Tesco home delivery service

[DizzyKipper]

Nice to see it back. I did go to Mainlands store, but they said they don't deliver unless across the road from them

 

I was pleased at the range of stuff they had though, will go again.

[Urabug]

So now Tesco have four new vans, & will eventually deliver all over Shetland.

This sounds good, they have employed 30 new staff & providing a very useful service for all, but what are the more serious implications of this with regard to the small country shops.

Many years ago most of the shops provided this very service but it was phased out due to the high costs involved.

So what is Tesco’s strategy? Well I believe it is to force all the existing  shops to close,& then open there own small  branches .This would then let them basically dominate & control the  grocery market  ect , not only in Shetland but all over the UK.

Will this be good or bad?

When they have succeeded to close all the country shops will they continue to heavily subsidise this delivery service?   

The winter conditions will certainly put extreme pressure on this service, remember many of the side roads are poorly gritted & the delivery service would appear to work into the evenings making it even worse for the drivers. High winds also cause a few hiccups especially those using the ferries.  Will staff carry heavy baskets of perishables, groceries long distances when they cannot get a vehicle near to the customer’s premises!

It is only fair that everyone has the benefits of the more economically priced goods provided by Tesco, but the price might be the demise of your local shop & the problems that might cause.

[JustMe]

I have a different worry about the delivery service and indeed the click and collect service.  If the "personal shoppers" are picking the goods overnight will actual customers going to the shop the next day find bare shelves at least until the trailers arrive off the north boat?.

[paulb]

yes of course it will. saying that tesco seem to be stopping most of there cheap lines. for example there cheapy sausage have vanished. yes i know but they are cheap. have vanished. we really need an aldi to get tesco to cut their prices.

[Colin]

I wouldn't be to worried about the country shops.  They are there because they are needed and the better ones also offer better value than a lot of the crap that Tesco sell.

 

As for el-cheapo sausages etc.  I no longer buy any meat products from Tesco as I find them to be of extremely poor quality and quite expensive when compared to eg: Scalloway Meat Company (unabashed plug for a vey good Country Shop).

£ for £, a lot of meat products are cheaper in Scalloway than they are in Tesco (they also taste a hell of a lot better).  Are Tesco 'ripping us off'? Go figure.

 

Best deals in Tesco? Buy only 'branded' products.  You will not save much but, you will know what you are getting.

[JustMe]

Tesco do sell a good range of branded products at good prices although God alone knows what sort of discounts they screw from their suppliers.  But most supermarket meat is not that good.  Worked at one years ago and even with a staff discount card for the supermarket I still used to get my meat at the Globe.  But both supermarkets in Lerwick offer a much better selection of fresh fruit and veg than the country shops although mine is getting better.

[brian.smith]

A couple of points. People have said we need an Aldi or a Lidl as far as I know the big four supermarkets are now reacting to sqeeze Aldi and Lidl are placing on them and the prices offered down south are the same as in Shetland. Quality is the big question certainly there meat isnt a patch on our current suppliers (butchers etc) dry goods is a case of shop around as often they will be better quality in the local shops and better value. The one thing is the offers or loss leaders as they are known can bring some help to families struggling to feed the family. With this new service perhaps our local wholesellers may react and drop prices for our local shops to enable them to compete a bit more as it is them who dictate the prices the shops charge

[Colin]

. The one thing is the offers or loss leaders as they are known can bring some help to families struggling to feed the family. With this new service perhaps our local wholesellers may react and drop prices for our local shops to enable them to compete a bit more as it is them who dictate the prices the shops charge

 

The main local wholesalers (J W Gray and Hughson Brothers) are very well run and,to my intimate knowledge, have already cut their pitifully small margins to the bone (no pun intended).

They also tend to take advantage  of (and pass on) every promotion that manufacturers or their respective trading groups offer. 

Furthermore, they also offer a service to the country shops etc. that Tesco/Co-op would be very hard pushed to match.

 

Additionally, one of them (at least) has DAILY deliveries of good quality fresh fruit and veg direct from Glasgow and, imho, the quality is way superior to anything Tesco and the Co-op have to offer.

 

Their meat products are also of extremely high quality as they both have 'in house' butchers departments.

 

If you have an issue with the products available at your local shop then, best to tell them about it as saying nothing to them will mean that nothing will change.

 

As for Aldi and Lidl.  It would be great to have at least one of them here as they would force the two we have to be more competetive and offer better deals/prices (it works for Orkney).

[cleargemstone]

there is a guy that will pick your shopping up and deliver it for a small fee i think his name is burt,just give him a list and he will do the rest !

[Siccar]

JW Gray is well run? I have to agree. From the feedback I have heard over the past 20-30 years, there isna wan employee of Grays or K.G.Q wha widna drap everything to run back and help them oot if they wir in need. :ponders: :ponders:

[paulb]

they have always been helpful anb friendly when we have been.

[TheEagles]

Had my first Tesco delivery, very pleased. A real lifeline and Im so glad it has started ! I cannot afford to shop locally to feed the family, and traipsing to Lerwick usually just for tescos is a day out, let alone my fuel costs.  My delivery cost me £1 charge  I still buy my meat locally, nothing will ever change that !

[trout]

Tesco planning permission refused

• Originally published by and copyright of www.orcadian.co.uk

  An extension at Tesco in Kirkwall, to be used for an internet ordering home delivery service, has been refused planning permission. Members of the OIC planning committee heard today that 42 objections to the proposal had been received, primarily concerned at the economic impact it would have on the town centre and rural shops. OIC [...]

  Get the full story

[shetlandpeat]

A brave stance, I would not be surprised to see Tesco appeal this if it were based on a feeling rather than a planning matter as laid down by the Gov. There is grounds that this could oppose one of the planning policies by not encouraging better use of the district centre. Planners have been busy rewriting policies due to an extraordinary delay in updating to suit the needs of communities.

I wonder if visits to Lerwick or other shopping areas have reduced due to the delivery service.

[BigMouth]

My first delivery didn't go very well, but I was told that was due to bulk buying an unusual item.  Instead of eighty, I got eight.  I ended up with a full refund and a bit extra, so you can't complain at that.

 

Then I went onto booking the next available convenient evening slot, and this meant that I was only getting shopping every three weeks.  That went on OK for some time.  Now things have got worse and I am unable to get any evening slot on any day.  I am left in a position where I would like to spend more with Tesco and have the convenience of shopping delivered to my door, but they can't provide the service, so the money is going to Bolts instead.  I understand that Tesco are having trouble recruiting enough van drivers.  I can't understand why, as there is supposed to be no money in the crofting/fishing/knitting.  You would think that people would be queueing up to work for what I assume is minimum wage.

 

I did join the xmas bunfight in Tesco though.  Oh the joy of it!

 

Meat always comes from the butchers in the street as it is the best in town.  I wouldn't feed a dog on what Tesco have in their chillers.  Even the best stuff just doesn't come up to the mark.  What is it that they do to ruin it?