Tesco Leads UK Retail Christmas Sales Misery

CRASH_BANG_WALLOP

down 2.3%! Argos reported a fall in sales of 8.8% in the 18 weeks to the end of last year.
DIY chain Homebase, also owned by Home Retail Group, saw sales fall by 2.6% over the same period.
Sales at Mothercare were also down - by 3% in the 12 weeks to January.
Meanwhile, the troubled chocolate retailer Thorntons continued to suffer over the festive period, reporting a 4.2% fall in sales in their stores over the last quarter of 2011.
Sales at cycle and car parts shop Halfords also dropped in the run up to Christmas - falling by 4.8% in the 13 weeks to the end of December

yeah people are not parting with their dosh. they know 2012 will be worse than 2011 once the euro explodes! they are keeping hold of their money as job losses continue at a rapid pace.

the economy is a mess

worldtraveller

Tesco SP currently down around 14%!

AD9898_2

4.5 years and counting now. I can't think of any downturn that has lasted this long with no green shoots/light at the end of the tunnel, I wonder why ?? I'd bet a large wager that by this time next year it'll be 5.5 years and counting.

Just like an asteroid heading towards earth 99.99999% won't be told or believe it until they can actually see it in the sky for themselves.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I think this result is unsurprising for Tesco; they are neither especially cheap nor offer good quality. A lot of mid-range places are going to feel the pinch, as those with money will buy from higher end outlets like Waitrose, and those searching for value can find it more consistently in the likes of Morrissons, Aldi, Lidl etc.

Wookster

Out,_Vile_Jelly wrote: »

I think this result is unsurprising for Tesco; they are neither especially cheap nor offer good quality. A lot of mid-range places are going to feel the pinch, as those with money will buy from higher end outlets like Waitrose, and those searching for value can find it more consistently in the likes of Morrissons, Aldi, Lidl etc.

Also Tesco has really changed some of their stores, less manned check outs and more self service check outs.

I've been into our local Tesco and spent more time waiting in queue than I have shopping, while looking at a line of unmanned tills.

If you treat your customers with such contempt, they will vote with their feet and shop elsewhere.

SecondLegDownIsTheBigOne

Wookster wrote: »

Also Tesco has really changed some of their stores, less manned check outs and more self service check outs.

I've been into our local Tesco and spent more time waiting in queue than I have shopping, while looking at a line of unmanned tills.

If you treat your customers with such contempt, they will vote with their feet and shop elsewhere.

I can't abide self-service tills, I'm no technophobe, I just like to be served by an actual human being. I never, but never use them and I always demand to be served by a worker. It makes me laugh how in most shops that have them, aside from having 1 staffer to monitor them, there is usually another trying to persuade people to use them! I had a conversation with a lady serving me at a checkout at my local Tesco who said that customers generally don't want to use them and the till supervisor regularly gets a b0110cking because of it.

SecondLegDownIsTheBigOne

Out,_Vile_Jelly wrote: »

I think this result is unsurprising for Tesco; they are neither especially cheap nor offer good quality. A lot of mid-range places are going to feel the pinch, as those with money will buy from higher end outlets like Waitrose, and those searching for value can find it more consistently in the likes of Morrissons, Aldi, Lidl etc.

Waitrose isn't higher end, just higher priced. The quality of their goods is nothing special.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

SecondLegDownIsTheBigOne wrote: »

Waitrose isn't higher end, just higher priced. The quality of their goods is nothing special.

The customers are higher end. I don't mind paying more to not be surrounded by chavs loading their trolleys with value crisps and Turkey Twizzlers while their myriad brats have cola-fuelled tantrums in the queue.

I also refuse to use self-service tills and would rather keep someone in a job (most cashiers seem smiley and appreciative when you insist on waiting for them). The relentless bossy robot voice of the machines does my head in.

moneyinmypocket

Tesco hasn't done enough - up the quailty lower the price and give people some bargains

drc

Didn't Warren Buffet suggest Tesco shares as a good buy very recently? He's normally pretty on the ball.

Graham_Devon

I used to love tesco. Wouldn't shop anywhere else. But have recently swapped to sainsburys.

OK, so some of the items cost a few pennies more. BUT, the range is larger, the food is generally better quality, and I find the service better. Queues were getting terirble at my local tesco's, and you were forever bumping into staff with massive great trolley things doing the online shopping...which I understand, but don't understand the need for 4 foot wide trolleys blocking the isles!!

Tesco's doesn't seem to put much effort into unique products. Whereas i can pop into Sainsburys on the way home from work and pick up a different meal. Tesco's may have carrot and suede mash, but that seems to be the lot.. Sainsburys has various types of fresh potato sides....bubble and squeak, some other potato hash thing, and accompanying different vegetables. I don't often buy it, but when I do I enjoy it.

When I'm with my son shopping, we pop to the counter and get a freshly made gingerbread man or another little treat for him. In tescos all they have are the mini ones where you have to buy the whole plastic box, or often, again, overbacked cookies in a pack.

Sainsburys (and especially Asda...don't get me started on their fresh pizzas, yum!) have a wide range of oriental meals, fresh at the deli. They put effort into other varieties at the deli too, antipastie or something (spelling?). Tesco's just have ham and an uninspiring sausage roll and the likes. The oriential meals are shipped in on the shelves. tesco's USED to do some fresh stuff, but they took over that space and put a mobile/communications shop and opticians in the store in it's place, so food floor space is ever decreasing.

Morrisons has it's own range of pies and other freshly made stuff. They are unique in that they have a lot of local produce (in my nearest store anyway).

Tesco's is all just boxed stuff, and the basics. Anything they can pre-prepare, freeze and ship in gets sold. Gets a little boring...and feel they have branched out into far too much stuff and are becoming the experts in nothing.