The big new Tesco in Beeston is now open. Lots of people were against it (including knocking down a popular pub and the “Beeston Lads Club” building) but they’ve done their best with a wood-clad building, with a rear car park to keep people off the main road. It’s apparently environmentally friendly too (although I haven’t found out how). Never-the-less, it’s large, imposing and right in the middle of the town centre.
Now, I don’t live in Beeston and have lived with the Long Eaton Tesco for many years, with few complaints. However, I visited the Beeston store today and was not impressed. Here’s my initial impressions…
- On entering the car park there’s a mini roundabout with just just exits. Most people would have put a simple bend in, but Tesco have turned it into a roundabout. Why?
- The car parking spaces are tiny. Do they thin cars in Beeston?
- There’s next to no signage in the car park. Where do you put your trolley? Where’s the exit? No idea to any of these.
- There’s no pedestrian walkway through the car park so you have to dodge your way around the traffic to get to and from the entrance
- I can only assume that there are few babies in Beeston. Certainly their pitiful attempt at a baby section would suggest so.
- A lot of basic products were missing. A simple bath sponge? Sorry, none in stock.
- Their in-store signage is rubbish – the aisle with butters and margarines has a sign over it that doesn’t mention either of these. Aren’t these pretty basic and popular product ranges?
- The customers and staff were rude. I was barged, blocked and boxed in, in a store that wasn’t very busy. And the member of staff at the till didn’t acknowledge me other than to ask basic questions.
I’m sure the excuses of poor signage and stock will be down to the newness of the store, but this is something that should be sorted from day one. Sorry, Tesco – you were always going to be up against it in Beeston so I thought you would have tried harder.
Talk to me!