Criticism of Tesco
Criticism of Tesco includes disapproval of the effects supermarket chains can have on farmers, suppliers and smaller competitors; along with claims of generally poor labour relations with its staff concerning sick leave regulations.
It, however, found no actual basis for accusations that Tesco could use its land bank to control nearly half of national grocery retailing, and that suppliers' profits were being squeezed by the supermarket.
Criticism of Tesco includes allegations of stifling competition due to its undeveloped "land bank",[9] pugilistically aggressive new store development without real consideration of the wishes, needs and consequences to local communities,[10] using cheap and/or child labour,[11][12] opposition to its move into the convenience sector[13] and breaching planning laws.
[14] In April 2011, longstanding opposition to a Tesco Express store in Cheltenham Road, Stokes Croft, Bristol, evolved into a violent clash between opponents and police.
[15] Opponents such as No Tesco in Stokes Croft, have suggested that the store would damage small shops and harm the character of the area.
[24] American union leaders, representing employees of Tesco's Fresh & Easy brand, have complained that a "stark contrast" exists between the way the supermarket chain treats their British workers and staff at their US business.
[25] The trade union Usdaw relies upon a "partnership" model with large employers such as with Tesco, where there exists "privileged access" to the management of both organisations.
[26][27] In January 2005, Tesco faced criticism for their testing of RFID tags used to collect information on product movement in pilot stores.
[31] The Serious Fraud Office launched a formal criminal probe into the auditing and accounting practices in mid 2014 and the Financial Reporting Council in December 2014.
[34] Tesco had suspended eight executives pending further enquiries by 18 October 2013, including the UK corporate boss Chris Bush, while an investigation into the scandal takes place.
[56][57] In May 2024, consumer groups warned that Tesco's new challenges that reward shoppers with extra loyalty points for buying more could lead to overspending.
[66] On 22 May 2007, the BBC's Whistleblower programme showed undercover footage detailing breaches of food hygiene rules in a branch of Tesco.
[75] In addition to this the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, has on a number of occasions ordered the recall of Tesco branded products, including a case of glass contamination.
[76][77][78] Environmental Health Officers served a closure order on Tesco's store in Prussia Street, Dublin, the day after they inspected it, for a number of breaches of Food Hygiene Regulations.
She requested the removal of the poster, a petition that was joined by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE), which expressed its "surprise and disagreement against the strongly discriminating message".
According to the Office for National Statistics, the Romanians in the United Kingdom then formed a community of about 427,000, making them the fourth largest foreign group in the country at the time.
[86][87] In April 2023, the High Court ruled that Tesco was taking unfair advantage of competitor Lidl's discounter reputation with its Clubcard Prices logo design.
[90][91][92] In March 2024, Tesco faced significant criticism for delaying a promised pay rise, which left many employees earning less than the minimum wage for nearly a month.
[95] Additionally, it has been accused of intentionally stopping deliveries of certain essential products to independent stores, in some cases reducing item selection by up to 30%.
The findings highlighted retailers' larger margins in the South vis-a-vis their operations in the North,[97] and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment queried why the price differential in many identical goods was substantially in excess of 5%.
[100] In 2001, Environmental Health Officers served a closure order on Tesco's store in Prussia Street, Dublin, for breaches of Food Hygiene Regulations.
[79] The British-owned supermarket, refused to stock any of the one million postcards which are aimed at closing the controversial plant at Sellafield in Cumbria.
Sheikh Dr Shaheed Satardien, head of the Muslim Council of Ireland, described the sales as "polluting the minds of impressionable young Islamic people with hate and anger towards the Jewish community."
[104][105][106][107] In September 2011, Greenpeace reported supermarkets in China, including Tesco, were selling vegetables that contained illegal pesticides or others at levels exceeding safe limits.
Of 16 fruit and vegetable samples obtained from Tesco stores in Beijing and Guangzhou, 11 did not comply with regulations and one contained residues of methamidophos and monocrotophos, both of which had been prohibited since 2007.
[109] In 2010, two KDFSZ trade union officials that had persuaded a fellow employee and his family to report a serious accident were dismissed by Tesco Hungary.
[110] In 2008, Thailand's Tesco Lotus associate sought penalties of two years in prison and a £16.4m libel damages from, writer and former legislator, Jit Siratranont after he argued it was expanding aggressively at the expense of small, local retailers.
Authors including Joanne Harris, Marina Lewycka and Deborah Moggach urged Tesco to "impress your critics with the force of argument, not the threat of imprisonment".
