Conversation over the Biscuits

Two Tesco employees next to their biscuits were holding a somewhat concerned conversation about the price of food at the newly opened B&M Bargains. It made an interesting spectacle. The media are full of stories about the might of Tesco. Yet, here we had a Saturday conversation between two Tesco employees clearly anxious about their new opposition. It shows a vulnerability, albeit one that will probably not concern the Tesco board.

The Co-op is more likely to have that concern. Those shoppers having transferred at Somerfield’s closure to Co-op seemed to have evaporated over the weekend. Were they next door at B&M? Though B&M has a relatively small food range, it could so easily do some damage to Co-op. Foodstuffs and groceries in B&M are somewhat cheap, as this sample indicates:

Commodity	B&M	Tesco	Co-op
Nescafé 200g	£1.89 (grey import)	£3.78	£3.78 (or 2 for £6 (£3 ea)
Tuna 3 or 4 can multi	£1.89 for 3 (63p ea)	£3.99 for 4 (£1 ea)	£2.50 for 4 (63p ea)
McCoy's six pack multi	99p for 6+3 free (11p ea)	£1.39 for 6 (23p ea)	£1.59 for 6 (or 1.79 for 6+6 (15p ea)
Duchy Original lemon biscuits 100g	49p	£2.45	n/a
Branded lemonade 2l	59p (White's)	£1.15 (Schweppes)	79p (White's) (or £1.32 for 2 (66p ea)
Blossom Hill red wine 70cl	£3.79	£3.82	£4.49
Colgate 100ml	59p	Stocks only 50ml @ 79p ea = £1.58 for 100ml	£1.03
Fairy liquid 500ml (various 'flavours')	98p	94p	£1.05 (or 2 for £1.60 (80p ea)
White sliced farmhouse loaf 800g	£1.08	£1.20	£94p (was £1.17)
Standard toilet roll (12 pack)	£2.99 (25p ea)	£4.36 (36p ea)	£3.99 (33p ea)
Weetabix 24 biscuits	99p (12+100% free (4p ea)	1.78 (7p ea)	£1.79 for 24+50% free (5p ea)
Sandwich bags (50)	69p	99p	£1.19

B&M was even busier on Saturday than on its first day, Friday. All checkouts were doing good business. That B&M must be optimistic about its store’s success is demonstrated by the number of extra staff it now employs, compared to Somerfield. Somerfield had to staff up for shifts from 7a.m. to 8p.m. but even so staff had dwindled. B&M seems to need at least double (and more) for opening hours 9a.m. to 5.30p.m.