‘Crazy world’, shoppers cry after Tesco puts guards & barriers at reduced aisle as fighting customers limited to 2 items
DISTURBED shoppers slammed the “crazy world we live in” as Tesco hired security guards for the reduced aisle.
The supermarket giant felt forced to protect their yellow sticker section with plastic barriers – and some extra muscle to maintain order amid chaotic scenes.
It’s been reported their Preston branch also limited customers to just two items each, as Brits continue to feel the squeeze on their food shop budget.
Baffled customers questioned the superstore after seeing snaps of their new heavy handed security measures on social media.
It comes as scrapping shoppers were caught fighting over discounted produce amid mounting cost of living pressures and hiked up bills.
Fuming locals shared pics inside the shop, in Deepdale Retail Park on Liverpool Road, and vented their frustrations.
One shopper captioned her post: “Only in Preston Tesco.
“Security had fencing around the reduced items with a security guard making people queue up and enter the area one by one.
“To top it off I heard him say that people are only allowed two items each! It’s ridiculous.”
Another uploaded their footage on X, formerly Twitter, and penned: “Actual barriers up in @Tesco Preston around the “Reduced to Clear” section as apparently there’s been scraps recently.
“Crazy world we live in. #CostOfLivingCrisis.”
It is understood the barriers were introduced to ward off greedy shoppers while employees restocked the shelves.
But at this location it appears the plastic barricades have been kept up.
Last year, a branch in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, introduced the same measure when staff told managers they did not feel safe.
It came after customers had been snatching the bargains from workers’ hands as soon as yellow stickers went on.
People have blamed the cost of living crisis for shoppers’ concerning behaviour.
New figures show 300,000 more children are now being raised in poverty amid rising levels of hunger and food bank use.
And, record statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions suggest that 4.3million kids in the UK are now living in relative poverty.
‘Moving in the right direction’
But, decision-makers on the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) have now announced they kept interest rates at 5.25% for a fifth consecutive time.
Andrew Bailey, BoE governor, said: “In recent weeks, we’ve seen further encouraging signs that inflation is coming down.
“We’ve held rates again today at 5.25% because we need to be sure that inflation will fall back to our 2% target and stay there.
“We’re not yet at the point where we can cut interest rates, but things are moving in the right direction.”
At its latest meeting, the MPC voted by a majority of 8–1 to maintain Bank Rate at 5.25%.
It comes only a day after the CPI measure of inflation fell to 3.4% last month – down from 4% in January and the lowest since September 2021.
Most economists had been expecting it to come in at 3.5%.
It means that inflation is now edging closer towards the BoE’s 2% target.
Inflation is a measure of how much the prices of everyday goods like food and clothes, and services like train tickets and haircuts, are now compared to a year earlier.