us out of recession. Loved even more by the Government for it's ability to be a huge corporate employer and keep tens of thousands of people from bothering the dole queues.
I cannot describe in words my pathalogical hatred for this sharp, nasty, greedy company of megalomaniacs. Dick Turpin had the good grace to at least wear a mask and happily be dubbed a thief and a robber. Tescos seem to be able to commit, in my opinion, far greater theft from ordinary people with a bare-faced gall, and not only get away with it, but actually be endorsed by our administration.
Why do I think this?
1) I recently read an article that looked at the staffing methods and wages paid to most of the employees Nationally. Despite being hailed as a huge 'employer', the fact is that most of the staff are on minimum wage, and Part - Time working is encouraged and favoured. As we know, even living like Srooge, nobody can have a decent existence on minimum wage, and certainly not even begin to contemplate being a home owner.
I personally know a few staff too - they all live at home, scraping by, most of them don't have a car.
So the situation is that, according to the report, and bourne out by the staff I know - their earnings are so low that they all top up their incomes via the benefits system in some way. Some just a little via tax credits, others with children and rented houses paid for by the Local Authority to the tune of thousands of pounds of benefits a month.
So that means, the tapayer - you and I, all contribute a huge sum of money to people who actually have a 'job.'
2) A bit of time spent Googling reveals the clever kind of tax-avoidance chicanery this company and it's accountants continually strive for (and get away with). Despite extracting Billions from the UK economy via shoppers, and paying the staff as little as they can legally get away with, with a straight face, they go out of their way to avoid putting money back into the economy as much as possible.
So, happy to take, take, take - not so happy to re-invest a percentage of their shameful and absurd profits.
3) One of the items that came up at the State opening of Parliament - and long overdue in my opinion - is a bill to create a 'Fair Trade' type system in the UK to prevent Tescos and others from bullying and holding to ransom our indigenous producers.
When you hear the words 'Fair Trade' you normally think of some poor, hapless bugger who lives in a mud hut and feeds his family on rice, in a backward, destitute Third World Country somewhere grateful to receive a few pennies more for his hard-produced stock.
But it's kinda happening here! It's long been known that they screw our Farmers and producers down, down, and down on price to a point that it almost becomes loss-making for them to supply Tesco. They also decide that they're going to have a 'price war promotion' one month on a particular line, but they don't lose their margin in store. Oh no, they expect the supplier to provide the product for the discounted price - so the supplier is now making a loss to fund a promotion.
So Farmers have to receive state subsidies to survive - paid for by, yep, you and I yet again.
4) Their aggressive expansion of stores - both large supermarkets and local Metro shops, have forced thousands of local businesses to close and people to lose their livelihoods. In some cases I know of locally, the poor owners have ended up taking a job in the new Tescos itself, just to survive!
This has also helped to create a dearth of locally-run outlets, supplying interesting goods and locally-sourced produce, and driven out a local sense of unique identity and eradicated retail diversity.
I know our shopping habits and local retail is going through a painful change due to online shopping habits and the economy, but now so many local streets and town centres all look the same with the same big retailers peddling the same stuff.
Something else that may be little known - Tesco are one of the biggest property speculators and developers in the UK, with huge land bank reserves to put some housebuilders to shame. They regularly buy up chunks of land or buildings - both in towns and out of town. They hold onto them and then submit plans to the Local Authority for another new store. This might take years of wrangling, arguments, lobbying and changing the plans to get round local opposition and objections.
Meanwhile, that land cannot be used, developed or otherwise for a better use for the local community.
Tesco's huge pockets also mean that if they want a piece of land, by God they're gonna get it - no matter the price. I know of at least one situation round here where a very wealthy, well-known and respected local developer put in a bid and a planning application for some land, intending to build some much-needed mixed use housing, some social housing, and some nice local ameneties - community centre, a little Park with play equipment.
Tesco came along and froze him out - they baically out bid him by a massive amount, and paid about half as much again for the land than it was really worth.
Meanwhile the seller of the land swiftly absolved himself of any moral obligations to the local community, and the Council just sat back and rubber stamped the whole deal. Disgraceful.
5) Their prices. Despite all their coulourful deals, promotions and price wars - it's also well proven that most of it is clever marketing at best, and a shameless mis-direction at worst. Because they pay their suppliers so little - make no mistake, their markup and margins are huge on all their goods. Just take a look at last year's balance sheet and gross profits, arf!
As consumers, we're being ripped off like never before for all our basic staples and necessities. I'm no Communist, but I think it might be about time fo some legal caps on prices of at least the basics. I think the same for energy and fuel suppliers too, but that's another thread!
6) Finally, with all the above in mind, the most galling and teeth-grinding rage building inside me about these swines is their marketing and advertising. Their no-doubt very expensive but genius marketing team have come up with a system of clever visual and aural cues that present the corporate face of Tescos perfectly to the consumer.
Their TV ads have a simple, clean presentation of apparently nice little deals to tempt the average consumer. They employ well-known, recognisable and well-loved actors to voice the commercials, often with regional accents, to appeal to people personally because you know and trust the voice. Cleverly scripted to get the message across, but in a light way like a friend of yours giving you a little tip over a cup of tea.
The way it's read out is in a very light, almost sing-song fashion. Then the convincer is the price, delivered in a red dot with a 'ting' which is intended to make you go 'oooh, that's good - aren't Tesco nice, giving us these fabulous offers?
It's all delivered over a soundtrack that's been written and played on very inoffensive, happy sounding musical instruments - with a tune that's designed to be all 'light and airy' and 'familiar' and 'trustworthy' - 'beep beep beeee, beep de deep de de beep, bom!' Big smiles - hey, 'doop doop dooo' we're you're little supermarket that's on your side 'doop de doop de doop doop' helping you SAVE money - aren't we generous and helpful? Ha ha, etc.
Make no mistake - the advertising is cunningly and ruthlessly created, with big budgets and cynical subconcious direction.
Ok, you can cite other big businesses who all do the same thing. But Tescos are by far the worst IMHO. They are raping and bleeding us dry of Billions, but no-one seems to care.
That is why I hate Tesco
DoodoolTala said:
Tesco does not pay minimum wage, it actually pays pretty good compared to other supermarkets. I know this for a fact.
Add to that the thousands of people in the supply chain that aren't on minimum wage either. I don't know about Tesco, but most supermarket employees are part-time contract then make up the rest of their hours with 'overtime'. The ones that are only doing 16 hours a week are probably students.
Whilst I do agree that they have some very dodgy ethics at times... net margins in the grocery sector are tiny. As in an average of around 5-8%, depending on the size of the operator.
Gross margins look huge, but the cost to sell is not insignificant, so after all costs are taken out, you're not actually left with a lot.
Gross margins look huge, but the cost to sell is not insignificant, so after all costs are taken out, you're not actually left with a lot.
Tesco have always been run by very sharp, indeed cutthroat Directors. From the days of Jack Cohen, master of the long firm, Tesco have been as sharp as they come.
The benefits nonsense spreads across much of industry and Tesco certainly trade on their staff being subsidised by the taxpayer in work. I suppose we should be grateful that the Benefits Society (Taxpayers) are not paying the whole of the cost.
Whether Tesco are worse than their competitors I do mot know. They are certainly no better.
The benefits nonsense spreads across much of industry and Tesco certainly trade on their staff being subsidised by the taxpayer in work. I suppose we should be grateful that the Benefits Society (Taxpayers) are not paying the whole of the cost.
Whether Tesco are worse than their competitors I do mot know. They are certainly no better.
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