The Tesco & other non-Morrisons supermarket thread

[WillPS]

A couple of years after we discussed Sainsbury's testing them, and YEARS after we discussed on here the use of them in a Morrisons Local store, Tesco seem to be be the latest supermarket to be experimenting with e-ink price labels in one of their stores, as shown in this tweetfrom SirKen. Indeed, looking back they're the same ones that Sainsbury's tried out, which could even go red for items on promotion! They've came a long way from the originals, which much like the initial Kindles were quite dark, whereas these are very clear, even from a distance.

Morrisons actually inherited a handful of Safeway Megastores which had ESELs way back in 2004. They didn't last long in the great purge of anything that resembled technological progress.

Sainsbury's ran a trial around the same time in that Cheshire concept store, removed a few years later.

Tesco previously trialled some sort of LED or LCD screen which filled the entire strip - I think that development all ceased around the time someone realised they were cooking the books and a load of execs were showed the door.

It is a very sensible bit of automation, I imagine it'll be standard fit out with the big 4 before too long.

[bilky asko]

He's advertising the AA now.

Oh, so he's the same one who was in the Virgin Trains ads?

[Pete]

Absolutely, particularly as the planogram already knows exactly where the stock should be sitting on the shelf. In fact in ten years or so the idea of a paper SEL may well seem as daft as individual sticky labels applied to each individual item.

Although if the entire shelf edge is one, how do you deal with problems with the planogram? We've all had the joys of the 9ft bay when the planogram says its 11, or the plan not knowing there's a pillar or a socket in the way.

How do you deal with a fridge failure when you need to move everything into the adjacent units?

I mean I'm sure it would work for 80% of stuff but there'd need to be an override and I suspect it'd be more faffy than just moving around the standalone units.

The flashing for offers is a good point, the way the mcdonalds TV screens can advertise special offers by using all five screens as a video wall before going back to the standard menu is very slick. They also seem to have the timing bang on so its long enough to be effective but short enough to not annoy people trying to just read the menu.

[Andrew]

He's advertising the AA now.

Oh, so he's the same one who was in the Virgin Trains ads?

No, he's now advertising Subway.

[Philip]

Tesco Express near me (apologies for wonky Street View image):



The sticker over the 'Lottery' sign that says 'Lottery coming soon' has been there ever since the store opened, in 2009. That's eight years of nobody being bothered enough, or perhaps not even knowing that that sticker was still on there.

(You also might be able to make out that the individual letters have come off that sticker, so it now actually says 'otter omin oo')

[woah]

My favourite oddball sign is this one at Meadowhall near Sheffield:



There can't be many petrol stations left that still say Four Star on the totem, it's been off sale for coming on 18 years. It also dates this totem pretty well since Four Star went off sale 01/01/2000 and the current Sainsbury's logo was introduced in 1998.

There's a couple of these Sainsbury's petrol stations at Meadowhall, with canopies in the Meadowhall architectural style. They're relics of when Sainsbury's had a supermarket itself in Meadowhall but that closed in 2005 - the petrol stations solider on in a forlorn state. The stores are tired out and still fitted in the old "make life taste better" style, these old totems remain in place, and the petrol pumps are ancient. According to the Sainsbury's store locator, they don't even exist!

For years and years I've expected them to be sold on - after all I can't imagine there are any other Sainsbury's branded petrol stations that aren't nearby a supermarket - but they keep on going.

[james2001]

They still listed LRP as four star at a lot of petrol stations for a while (thougthey did still have LRP next to them on the signs). Not that I've seen even that on sale anywhere for about 10 years either. In fact the Sainsbury's petrol station here was I think the last place I remember still selling it.

And the logo was introduced in mid-1999, not 1998.

I can only presume those two petrol stations at Meadowhall get enough custom for them to feel it's worth keeping them open, (and not selling them on to someone else). Even if they haven't done any refurb on them in 17 years. Wonder how they'll fare with the total refurb of meadowhall that's happening right now?

The Kingsway store in Derby is still in the Make Life Taste Better style too. Interestingly it was refurbished in 1998- then they refurbished it again around a year later when the logo changed. So two refurbs in a little over a year- then it's been pretty much untouched for 18 years.

[woah]

They still listed LRP as four star at a lot of petrol stations for a while (thougthey did still have LRP next to them on the signs). Not that I've seen even that on sale anywhere for about 10 years either. In fact the Sainsbury's petrol station here was I think the last place I remember still selling it.

And the logo was introduced in mid-1999, not 1998.

I can only presume those two petrol stations at Meadowhall get enough custom for them to feel it's worth keeping them open, (and not selling them on to someone else). Even if they haven't done any refurb on them in 17 years. Wonder how they'll fare with the total refurb of meadowhall that's happening right now?

The Kingsway store in Derby is still in the Make Life Taste Better style too. Interestingly it was refurbished in 1998- then they refurbished it again around a year later when the logo changed. So two refurbs in a little over a year- then it's been pretty much untouched for 18 years.

D'oh - thought it was 1999! Blame Google (not me, obviously) - that means it was probably put in place in 1999 unless they labelled it as four star even from 2000.

And indeed, I assume they must do which is why it seems odd that they're stuck in a time warp. I'm also wondering if they might get a refurb, because the canopies now look very dated and Meadowhall's refit means they'll look totally out of place now. I suspect they will be left the same though to be honest.

Sainsbury's do seem to have an odd refurb policy. There's a couple of Sainsbury's Locals near me that are ex-Jacksons, and only got a light refurb in 2008 when it was converted to the Sainsbury's brand. Today they look really shabby and don't even have self service tills.

[james2001]

I'm presuming the signage was put in place at the same time the time they downsized the Sainsbury's from a Savacentre to a smaller supermarket and turned the rest of the space into other units- which was during late 1999. I actually remember during that time having to walk through a quite long "tunnel" to actually get into the recently downsized Sainsbury's, which presumably wiggled its way through the building works.

[Andrew]

I'm presuming the signage was put in place at the same time the time they downsized the Sainsbury's from a Savacentre to a smaller supermarket and turned the rest of the space into other units- which was during late 1999. I actually remember during that time having to walk through a quite long "tunnel" to actually get into the recently downsized Sainsbury's, which presumably wiggled its way through the building works.

I think the same happened at the White Rose Centre in Leeds as well.

I assume those petrol stations are actually owned by Meadowhall, what with the style matching the shopping centre, and Sainsburys just operate the franchise. I expect they do good business so you'd keep it going.

The main one no longer mentions Four Star https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.41695 ... 312!8i6656

[all new Phil]

I didn't go to the trouble of starting a Sainsbury's thread in 2011 for you all to post about Sainsbury's in the Tesco thread