An Open Letter to Tesco

Dear Tesco Groceries,

I understand that you have multiple stores that are helping to feed, clothe and clean a multitude of people. But the Isle of Man needs you. So very much.

We are a small island. Our population is roughly the same as Wakefield. But we do have an aged population compared to most. This can cause difficulties for the elderly to shop. You see, in our community we are reliant on four supermarkets (one of which has 5 branches, one that has 1 branch, one that is part of its clothing store, and one that has a big supermarket & smaller convenience shops in the villages). Of course we have the farm shops and butchers, etc. But this does not change the fact that you, Tesco, are failing the people of the Isle of Man.

I know it is not entirely your fault. Tynwald, the government, is also to blame. The backhanders that abound – as with a lot of politicians in all countries – has kept you from being able to open small convenience stores. It has stopped the likes of other supermarkets being able to help out the people of the island too. How I miss an Asda, an Iceland and a Lidl! I know you’ve tried, and been blocked, on several occasions to open in more locations. This saddens me on the state of affairs of the government, and how beholden they are to allowing progress onto the island. You aren’t the cause for the island suffering, and making online shopping reign supreme. In-store shopping was dying before the pandemic, and the government, and greedy landlords, are to blame for the lack of shopping available to the islanders. If it is known that a lot of residents with cars do [insert UK supermarket name] run via a ferry trip, there is something very wrong with 1. the state of the supermarkets, 2. the accessibility of products to the island, and 3. the way the government allow this to continue.

BUT you can help. You can, Tesco! But you haven’t, and it’s a right damn shame that you – yes, you Tesco! – are allowing this to happen. You are enabling the suffering of so many residents on this island.

I used to live in Wales and in England. I shopped in both Tesco and Asda, getting my groceries delivered from both stores via the online systems. I also got deliveries from Iceland, after going in-store, and them packing and delivering for me on the same day. When you only use public transport, these are the things you rely on. I now live in a village that has a Co-op that doesn’t even sell its own brand cola! It’s so small, you can’t take a buggy easily down the aisle and I doubt highly that a wheelchair user would fit. The next closest Co-op, which is a better fitted shop, and actually has the current offers and better range of products, is a 25-30 minutes walk away, with the supermarket being another 5 minutes on top of that. Problem is, this supermarket is island based – there is little choice and the fresh produce can be off by the time you walk home! And if you’ve not timed it right, you cannot get the bus back (blame lies on the bus company for their shocking timetabling) – a 7 minute, £1.30 journey.

Now the Tesco, with all its choice (and still not as much as you’d get in the UK store), is a 55 minute bus journey into the town centre plus a 10-15 minute walk to the super (ha!) store. And if you want to get more that two bags of shopping, you best be relying on the £25-30 (before fuel goes up) taxi to get you home. How is this suitable for the elderly, the vulnerable, and those with families? With the prices of food, utilities and fuel rising exponentially – how are they to afford this added burden?

Now my issue is this, Tesco. And it is such a simple thing that you can fix. Really, you can! Delivery slots. There is too few. And Click & Collect isn’t here – why not? I’ve heard it’s to do with the lack of space… well stop all the unauthorised parking, that would be a start. Having this facility would free up so many delivery slots for those that actually need their shopping delivered, as a lot who use Home Delivery can/do drive. I had Delivery Saver since moving to the island in 2017. We gave it up in 2021, and I’ll tell you for why… you can’t get a delivery slot. They start at 10am – in the UK I could get the shopping delivered and put away before the school run! I was a keyworker, with a disabled mother-in-law and still couldn’t get a delivery slot. I got one on 1st April 2020 and the next slot I was able to get was in November 2021. I check on an almost daily basis too.

Cancelling my Delivery Saver, I got a huge refund on what I was apparently supposed to save. I was given it in online only vouchers! I demanded in-store vouchers, and got them (eventually). But this should not have needed to happen. Why are you starting delivery slots three hours later here than in the UK? Why, are you not giving us the facility of Click & Collect? Why, why, why are you failing your customers?

Tesco, I implore you; please change the way you do business on this island. I have had Twitter DMs from the Speaker of the House stating he wishes you had more delivery slots. This is not the first time I have queried this with you on Twitter – to absolutely no avail from your customer service representatives.

Tesco – for the good of your vulnerable customers; for the good of your disabled customers; for the good of your elderly customers; for the good of your customers with young families; for the good of your customers who cannot drive; for the good of your customers on strange shift patterns (eg. nurses). We need you to help us. We need you to do right by us. Please change the way you do business on this island. Please, please help the Isle of Man.