why is Tesco no longer 24hr?

14 comments

1. >UK supermarkets are rapidly abandoning all-day opening, forsaking the incremental spending of night owls in favour of using the downtime to pick orders for booming online delivery services.
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   >Sir Dave Lewis, the former Tesco chief executive, told the FT Future Forum that large hypermarkets “sell very little during the night” and that closing them at midnight did not have a big financial impact.
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   >“But you can then pick [orders] from that store much more intensively than you would have done before,” he said.
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   >The reduction in 24-hour operation was already under way before Covid-19 struck, with Tesco scaling back hours at more than 70 stores in 2016. But the pandemic has accelerated it, according to Steve Dresser at consultancy Grocery Insight.
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   >Heavy demand for essentials in the early days of the pandemic meant that the night-time hours were needed for restocking and to give exhausted staff a reprieve. Once that died down, the rapid expansion of home delivery and click-and-collect meant the night hours were needed for order fulfilment, almost all of which is done from stores.

2. If staff are working anyway I don’t see any issues by having me sign up for pin entry and a form that if I get hurt its my fault and let me self service at 3am, win-win for everyone?

3. … it is?

4. They actually stopped 24hr opening hours in several locations prior to the pandemic IIRC. Something to do with prioritising delivery orders or some shit. Then the ‘rona hit and that was their chance to sneakily cut 24hr services countrywide, so they took it.

5. Staffing shortages is one reason. Can’t say if its the main one though.

6. A lot of Tesco stores stopped opening over night due to little demand, but they then scrapped nightshift to prevent paying staff the premiums involved. In 2017 tons of staff were made redundant or moved onto day shift (at staff members discretion). Filling shelves during the night was a breeze and the premiums were good as was the overtime. But yeah, Tesco went through a huge period of loss (or lower than expected profits) so they cut staffing costs and by scrapping 24hr and nightshift. I think they even changed the contracts changing the overtime rates as well making it not worthwhile doing. Unsure if it’s still the case. I left in 2017 when offered redundancy. Easiest money I ever made.

   So if a 24hr Tesco closes or reduces the hours. It’s always money.

7. No staff.

   Source, I have a friend who’s a Tesco store manager. And various friends who work at Lidl, Morrisons and Asda. None of them can get staff despite rising wages.

8. Why does anyone need to go to tescos at 3am?

9. The Asda near us is still 24hr and I’m pretty sure the Tesco a bit down the road is as well. Can’t say I ever feel a need to go shopping at 2am though.

10. I’m all for it. No one needs 24 hour supermarkets. You just think you do because it is convenient and you’re used to it.

11. After a long and shit day in hospital with a family member I drove home a couple of nights ago around 0230. I called in to a mini tesco that was obviously still open and bought a meal and some beer.

    Did I find the holy grail? I had no idea they were stopping 24h opening hours.

12. Im sure they just realised they weren’t actually loosing any money by closing at night because weirdly people still need to eat even if they have to go to the shop at an inconvenient time.

13. Some stores are still 24hr, but if they don’t get enough people using it then it’s not cost effective

14. Used to work early shift , before the shop opened there was stuff everywhere, cardboard, stock cages, the lot. Far easier for night shift to stock without customers