Tesco Opens UK’s First Self Service Store
British retail giant Tesco has opened the UK’s first completely self service store in Northampton.
The convenience store Tesco Express, has no checkouts that are staffed, and instead uses a set of five self service scanning tills which are overseen by a single staff member.
Tesco says the aim of the “assisted service store” was to speed up trips made to the store and increase efficiency. The retailer said however, that there were no plans to implement the checkout in its larger supermarkets.
A Tesco spokesman said: “Customers like the fact that there are five checkouts available. Before, you could have four manned checkouts but only one person working the till. It’s a lot quicker but some people have never used them before so a member of staff is there to assist.”
The head of the British Retail Consortium, Richard Dodd, says he believes the move could trigger the beginning of a technological revolution, which would be the end of manned checkouts at supermarkets.
Critics say that unmanned checkouts signal the end of “basic human interaction” between shoppers and check-out staff, which could mean job losses in the thousands.
But critics of the move warned that it signalled the end of “basic human interaction” between shoppers and check-out staff, and could ultimately result in thousands of job losses.
A spokesman for rival Asda was quoted by supermarket .co.uk as saying that “hell would probably freeze over” before it opened a store with no customer interaction on the checkouts.
Campaign Slams Supermarket Bakeries As Tanning Salon For Baguettes
A report recently released by the Real Bread Campaign has branded the bakeries of supermarket chains as being nothing more than tanning salons for baguettes.
In a scathingly critical report, the campaign highlights a common practice by many retailers of freezing pre baked loaves of bread, and then re-baking them in store, which has the effect of softening the loaves and making their crusts crunchier.
The campaign says it contacted six retail chains, and found that only Marks and Spencer stocked bread baked in-store that met the campaign’s definition of ‘Real Bread’ , i.e, made with flour, water, yeast and salt, with all natural ingredients and using no processing aid.
The Real Bread Campaign seeks to highlight the increasing loss of jobs in the bakery industry and the worrying trend of including hidden additives in bread.
According to the report many supermarkets make use of a legal loophole which does not force them to disclose a number of additives on their bread labels.
By law, the burden falls on the customer to ask what additives are in the bread rather than the responsibility falling on the retailers to publish.
According to the Food Labelling Regulations 1996, processing aids such as enzymes used to affect colouration and prolong softness need not be declared at all, even if a customer asks for an ingredient list.
The campaign claims that loaves of bread that have been re-baked, which many retailers sell often go stale much faster and requires far more energy to produce.
Waitrose Starts Selling Luxury Toilet Rolls Made From Cashmere
Wiping one’s behind after visiting the loo has never been silkier, with upmarket grocery retailer Waitrose, upping the luxury ante, offering its customers luxury toilet rolls made using one of the softest materials known to man, cashmere.
Usually cashmere is a material used to manufacture very expensive and extremely soft jumpers, scarf’s and socks, but the retailer is now using the material to make toilet paper for customers who wish to indulge themselves.
Waitrose says that the toilet paper is covered in oil extracted from the hairs of the cashmere goat and is “most luxurious bathroom tissue yet”.
Waitrose is retailing the luxury toilet rolls at nearly double the price of regular toilet paper. The cashmere toilet roll sells at Waitrose stores nationwide for £2.29 for a pack of four, compared with £4.79 for a pack of nine Essentials Ultra toilet rolls.
Carla Smith, buyer for the upmarket grocery chain, said: “Cashmere provides that stamp of quality to any fashion garment from a designer suit to the finest luxury knitwear .”
“It’s indulgent, it’s stylish and it’s helping provide that extra softness to our new premium bathroom tissue collection.”
Asda Valentine’s Day Sale And Asda Direct Clearance Sale On Now
If unlike me, you have a better half, and are acutely aware that Valentines Day is round the corner, then Asda has some great gift ideas to make that special person swoon, with bouquets of flowers for under 20 and boxes of chocolates for as low as 2 though if your only spending 2 quid on him or her, I hope they have a sense of humour.
Click Here To Buy Valentine’s Day Gifts Online From Asda
Asda Direct also has a wicked clearance sale on at the moment, everything from this year’s must have technology of Satellite Navigation, through to eBook readers. There is a leather sofa on sale for half price, and the Asda Baby Toddler event continues, with prams and toys all on sale with the sweetest discount this side of the English Channel.
So hurry, get your Valentine’s Day gifts in and make sure you take advantage of the Asda Direct Clearance Sale, its only once a year, and he or she who dares….wins.
Asda Direct Clearance Sale
- My Guide Sat Nav- Now £37!
- Tom Tom Sat Nav- Now £75!
- eBbook Reader- Now just £144, was £220!
100s of Furniture, Home and Leisure Deals
- Half price 3 Seat Leather/PU Sofa only £200
- Java sideboard only £160 was £200 – Rated 5 stars by ASDA customers!
The ASDA Baby Event Some of the top items in the Baby Event are:
- Red Kite, Baby Go Round– Only £25
- Red Kite Buggy– Only £40
Click Here To Buy Online From Asda Direct
Food Prices Rise At British Supermarkets
The cost of food products at British supermarkets increased by nearly 3 per cent during the month of January according to new data released by The Grocer magazine.
The Grocer publishes a weekly price index, the results of which show that the average British family was forced to spend an extra £6 for a composite basket of goods. The 2.8 per cent increase in January is the largest increase in monthly prices in two years.
The reason for the increase according to the trade publication, is that supermarkets have been passing on the increase in VAT to shoppers, despite the fact that most food items are exempt from VAT.
“So much for falling food prices, this month’s Grocer price index figures put paid to any hopes that falling inflation would not be stalled by January’s VAT hike.” the report said.
“In theory the VAT shift should have had virtually no effect – most food is exempt from the 17.5 per cent tax – but as an investigation by the Grocer showed earlier in the month, retailers used the increase to pass on some price rises even on non-VATable items.”
