My local Tesco's doesn't value cyclists

[Norm]

Was that the very same piece of Velcro that I suggested for the sawn-off, but you never used by improvising the bottle cage instead? I am hurt that my original design component has been prostituted in this manner.

Worry not, young Slowmo. The velcro was indeed used in crafting the holder for the shottie.

I found out a few weeks ago that Tesco are a bit touchy about people turning up on a bike with a shot gun strapped to the seat tube (who'd have guessed, huh) so I have taken to just travelling concealed, thus leaving the cage empty and the velcro available for bagel-strapping duties.

These are two photos from my Waitrose:

It shows that cyclists do go shopping by bike.

Or, cynically, it shows that Waitrose have good bike parking facilities which people use when going into town, possibly stopping off in Waitrose on their way back to assuage their guilt.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

actually, in fairness, the smaller town-centre tesco in macc does allow bikes to be parked in a corner inside the store, or at least folk do it anyway…

 

[upsidedown]

I just take the bike into the Tesco Express by me, nobody bats an eyelid any more.

When i went into the Tesco in Frankley there was nowhere to put the bike, the security guard standing by the till came over and offered to hold my bike while i got my few bits of shopping, bless him. And no, i have no idea why they have a full time security guard in a Tesco Express.

 

[summerdays]

Or, cynically, it shows that Waitrose have good bike parking facilities which people use when going into town, possibly stopping off in Waitrose on their way back to assuage their guilt.

Err not if you know where that Waitrose is in comparison to town... direct route is up a reasonable size hill - they might be stopping to refuel them selves. It isn't near the town centre, the only other place they could be going would be the cinema, but I've seen the people coming in and out of the Waitrose using the racks - fairly continual turn-over.

 

[Globalti]

What amazes me about this thread is that there seem to be parts of the country where you can leave a bike locked up outside a supermarket without it being stolen. You wouldn't risk it around here.

 

[Norm]

Err not if you know where that Waitrose is in comparison to town...

Indeed, my comment was based not only on my own town but also on my personal guilt at using their parking for a quick nip into the shops.

 

[summerdays]

Well I have now spoken to the Planning department and sent them the information we will see if this results in any change. Going back to a previous point about complaining about lack of stands, bare in mind that this is in Bristol with its Cycle City status which has resulted in cycle stands appearing all over town. I'm getting used to the expectation of there is going to be stands.

 

[Wheeledweenie]

Curiously (and don't get me wrong - and I don't have shares in them!) my local Tesco's is quite adequate for cyclists with a row of six sheffields.

It's our local Waitrose that doesn't have proper cycle parking. Ironic, that?

It is, especially as my local Waitrose is piloting tow-along bike trolleys at the moment. We don't normally shop there but I'm tempted to give it a go.

 

[dellzeqq]

Well I have now spoken to the Planning department and sent them the information we will see if this results in any change. Going back to a previous point about complaining about lack of stands, bare in mind that this is in Bristol with its Cycle City status which has resulted in cycle stands appearing all over town. I'm getting used to the expectation of there is going to be stands.

that's a very good point. Might it be an idea to copy your correspondence to cycling.city@bristol.gov.uk ?

 

[Crankarm]

Sainsburys in Huntingdon has quite a few Oxford Hoops under cover. Makes for a secure stop on a long trip. Waitrose in Trumpington has a few hoops as well if I remember. But don't often use them as I'm using the Brompton and where ever I go it comes with me. Most supermarkets around here seem to have a few hoops. The worst though is Halfords which have 4 outside their out of town outlet in Huntingdon, huge car park, but the hoops are narrow and a weird high shape cemented into the ground about 4 inches from the wall of the building so they are of no use what so ever . Anyway if I am desperate to see what they have got I wheel my bike in with me. Shows their BSOs up though even the Boardman bikes . Still one guy there who is actually half knowledgeable about bikes likes to look it over and have a chat. Then he sighs deeply and says back to Halford's toy bikes ..........

 

[661-Pete]

Our own H*lf*rds is a scream! It has no cycle parking whatsoever. Well: an unadorned brick wall marked 'cycle park' but no hoops, no rails, no ironmongery of any sort, no slots, no b*ggerall! There used to be some sort of stands but they were taken out years ago and never replaced. Did someone whisper that this edifice actually sells bicycles?

 

[DJ]

Halfords do stock a line of products that resembles bicycles,yes, I know this cos I went in there once and saw them!

 

[Black Sheep]

I just thought.

T**** have a team of 'Customer Satisfaction' people who trawl the internet for sites ( chatboards ) where their name appears.

I don't want to get the young lady into any trouble. Chopped out that bit.

Also, did you know, the cash till staff at Tesco are disciplined if they chat too much to the customers. Chatting reduces the number of 'Throughputs'. Throughputs? That's you and I.

my brother's shoved a chicken back over the scanner at his tesco (staffed checkout) for two reasons, the woman was going way too fast and just squishing his items into the packing area quicker than he and his wife could pack, the other reason is by law check out assistants are meant to put all raw meat in a bag before putting it in the packing area.

he's also had items broken by the checkout person and so told them to forget it and wondered off.

 

[661-Pete]

Some thoughts about huge trolleyloads of BOGOFs offloaded into 4x4s - well, maybe there are a fair number of customers with just that shopping pattern, but it's not the majority. Maybe there are geographic variations, but in our local Tesco's, most of the customers are with a small half-depth trolley, like us (explains the shortage of these trolleys), and many are shopping from a list, again like us. These sort of customers appear to be the backbone of Tesco's customer base. Working from a list, one is less likely to snap up an impulse BOGOF (actually, literal BOGOFs are rare, more common is two-for-less-than-unit-price-x2). We do sometimes take two of an item on our list, having planned to buy only one, if on a special offer, but only if we have room and it's not too perishable.

Remember that BOGOFs are by definition a loss leader. Tesco's or anyone else will lose money on the customer who comes in and snaps up the BOGOFs and nothing else. So they really ought to be encouraging customers like us who shop to a pattern and have regular needs. And always know exactly how much is four panniers-worth (usually around £50-£60).

Any Tescos feedback researchers perusing this thread: take heed!

 

[John the Monkey]

Our Halfords has some but they're not good.

Mind you, I wheel my bike around the store if I'm ever popping in there.

Can't do that at ours, as the bike bit is upstairs, car bit is on the ground floor.

Probably a bit unfair to expect the drivers to do all that work to get to the car bit though, eh?