Residents of Highfield, Gateshead, are expressing concerns about the pricing and product selection at their only local supermarket, a Tesco Express. Many villagers believe that the prices at this location are higher than those at larger Tesco stores and competitors in the town center. For instance, a resident named Marie Sidgwick commented on the difficulties faced by individuals who are unable to afford the bus fare to the larger stores, which costs approximately £5.
According to villagers, common grocery items such as crisps, lentils, pasta, milk, and meat are being sold at higher prices than those at larger Tesco locations. Tesco has stated that they strive to keep prices consistent across their Express stores and larger outlets; however, residents have noted that many lower-priced items are not available in the smaller store.
Diane Kindred, who works at a local food bank, highlighted the absence of cheaper value brands at the Express store. She pointed out that while a 500g bag of Tesco penne pasta is priced at 69p, the value range is available for 41p, presenting a significant difference. This raises questions about the store’s pricing strategy, especially since local residents, many of whom are elderly or vulnerable, rely on the Express store for essential groceries.
The 2023 report from the Competition and Markets Authority noted that running convenience stores incurs higher costs, including more frequent deliveries and higher staffing expenses. Andrew Opie from the British Retail Consortium corroborated this, stating that smaller shops generally face similar cost challenges as independent retailers, leading to slightly elevated prices compared to larger stores.
Responding to residents’ complaints, Tesco noted that the Express store is unable to carry the same range of items as larger stores due to limited shelf space. They claimed to utilize customer shopping data to tailor product offerings to local preferences. This situation raises questions about how effectively the store is meeting the needs of the community it serves.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8d7ln8j9dvo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss