Selfsufficientish.com

Having read the chocolate posts here with increasing horror....is there any english chocolate left at all? I went to Green and Blacks after Kraft took over cadburys and felt very virtuous...but alas I find I am not doing as well as I thought Would love to know...

Or indeed a fairtrade one that isn't too bitter... I hate bitter chocolate

Co-Op's Fairtrade slabs are nice......but made in Germany.....

How sad, but guess I can live with that, I am half german so I can justify that Thank you

seasidegirl wrote:

they really will not be happy until the entire country is saturated with their shops.

Country? World more like. Seriously the manager at my local Store told us that they are already number one in UK and number two in world. Goal is to be number 1 in world.

What other country is T***o in?

I thought the no. 2 was Carrefour, which is in several European countries. No. 1 is some American co I think, Walmart?

They own a chain of stores in America called Fresh and Easy, I know that they are in Hong Kong

2,300 odd stores in the UK (including One Stop) plus:

Ireland
South Korea
United States


China
Czech Republic
France
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Isle of Man
Japan
Malaysia
The Netherlands
Pakistan
Poland
Slovakia
Thailand
Turkey

I got this list from Wikipedia so cannot guarantee it's accuracy but there is extensive info there that looks in line with what I've read elsewhere.

I think at the moment they are neck and neck with Carrefour but are expected to pass them into number 2 world slot if they haven't already.

I just read they pulled out of France?


Anyway more here:

http://www.tescopoly.org/index.php?opti ... e&Itemid=1

I've been thinking about somebody's comment (sorry can't remember who) that at least they are a British company. It's a good point and I think we've got a bad habit here sometimes of knocking success.

I did think this over but have gone back to hating T***o because if one company's success means the failure of so many other, usually small businesses then I don't think it's worth it.

Yes, all supermarket companies do this but I don't think quite so extensively as T***o who are capturing every area of every market. Either side of their local superstore, half a mile each way, they have an Express or a One Stop (most people don't even know they are shopping at T***o.
What hope is there, or was there, for a greengrocer, baker, fishmonger?
There are a few florist shops still but then the big boys including T***o do flowers sometimes at below cost on special flower occasions like Valentines Day. Also their buyers, by going direct to growers, take the bulk of produce available so driving up the price of what's left for the independants.

Sorry to bang on but it scares me.

Try Devine chocolate 100% fairtrade and delish!
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life ... 067411.ece

I would love to see a mass boycott of Tesc0 and any other similar offenders but the average Joe will still shop there with gusto. I would like to see much stricter impositions put on to stores such as these to make them a lot more ethical.

seasidegirl wrote:I just read they pulled out of France?

I think they just have a booze shop in Calais. We don't 'know' them here in France.

South East I agree with you.

I think supermarkets here, whichever, are a done deal now. I don't hate them in principle and use them myself. I just don't see why they had to get into the corner shop market too. Greed is all. They could have let small businesses pick up the trade for all the stuff people need in between big shops.

Similarly electricals, clothing, haberdashery etc etc.

Re the global trade I think it's very sad that poorer countries are letting them in while they still have local produce and markets but don't realise what danger they are in.

Like you say SE, most people don't give a stuff unfortunately.

it's the squeaky wheel that gets oiled :-)

http://www.writetothem.com/