[Closed] Seriously do people dislike Tesco this much ?

I SMELL TROLL

the days of the MMB our gone, no more fixed price...no more milk very soon... even the really big boys are struggling!

Thanks, I didn't know that

The MMB hasnt existed for at least 15 years or more,

I know, I used to work for them.

I know, I used to work for them.

funny that, i remember MMB measuring sticker on the glass milk vats in the milking poulour, watching the milk squirt in to them, and then the vacuum emptying them in a most cool way,is my strongest memoires from child hood for some reason...just out of interest what year did you guys close? remember being quite young at the time, must have been very early 90's.. i seem to remember that the processing plant in St earth closed not long after it was taken over by dairy cress, 🙁 sad times...

I'll just throw my weight behind the "tescos don't ruin high streets, consumers do" arguments - but actually its not just consumers, in many cases its the existing retailers too.

My Grandfather used to run a local grocers shop in a small town in the 1980's. When Tesco arrived down the road he worried it would affect his business. It did, but he adapted and survived. People continued to use his shop because they got great service, it was convenient, and he tried his best to keep a wide range of goods which people wanted to buy. Yes he suffered, yes he didn't have much good stuff to say about Tesco, but that shop is still open today (under different owners).

The same logic applies to Greggs which someone mentioned. We have three bakers in the town. In my opinion they are all pretty rubbish, old fashioned, with poor customer service (would a smile cost?), in dated, dingy shops, with a dull product range that's not changed in 30 years. Greggs arrived in town last year - its a much more modern shop, with staff who have been trained to be vaguely polite, products which are well presented and with some variation. Greggs is actually more expensive - so if the "local" bakers die out, its not Greggs fault, they've just delivered what consumers want. The local bakers have always had the option to modernise but don't.

In many way the LBS analogy is similar. Many people here will point you towards a great LBS with amazing service, in a well run modern shop with constantly updated stock etc. But many of us will be able to think of LBS which are less friendly, less up-to-date and who would rather grumble about the internet or Evans squashing them out of business than working out how to deliver something that makes your shop better than the competition (in the eyes of the customer).

The high street is changing - that is inevitable. Shops which can succeed on high streets are those which can't be easily delivered on the internet. I think opening hours is something most local shops really need to think about.

Why you would need to "riot" outside a tesco's is a bit odd - surely if feeling is that strong market forces will mean "nobody" in the town wants to shop there and the existing shops will thrive, and tesco's will close? Or is the reality that there are a small vocal minority who are protesting whilst most people are grateful for the convenience / opening hours / range of products / prices / helpful staff or whatever else?

the MMB was disbanded in 1994 and replaced by the free market one of its roles was to guarantee a minimum price Dairy crest still exists but is an independent organisation now. I think my point still holds true about what they [supermarkets] did was aggre to buy all the supply then negotiate the price downwards. it is almost at the same price now as it was in 1994 though to be fair to the supermarkets

yea but costs for farmers have increased quite a bit since 1994!!!

If I remember we changed from MMB to Dairy Crest in the early eighties and as a private organisation the whole dynamic changed and I lost my job. Hey ho! That's life, dust yourself down and get on with life. I then went on to work for a small independant creamery which I believe is still producing farmhouse cheeses from just outside Chester (Mollington), if you want to look for them. It is possible to be a small and successful producer Jenbe. Sitting on your hands and expecting someone to dig you out of your hole is not acceptable, bleating about it isn't going to win over my support either. The independant creamery has it's own dairy herd, hard cheese production and soft cheese production and is probably on the lookout for new products or new markets in order to continue making money. If they can do it, anyone can.
My point of view is that as a small business owner, very small, I have to constantly fight with the competition to win business from a customer base that doesn't like what I do! I have one competitor who is now offering the product for free!! For FREE!! How am I supposed to compete with that? I know, I'll cry until someone listens to me, shall I? I'll blame the rest of the world for the problems I have to solve. Or, I know, I'll try and find a solution that will allow me to release the product for free AND make money. I think I have the solution.
Do you think you have the ability to guess what the solution is? 😉
I'm off for a ride now, see you later.

If I remember we changed from MMB to Dairy Crest in the early eighties and as a private organisation the whole dynamic changed and I lost my job. Hey ho! That's life, dust yourself down and get on with life. I then went on to work for a small independant creamery which I believe is still producing farmhouse cheeses from just outside Chester (Mollington), if you want to look for them. It is possible to be a small and successful producer Jenbe. Sitting on your hands and expecting someone to dig you out of your hole is not acceptable, bleating about it isn't going to win over my support either. The independant creamery has it's own dairy herd, hard cheese production and soft cheese production and is probably on the lookout for new products or new markets in order to continue making money. If they can do it, anyone can.
My point of view is that as a small business owner, very small, I have to constantly fight with the competition to win business from a customer base that doesn't like what I do! I have one competitor who is now offering the product for free!! For FREE!! How am I supposed to compete with that? I know, I'll cry until someone listens to me, shall I? I'll blame the rest of the world for the problems I have to solve. Or, I know, I'll try and find a solution that will allow me to release the product for free AND make money. I think I have the solution.
Do you think you have the ability to guess what the solution is?
I'm off for a ride now, see you later.

some of the really small guys have only got maybe 50 cows you cant do much with that,im not saying it cant be done, many people have tried released it was hopless and then shot them selves over it..nuff said!

how you going to start a creamery when you 90 grand in debit?

The high street is changing - that is inevitable

yea but costs for farmers have increased quite a bit since 1994!!!

some of the really small guys have only got maybe 50 cows you cant do much with that,im not saying it cant be done,

how you going to start a creamery when you 90 grand in debit?

[img] [/img]

Hey ho! That's life, dust yourself down and get on with life

If you've got a good business and a good business plan, I don't see the problem.

If you've got a good business and a good business plan, I don't see the problem.
I can also can't help thinking that you've probably come to close to the suicide aspect which is never good, it's only business and a game, and definitely worth someone's life. Let's call it a day and get back to the Tesco thingy.

yea but costs for farmers have increased quite a bit since 1994!!!

I know the be fair line was sarcasm

lol, 🙂

I've never understood why if farmers are not making money on milk they continue to have dairy herds? Surely if a bit of your business is loss making you change (so if the market won't let you put up prices start selling beef, or diversify completely). I fully appreciate that without milk the country has a "problem" but if some farmers change then simply supply-demand will push prices up for others (I realise also that if you push this too far that it becomes cheaper to import - but thats not really a concern for an individual farmer). So can anyone explain why individual farmers are apparently losing money on milk to "subsidise" tesco etc?

poly - Member
I've never understood why if farmers are not making money on milk they continue to have dairy herds? Surely if a bit of your business is loss making you change (so if the market won't let you put up prices start selling beef, or diversify completely). I fully appreciate that without milk the country has a "problem" but if some farmers change then simply supply-demand will push prices up for others (I realise also that if you push this too far that it becomes cheaper to import - but thats not really a concern for an individual farmer). So can anyone explain why individual farmers are apparently losing money on milk to "subsidise" tesco etc?

farming is not a job its a way of life, also maybe the farmers have some emotional attachment to their cows! also cows in this country are treated better than in any other, i wouldn't eat any dairy or meat product from any other country, Danish bacon is very cruel...look it up on the net for youre self!!!!! also with out farmers the country side will not be looked after, no more green rolling feilds! also the super markets tell the farmers to use more chemicals on their crops to get a more uniform crop, they are bastards and need to be taken down several levels, and just maybe this riot is the start of that!

just been to tescos and it was ****in rammed.

yes my family did go completely in to vegetables,but you need a lot of land to make money from that and very expensive tractors and equipment not all farming familys are lucky and have the money and land to do that, its these people that are really being hit hard. Any way the cows gave the place a soul...its not really a farm with out cows..:(

I've never understood why if farmers are not making money on milk they continue to have dairy herds?

god i want to go trash a tesco...

Don't trash my local one please, I need more points on my card, also stay clear of greggs, love the sausage bean and cheese pasties. Nom nom 🙂

Don't trash my local one please, I need more points on my card, also stay clear of greggs, love the sausage bean and cheese pasties. Nom nom

You are a farmer your parents were farmer sand your grandparents before...

Jenbe / Junkyard,

Yes that "seems" to be all that keeps dairy producers going. However they can't actually be loss making (because they've been claiming that for the last 10 yrs or more so would have gone bust). I don't doubt its not a way to get rich. There are plenty of other careers where people have only known one thing and one day the rug gets pulled from under them and they have to go and find something else to do for the money. If I am to believe what I see on telly then the upcoming generations are not interested in continuing in farming so perhaps the market dynamic will be affected by that in 10-20 yrs.

I'm not criticising farmers for choosing to continue, and I do recognise that without farmers (although obviously dairy is not the only thing in the countryside) that the countryside might be quite different - but whilst they "muddle on" its hard for either politicians or me as a consumer to believe its as financially punitive as the rhetoric would suggest. Their issue is not that tesco's will only pay 25p/L for milk, but that the farmer down the road is willing to sell it to them for 25p/L.

I like the fantasy "Guardians of the countryside" image as well.
What that means in reality is that they will begrudgingly allow the use of public RoWs across their land, as long as the local council maintains the gates and stiles.

Yes that "seems" to be all that keeps dairy producers going. However they can't actually be loss making (because they've been claiming that for the last 10 yrs or more so would have gone bust). I don't doubt its not a way to get rich. There are plenty of other careers where people have only known one thing and one day the rug gets pulled from under them and they have to go and find something else to do for the money. If I am to believe what I see on telly then the upcoming generations are not interested in continuing in farming so perhaps the market dynamic will be affected by that in 10-20 yrs.

I'm not criticising farmers for choosing to continue, and I do recognise that without farmers (although obviously dairy is not the only thing in the countryside) that the countryside might be quite different - but whilst they "muddle on" its hard for either politicians or me as a consumer to believe its as financially punitive as the rhetoric would suggest. Their issue is not that tesco's will only pay 25p/L for milk, but that the farmer down the road is willing to sell it to them for 25p/L.

being a farmer is not the same as being a aircraft mechaince, its a life styel..etc..you clearly dont understand the enormity of milk proudction and all food production being in the control of large companys!

all you townie farmer hating morons can go **** youre selves!

Moooooove along now!

I like the fantasy "Guardians of the countryside" image as well.

so where you getting your cheap shopping then if not corporate supermarket?

I like the fantasy "Guardians of the countryside" image as well.
What that means in reality is that they will begrudgingly allow the use of public RoWs across their land, as long as the local council maintains the gates and stiles.

Thats the point other thigs matter at least as much as cost. I use organic box scheme and farmers shops and alocal market stall selling [some] local produce bought direct from the growers. It is not impossibel but it is more inconvenient and possibly more expensive.
I am not suret that supermarkets are cheaper [dont go so nothing to compare with tbh] as I assume the shop there invloves impulse buys that negate any saving.

Jenbe,

This seems to be a forum to explain to a lot of middle class part time country side users, with disposable income to elect where they buy their milk and cheese - but don't let that stop you reinforcing a few stereotypes of your own (e.g. farmers as grumpy, arrogant, townie hating etc). It seems that if those with the inside knowledge on the economics of farming fail to communicate them to those that are removed from the detail - then they only have themselves to blame when we look cynically on the "we're making a loss" type claims, and leave it to market forces to sort itself out.

all you townie farmer hating morons can go **** youre selves!

Jenbe,

This seems to be a forum to explain to a lot of middle class part time country side users, with disposable income to elect where they buy their milk and cheese - but don't let that stop you reinforcing a few stereotypes of your own (e.g. farmers as grumpy, arrogant, townie hating etc). It seems that if those with the inside knowledge on the economics of farming fail to communicate them to those that are removed from the detail - then they only have themselves to blame when we look cynically on the "we're making a loss" type claims, and leave it to market forces to sort itself out.

ok to explane to these people 🙂 the food that tescos sells is rather like the bikes halfords sell..have you noticed that all the vegitables look rather odly cut up, with no leaves, they look terrible and go off a lot faster, apprently this is what the consumer wants, any thing that dosent meet their high specifications goes to waste, we used to be able to sell this stuff at markets, but tesco have destroyed most of them. so much waste just so it will fit in the plastic bag, also many chemicals have to be used to make sure ther are no marks or any thing, so of thse chemicals are so toxic that one drop on youre tongue and youre good as dead. this includes ORGAINIC they also use chemicals, just ORGANIC based ones,we often use the same ones on a normall farm, theyt are every bit as toxic and deadly!!! its all a con, ive knowe that the supermarkets more than turn a blind eye to non orgainic vegtables been labled as organic..the super markets have wiped out all of the milk processors in many areas, meaning the only people you can sell to are tesco, etc.. there is no where else to sell the milk! if this does not end soon, all milk will come from other countries with much lower well-fair standards, even the biggest milk farmers are really struggling, and their are only so many poncey cheese producers the market can bare..farming is not like other business, with out it the country side wont bee the same, it will be covered in brambles and gorse the the most part, with shitty golf clubs in between!

as a happily ex employee look at it from another angle. tesco is the larget employer in the country bar the govt. tesco pays more tax in the uk than any other british company. 18% of us shop there EVERY week. almost half of all british based pension funds hold assets in Tesco. more union members in tesco than there ever were in the mines british leyland the post office and on the railways.. over 3500 employees earn more than 50k.

they aint great but they aint all bad

the farmers dont have to sell to them the road hauliers dont have to move thier stuff and yet they do they fall over themselves to do it..

as a happily ex employee look at it from another angle. tesco is the larget employer in the country bar the govt. tesco pays more tax in the uk than any other british company. 18% of us shop there EVERY week. almost half of all british based pension funds hold assets in Tesco. more union members in tesco than there ever were in the mines british leyland the post office and on the railways.. over 3500 employees earn more than 50k.

they aint great but they aint all bad

the farmers dont have to sell to them the road hauliers dont have to move thier stuff and yet they do they fall over themselves to do it..

jenbe - Your argument is as articulate as it is compelling 😀

the farmers dont have to sell to them the road hauliers dont have to move thier stuff and yet they do they fall over themselves to do it

y'know what. come monday. You lot'll be hitting the supermarkets. not a nice twee apple vendor. Minority opinion has no meaning with corporate giants. so just suck it up. Corporations rule.

As usual, the great British public want instant gratification and they are unable/don't want to understand the long-term implications.

Local Councils should take some of the blame - granting planning permission in return for infrastructure, ie roads being built.

Usual absence of morality and don't dress it up as 'good business'.

agree with u there cinnamon girl. Just cos you've got the huge spending funds, doesn't mean you can decimate places with corporate bisnezz. So, what if massive corporations bring money into an area. It's nice that they pretend to care about local people/communities... so long as the targets are hit, everyone is happy. oh, hang on...

do they tell you all that during [s]indoctrination[/s] induction week?#In particular

tesco pays more tax in the uk than any other british company

just maybe this riot is the start of that!

No it isn't. It is the locals of Stokes Croft being silly and the whole thing getting out of hand down there. It has more to do with squatters and trustafarians and achingly hip artistes than anything else.

The consumer wants, so the retailer sells. If the consumer cared enough - and as a whole, it doesn't - then things would look different.

shoppers don't give a shit!

If the consumer cared enough

It seems that consumers in the Stokes Croft area care enough.