Boring Tescos

The refurbishment of the Tesco store in Oakham is now well underway with the store smelling of paint. I was hoping they were going to make the place a little more interesting but all they are doing is making it look more boring and drab, which I didn't think was possible.

There is some nice wood being put onto the entrance to the store and they have add some wood along some of the isles which varies the height shelves and pin points the more expensive items in general.  Other than that the seem to have painted everything white, so much so that under the glare of the lights the supermarket has become extremely bright and makes it look more like a warehouse than it did before. In fact if anything they have made shopping their even worse rather than better. It is just so bland like many of the things they seem to sell.

There are some new posters been attached to the windows on the outside of the store that made me smile. The first one was "Passionate about Food" which was I thought a little ironic in a supermarket that is often running out of food including many basic items such as eggs. In some cases these shortages go on days and in one case I can remember one common product being sold out for weeks. I like to plan menu what I eat before I go into the store not have to rethink meals because I can't buy what I need. The second one about "Great Value" from a supermarket that has pulled many of its value ranges from the shelves and who seems to be constantly putting up it prices or replacing items in its standard range with more expensive products in their premium range, which in some case aren't so good. Finally the third one has cleverly been place behind the trolley park where you can't see it at all, bet that one is a real laugh.

What I dislike more than anything about Tesco is the way they keep moving stuff around the store. They seem to think I want spend ages looking for stuff around the aisles and partake in their shopping experience. To be honest I couldn't give a dam for their shopping experience. I just want to be in and out as quickly as possible to get away from the place. I have far better things to do with my life they spend it shopping, especially in a supermarkets that are kill the high streets and the real shopping experience and local economy. They are at best dull and at worse annoying.

To be honest Tescos in Oakham are going to have to get there act together if they are going to carry being the major store in the town. Soon they will have even more competition in the form of Aldi and Sainsburys. I know from talking to staff in Melton Tescos that the opening of a new Sainsburys there has hit their trade hard and combining that with an Aldi in Oakham they are going to be squeezed even more.

It is my view, that with four supermarkets in the town one of them won't be around for long. The betting is it will be the Cooperative Supermarket that we lose and that would be a shame because it offers a far better shopping experience when you compare it to Tescos and to Sainburys in Melton too. The food is better for one reason and the staff are friendly too.