The Tesco & other non-Morrisons supermarket thread

james2001 · Wed 29 Jan, 2025 00.28

BBC TV Centre wrote: Tue 28 Jan, 2025 20.27 Why not just cut the music licences as well - I don't think there's a single person that's ever went endless Slade over the tannoy gets me in the festive mood. Can't imagine how much this costs per store.

Cutting the music licences clearly didn't work for Asda seeing as it was months of complaints followed by going back to licenced music. Unless you mean just having silence, but then people might not like that either.

thegeek · Thu 30 Jan, 2025 20.19

I noticed when I was last in that they've still got presenters on Asda Radio - I wonder if that was the case when they were doing the AI dross and if they ever referred to the songs.

Looking at the presenters listed on their website, their morning turn also co-presents the breakfast show on Hits Staffordshire, so I think it's safe to say it's all voicetracked.

(Years ago I'm sure I heard Robin Galloway's voice one morning on Asda FM in a store in Glasgow - suggesting that they've been voicetracking for years, but also that they might even have had regional opts)

Jacket · Fri 31 Jan, 2025 02.03

WillPS wrote: Sun 26 Jan, 2025 09.53
AGuyFromUpNorth wrote: Tue 21 Jan, 2025 22.36 I noticed on my recent trip to Asda the other day that there was a load of new POS featuring the older 'Rollback' logo with the big smiley face which they apparently phased out a few years ago but it seems is back again.
I noticed that too... I thought Rollback was a Walmart thing they were losing the rights to?

They must've come to some arrangement - they're apparently going big on it!

james2001 · Fri 31 Jan, 2025 13.34

That photo looks like the Milton of Cragie store in Dundee as well, very near where my boyfriend lives. Been in there loads of times!

And yes, from what I've read, Asda Radio did have DJs during the royalty free era, don't think they referred to the songs though. Not that I've heard them refer to them since proper music came back either. Some people did manage to work out what many of the songs were though and made a spotify playlist:

Anyone else remember the days they always played Let's Get Ready To Rhumble at 4PM?

thegeek · Fri 31 Jan, 2025 14.31

thegeek wrote: Thu 30 Jan, 2025 20.19
(Years ago I'm sure I heard Robin Galloway's voice one morning on Asda FM in a store in Glasgow - suggesting that they've been voicetracking for years, but also that they might even have had regional opts)

Had a wee look into this, and he mentions it on an old episode of his podcast:

Apparently he never mentioned his name on air (or the special offers). He also appeared on Topps FM.

JetixFann450 · Thu 06 Feb, 2025 21.17

Jacket wrote: Fri 31 Jan, 2025 02.03
WillPS wrote: Sun 26 Jan, 2025 09.53
AGuyFromUpNorth wrote: Tue 21 Jan, 2025 22.36 I noticed on my recent trip to Asda the other day that there was a load of new POS featuring the older 'Rollback' logo with the big smiley face which they apparently phased out a few years ago but it seems is back again.
I noticed that too... I thought Rollback was a Walmart thing they were losing the rights to?
They must've come to some arrangement - they're apparently going big on it!

They also appear to have revived the original "Rollback" music to one of their latest ASDA ads on TV. Oh, and the pocket slapping is still there too.

Blewatter · Sat 08 Mar, 2025 12.45

Tesco in Gateshead is apparently trialling airport security gates at check out. I get that self service opens up shoplifting, but do you think this is a good deterrent?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0rzvrjkklko

WillPS · Sat 08 Mar, 2025 20.47

Blewatter wrote: Sat 08 Mar, 2025 12.45 Tesco in Gateshead is apparently trialling airport security gates at check out. I get that self service opens up shoplifting, but do you think this is a good deterrent?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0rzvrjkklko

They don't seem anything like airport security gates?

It's just a big scale. I presume it's one of those things where the tolerance will have to be massive to accommodate for bags and trolley weight differences, as well as the standard weight allowances multiplied across a whole trolley load.

all new Phil · Sat 08 Mar, 2025 22.14

It all feels like it’ll be irrelevant in the coming decade anyway. Surely some form of just-walk-out technology will eventually be the norm. RFID feels like the way forward if it can be developed to be smaller / cheaper. Zara use it well for their self checkouts.

Charlie Wells · Sat 08 Mar, 2025 23.32

all new Phil wrote: Sat 08 Mar, 2025 22.14 It all feels like it’ll be irrelevant in the coming decade anyway. Surely some form of just-walk-out technology will eventually be the norm. RFID feels like the way forward if it can be developed to be smaller / cheaper. Zara use it well for their self checkouts.

Decathlon also use RFID on their self service tills. I guess with supermarkets the challenge would be with loose fruit, veg, and bakery items.

WillPS · Sun 09 Mar, 2025 10.34

all new Phil wrote: Sat 08 Mar, 2025 22.14 It all feels like it’ll be irrelevant in the coming decade anyway. Surely some form of just-walk-out technology will eventually be the norm. RFID feels like the way forward if it can be developed to be smaller / cheaper. Zara use it well for their self checkouts.

Zara control all their inventory, it'd be a challenge for the supermarkets (even Aldi/Lidl) to get all their suppliers to change their packaging to incorporate tags which cannot just be printed conventionally. Also imagine what the cost of an RFID tag added to each product would do to the unit cost of basic goods. A (guessing) 5p label is far easier to swallow in to the cost of a two-digit pound item of clothing than it is for a 37p pack of paracetamol.

The fact those peddling the Just Walk Out dream have walked away from using it themselves says it all. It's a fair idea for small outlets with a few essential lines (more or less big vending machines) but the tech has a way to go before it can be useful in a supermarket.