Tesco is one of the worlds leading international retailers. Since the company first the trading name of Tesco, in the mid 1920s, the group has expanded into different formats, different markets and different sectors. The UKs leading retailer Tesco was floated on the stock exchange in 1947 and in 1995 took over rival Sainsburys position as the UK number one. The principal activity of the group is food retailing, with over 2,000 stores worldwide. Tesco has a long term strategy for growth, based on four key parts: growth in the Core UK business, to expand by growing internationally, to be as strong in non-food as in food and to follow customers into new retailing services. The company launched a home shopping service in 2000, allowing customers to order their shopping online. Tesco is now expanding its convenience stores and overseas into areas such as Taiwan, Malaysia, Poland, the US and Ireland.

Upper graph = 12 month share price with 6 month moving average
Lower graph = 12 month volume (red line = volume average).

First of all I am not an investor, but I am on a customer advice panel that meets with managers every couple of months.

Like many companies I feel that Tesco set up the policy of these meetings with the sole intention of a PR stunt and nothing else.

After the first few meetings I and most of the other none Tesco members of the panel came to realise that although the local and area managers try their best to take note, suggestions and comments reach the top and are then filed away or more likely chucked in a bin.

The most regular suggestions are getting rid of the 3 for 2, 5 for 4 and other offers, and to reduce the price on individual items.

Also the continuing habit by all of the big 5 (Tesco are the worse from my research) of so called value offers being more than twice the price of the same items of half the size/weight.

As a person who always weighs up price and amount I am never caught out but many people, especially the elderly are, but for my part I hate that Tesco are trying to con me into buying so called value deals.

Until Tesco start listening to customers instead of just playing lip service, customer trust will not return and more customers like myself will be shopping elsewhere.

As said, not an investor but I hope for those who are, Tesco start listening to customers instead of just playing lip service because if they don't customer trust will not return and more customers like myself will be shopping elsewhere.

Won't post again unless questions asked.

greekman

I've never heard of one of these before.

It is not solely Tesco's because you say, "... I and most of the other none Tesco members of the panel..."

Can you please tell us more about this 'customer advice panel'?

Exactly what is its purpose?

Do most areas have one of these?

Does it have a specific name?

Why specifically do you attend? Do you get paid an attendance fee or expenses for attending or are you an 'altruist par excellence'? (Not that I mind but it would help me better understand why you bother with it if your input has zero effect and the group is composed of members giving exactly the same collective advice but to different supermarkets?????)

I just cannot get my head around this, you see.

We shopped at Tesco a couple of weeks ago and WITH VOUCHERS we had £30 worth of goods for £16. They said at the help desk that most people don't use the vouchers. However I'd rather they did reduce the individual item price and not have vouchers and deals which I believe is more honest trading.

At the current rate of depreciation, the Stock will be offered with Vouchers!!!!!

greekman

getting rid of the 3 for 2, 5 for 4 and other offers, and to reduce the price on individual items.

That's been one of my pet hates , for the single person if its fresh food ,you end up throwing most of it away. And also Tesco's sell buy dates can't be relied on. Another thing is the 100g per price is in klg's on a simpler product so it is not easy to workout the cheaper product

Hi ExecLine,

I was at a customer service desk in Tesco about 9 months ago, once again complaining about being charged more than the display price, when I was approached by a Manager who had been standing next to the customer service desk.

He asked me if I would be prepared to be a member of a panel that met every couple of months, he explained that the panel had been set up in order that customers could give their views/opinions, he also stated that he was asking me as I was obviously someone who spoke their mind.

Not sure how many are on the panel list, but the 3 meeting I have been to have consisted of a Manager, Assistant Manager, a Customer Liaison Officer and around 10 customers.

The meetings are held in store, last for around 1 hour, a very good buffet is put on with wine and beer, with plenty left to take home, we are not paid!

I will be attending the next meeting but only to see if anything changes, if it is still yet another round of listen but take no notice, I will tell them bluntly that it's a complete waste of time.

If you are interested, I suggest you ask at your local store as I was told that these panels run at other stores, but not sure if this applies to all of them.

Regards Greek.

OK, G. Thanks for telling me.

As understand it, lots of the '3 for 2' and 'BOGOF' deals and the like, etc, etc, are greatly financed by the suppliers. Although no doubt Tesco do shove their arms up their backs to make them do it. And then there are 'best shelf positions' and trials, loss leaders, market place positioning and tons of other 'screw the customer' scams.

I did feel sorry for Sainsbury's when an internal staff notice pushing staff to 'try to get just another 50p from each customer' was released into the public domain by a whistle blower just a few days ago. The media made a right meal of it, whereas this is how business has to work. A supermarket doesn't exist just for the good of its health:

old man buffet saying he made an error buying Tesco this morning is starting to have an affect gla

Supermarkets have become big-business because they cater for the rising aspirations of their local areas - just look at their effect on Petrol stations. This is because folks look only at the "headline price" and cheap petrol somehow off-sets their longer round-trip
.
However, as investors we've become used to increasing profits and the various "scams" they all run ( er, depending upon your viewpoint, naturally), are there to make more profit.


If you can't afford it, then be strong and buy the lower-priced item, is my motto.
IMHO Lidl and the like have raised their prices recently - their wines are an example where you can't buy anything that is "cheap" - admittedly they are probably below other Supermarkets, but I think (the Big five) should concentrate on filling their shelves with more-different products, rather than more-choice. If you want crisps, then having a whole aisle full of them doesn't make you spend more, only different. That difference means TSCO is carrying a lot of stock-capital, whereas they could increase their product ranges, esp. non-food..... since the Gov. is trying to reduce our food-intake!
Greekman pointed to Value-scams a while back and whilst there is much merit in his words, there are times when buying a smaller qty does save you money - a small bag of potatoes at £1 is better then a really large one at £2.50 - because a single-person will throw away the stuff when it goes off. In addition there is the suspicion that the big bag will contain a few "wrong-uns" to make the weight ( Ooops!).

What I object to is supermarkets that "Up the Price" for no reason - a change of packing is no excuse and often you will find the value-range repacked so it commands a higher price - one suspects that this is to remove the value-item which is a drag on profits.....but I'd argue that rich customers don't fine these bottom-shelf goods as they fly through towards the expensive items on their list. ASDA has doubled their Ketchup price, by substituting plastic for glass - now, glass is recyclable whereas plastic isn't - so I suspect they are paying more for no purpose.
Of course, it could be they will bring back the cheaper prices if enough folks can be bothered to complain . . . . but as Greekman hinted, one wonders if suggestion are filed in the bin, such is the arrogance of Managers while profits are rising.

I have no comment on TSCO profit-hole, other than to wonder if shareholders shouldn't ask Auditors to repay their fees - and maybe a few Dir bonuses likewise.
I'll get my coat.

Buy @13p is my advice.

Going to £1.50 imo

At 160 , they maybe under valued

Wonder how the NAV stacks up now with the Market Cap????

All that land and property.

You never know a cheeky bid could come in.

lol mitzy isnt that a tad high though? ;

Alright 50p then..lol.

Talk of a rights issue

certainly no reason to buy tesco
whether they're worth shorting still is a moot point

Look at the NAV look at the NAV .............you SILLY BILLY.

if you want to buy these, then good luck to you

You never know a cheeky bid could come in.

Walmart/Buffet joint bid ? when the dust clears