Metropol

MarkAshley wrote: Mon 27 Nov, 2017 20.13 Always a pleasure, although verbing it offline causes nothing but problems.

Glad I’m not the only one who’s done that!

I keep seeing the 90s cloverleaf logo on those screens. I presume it appears as some kind of fallback.

WillPS wrote: Tue 28 Nov, 2017 20.22 I keep seeing the 90s cloverleaf logo on those screens. I presume it appears as some kind of fallback.

There's a little square space next to the purchase info on the Co-op till screens - I remember when they were installed (around 2006-7 at a guess) they had the 90s cloverleaf logo there - very shortly afterwards it was phased out.

I think the font used for the purchase info text is probably also of that era, I was surprised they didn't refresh it with the new/old logo introduction last year actually.

It's also just reminded me that Co-op used to do quick survey questions on the chip and pin pad a few years back while items were being scanned - quite a clever idea but it's been a long time since they did it.

On this same subject, I find it interesting that some societies (like Central England Co-operative) share the same EPOS system as the main group but others do their own thing. There's a Midlands Co-operative fuel station around here that unusually has two EPOS systems, one for checking fuel transactions (presumably the main one not compatible with the ancient looking fuel pumps) and the main one for everything else.

I popped into a Co-op in central London the other day (to see if I could pick up any of the delicious lebkuchen they were doing last Christmas), and the state of the store made me worry for the state of the group. Terrible layout, products from the same category in multiple places, plenty of 'The co-operative' style branding about, freestanding units blocking other products, and even some Halloween stock left. And no sign of the lebkuchen either.

So, it's all over for Tesco Metro Stretford, which has been in Stretford Mall, Manchester for more than 40 years. and which closed this evening for the final time.

It was always going to go after Tesco opened an Extra a few miles away towards Old Trafford (confusingly Tesco Extra Stretford) and last year's opening of a large Aldi on the outside edge of the mall.

Going to leave a big hole in a shopping centre (which is effectively also the town centre) and which has been struggling for some years.

MarkAshley wrote: Sat 02 Dec, 2017 22.19 Is there anything lined up to go in there? BHS might be interested in the empty unit.

It's a fairly big store - about 7 or 8 units size for the centre, so I've heard it will be split between Zavvi, Woolworths, Radio Rentals and John Menzies

(Nothing official has been announced).

I saw a One-Stop pizza on sale in Tesco today. It was labelled 'new'. One-off or will we be seeing more of this?

One thing that's annoying me of late is the inconsistent rollout of software updates.

This also means that the payment screen has the logo for Tesco Pay+, yet the next screen has the header "Digital Wallet" and the body text "Thank you for using PayQuik".

Slick.

For those interested in these kind of things, YouTuber Mike Jeavons is doing another of his "Week On..." series - this week he's eating nothing but Tesco Everyday Value products.

Day 1

It reminds me of the woman I saw shopping once, buying nothing but the value range... except for the pet food.

Tesco are going to launch a 'discounter' Aldi/Lidl-like format: https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... i-and-lidl

There's talk that they're going to dig up an old brand for the chain; my money's on Wm Low...