Disgusting
Bloody ****ing Tesco.
Tesco have reduced the price of a ’standard’ chicken to £1.99.
Obviously, animal welfare groups aren’t too happy about this.
Now, I wonder what Tesco’s motivation is behind this. Organic and free range sales have apparently been going up in most supermarkets. In our Sainsbury’s nearby, I notice that they are pretty much sold out all the time. There always seems to be a glut of standard chickens. Now, I don’t have the figures, but it has been suggested that sales of Standard stuff has gone down as well, with some people starting to become more willing to buy free-range chickens, and less often if they are on a budget. All very good.
Now, is this move by Tesco’s them trying to win back the lower budget chicken buyer, or is it them just trying to offload an excess stock of standard chickens because people are trying to buy Free-Range or not at all? Who knows?
But, even if you ignore the ‘ethical’ arguments over the treatment of chickens, this move is still inherently bad for the country because of the pressure it will put chicken farmers under, and eventually further reduce the money they make. At the moment, Tesco are probably taking a hit on this move. But this could force the other supermarkets to join in a price war, which would start to but pressure on the farmers.
2008 Feb 06 Gavin
In the current financial climate Tescos should be applauded. OK, they are probably the country’s biggest retail capitalists but, in February 2008, any discount on a basic food commodity will no doubt be welcomed by a majority of customers.
An RSPCA spokeswoman was quoted as saying, “The consumer has the clout to change supermarket policy and we strongly encourage shoppers to buy higher welfare chicken and not be tempted by the discount.”
Indeed, supply and demand is undoubtedly a wonderful thing. But the fact is that the average consumer cares more about how they are going to feed their family on, in reality, a ever reducing budget, than whether chickens are lied to about what time of day it is. As Tescos put it, “No-one should feel guilty buying a chicken just because it is good value.”
A vast majority of the population cannot afford the luxury of fair trade coffee or free range foods. For those that can, great. I hope that you and Marks & Spencer are very happy.