Like all good trilogies, this one goes up to 3; here are my closing feelings on Tesco with a few observations having seen at last their new shop. It opened a few days ago with a nice photoshoot for the local press. I had a look but didn't go in (couldn't as they were too busy being snapped). Straight away I notice that the makeup of the staff (or at least those wheeled out for the camera) are mainly young women. There was a manager type gentleman in a tie whom I suspect was an area manager. Looks like Tesco have hired young mums, older mums and students/wives. This wasn't a career opportunity. People that don't need more than the NMW.
Second point to make is that there is already a shop down the road. I've mentioned them before. I have to say that I feel for them. Theirs isn't the best shop, but they've been royally screwed. All the passing trade is going to be taken by Tesco who are on the same side of the road and, inexplicably, have been given permission for Lottery and cashpoint over them, and indeed the other village convenience store. Now if the decision makers in these processes don't take into account existing businesses and are happy to throw them onto the dole then some thing's wrong. This is no exception. Tesco is now open from 7-10 every day! This is not the norm for a village store. How can small businesses compete with that?
I had my first venture within this morning. It's a typical Tesco Express. It offers more than the local shops and forces the local community to choose convenience over community. That, it seems, is modern society in a nutshell. They are here to stay, there's no way they won't get trade, even if it's passing trade - or just a quick scratchcard when visiting the ATM. I also worry this going to be a magnet for local yobs that enjoy boozing it up at the local kids play area. Are Tesco really going to care about that? Their staff aren't people from the communtiy that I recognise (which isn't to say I know everyone of course).
One final point is that, on my way out, I noticed there were a couple of young women sweeping leaves from the entrance. Both were north African in appearance - as far as my untrained eye goes. They could be British born, but they were both of immigrant extraction. One was talking on her phone in a different language. Now the point I'm making is that they were a completely different demographic than the rest of the staff: middle aged women! Immediately I'm wondering just what Tesco's employment priorities and principles are. I'm willing to be those two are just there to do that for a job, they won't be managing the shop and probably not working in it. Is this cheap labour because they happen to be (possibly) immigrants?
So what's the point: I was compelled to apply to this shop by the Jobcentre. They didn't care that the shop represents a very real threat to the established community and the families that work in those shops. They don't' care what Tesco did to get that pitch and the permission to run lottery, cashpoints and to sell beer, and they don't really seem to care that Tesco aren't hiring people for the best interests of the community.
This is not how we improve society.
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