Britain's supermarkets turn 'bags for life' into just another way to fleece us at the checkouts

[pellinore]

The UK's most profitable supermarket, Tesco – which last year recorded sales of £58billion and an operating profit of £2.6billion – shocked many customers in July 2022 by hiking the cost of its plastic bag for life from 20p to 30p.

It appears that Tesco's motto, 'Every Little Helps', applies to its profit margins just as much as its customers' wallets.

In 2019 – the most recent year for which there is data – Tesco sold 713million bags for life. At the time, the bags cost just 10p, meaning Tesco made over £71million in sales that year from bags alone. With the price now at 30p, the supermarket's turnover on plastic bags in 2024 will be likely nearer to £200million.

A spokesman for Tesco told the Mail it treats its revenue from bags for life as general revenue, meaning it is not distinguished from the sale of food and drink. In other words, all that money from plastic bags goes straight into the company's heaving coffers

Revealed: How Britain's supermarkets turned 'bags for life' into just another way to fleece us at the checkouts - with the profits going straight back into their coffers (and not much gain for the planet…) | Daily Mail Online (archive.ph)

Edited April 28 by pellinore

[Alchopwn]

We need to phase out supermarkets.  Every country is experiencing this sort of gouging behavior atm.  I am all for farm gate and normal market trading.  Ler's cut out these rapacious middlemen and become friends with the farmers.

[Setton]

10 hours ago, pellinore said:

The UK's most profitable supermarket, Tesco – which last year recorded sales of £58billion and an operating profit of £2.6billion – shocked many customers in July 2022 by hiking the cost of its plastic bag for life from 20p to 30p.

It appears that Tesco's motto, 'Every Little Helps', applies to its profit margins just as much as its customers' wallets.

In 2019 – the most recent year for which there is data – Tesco sold 713million bags for life. At the time, the bags cost just 10p, meaning Tesco made over £71million in sales that year from bags alone. With the price now at 30p, the supermarket's turnover on plastic bags in 2024 will be likely nearer to £200million.

A spokesman for Tesco told the Mail it treats its revenue from bags for life as general revenue, meaning it is not distinguished from the sale of food and drink. In other words, all that money from plastic bags goes straight into the company's heaving coffers

Revealed: How Britain's supermarkets turned 'bags for life' into just another way to fleece us at the checkouts - with the profits going straight back into their coffers (and not much gain for the planet…) | Daily Mail Online (archive.ph)

M and s is the one that gets me.

30p bags and they're made of paper. Wasn't the whole idea of charging for bags sold as incentivising us not to use plastic ones?

[+ouija ouija]

The supermarkets are not to blame here. There would not be a problem if we all carried proper bags-for-life around with us . . . bags that lasted for a decade or more (like in the good old days! ).

[itsnotoutthere]

3 hours ago, Alchopwn said:

We need to phase out supermarkets.  Every country is experiencing this sort of gouging behavior atm.  I am all for farm gate and normal market trading.  Ler's cut out these rapacious middlemen and become friends with the farmers.

I agree with you. There's a good reason we've seen a massive rise in obesity & diabetes in the last 40 - 50 years & it happens to coincide with the boom in supermarkets & the processed & ultra processed food they sell. Interesting fact, In America at the start of the century diabetes accounted for approximately 1 in 10,000, now in America diabetes accounts for 1in 11. And before 1900 heart disease was virtually unheard of.

[simplybill]

I don’t know if they still do it, but Trader Joe’s used to have weekly drawings for $5.00 coupons for customers who bring their own bags. And, they sell heavy-duty reusable tote bags that are great for traveling. Next time you’re in an airport, watch for flight crews walking by with TJ’s tote bags attached to their luggage.