'Tesco branch is worst place on Earth': Customer sets up blog mocking 'shambolic local supermarket where shelves are empty, food is on floor and alarm keeps him up at night' 

  • Frustration drove man to chronicle a Tesco Express store in east London
  • His blog shows food dumped on floor, a lack of staff and hardly any stock
  • Tesco have now apologised and pledged to overhaul the store

By Sam Webb

Published: | Updated:

A customer was so frustrated with the dreadful shopping experience he has endured at an east London Tesco Express he set up a picture blog mocking the farcical conditions.

James Allan, a PR professional, ranted over food being left on the floor, missing or out-of-date goods, non-existent staff and a faulty alarm ruining his sleep at the branch in Kingsland Road, Haggerston, and posted pictures to hammer home his exasperation.

'The Worst Place On Earth' came into existence at 1am on Tuesday while Mr Allan, 30, was being kept awake by the store's alarm, which was going off every 30 minutes.

Haphazard: Trolleys blocking aisles and food is dumped on the floor in this picture
The caption for this picture reads: 'HAGGERSTON TESCO IS NOW SELLING MODERN ART IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORE'

Haphazard: Trolleys block aisles and food is dumped on the floor in these pictures

It details goods dumped in busy walkways, chilled food left on normal shelves, unhelpful staff and a complete lack of the most basic produce.

He said: 'I’ve been taking pictures in there for a few months because even though I’m a big fan of Tesco I think this one store is letting them down.

'The burglar alarm was going off every three minutes again, I couldn’t sleep and had nothing better to do so I set it up as a bit of a vent.'

Stock control: Empty shelves were a frequent problem for Mr Allan. Someone wrote: 'Tesco, every little (very very little) helps'

Stock control: Empty shelves were a frequent problem for Mr Allan. Someone wrote: 'Tesco, every little (very, very little) helps'

Shelves lie empty while goods are dumped on the floor
Basic essentials are often not stocked

Shelves lie empty while goods are dumped on the floor and basic essentials often run out

His posts are all in capital letters and include observations such as: 'SOMEONE TOOK EVERYTHING OFF THE SHELVES AND PUT IT ON THE FLOOR. AT 6:30 ON A FRIDAY NIGHT.

'ONE WOMAN ON HER PHONE KICKED A BAG OF FLOUR BY ACCIDENT AND NEARLY FELL OVER. THERE WAS NO ONE TO COMPLAIN TO.'

Other peeved customers also joined in with their own experiences. One posted: 'It’s like they looked at the all the cliches about the demographic of an east London postcode and thought, yes we’ll stock out of date turkey twizzlers and sell stuff that has been kicked around the floor AND NO ONE WILL NOTICE.

'Well, hopefully the CEO of Tesco will notice now.'

Meal deal anyone?: Lager nestles with sandwiches in the Tesco express
James Allan, who started the blog out of sheer frustration

Meal deal anyone?: Lager nestles with sandwiches in the Tesco Express. Right, James Allan, who started the blog out of sheer frustration

Banished: The comment read: 'THESE PRINGLES HAD BEEN OSTRACIZED BY THE OTHERS FOR BEING TOO PLAIN'
'As usual, Tesco have kindly taken the liberty of deciding my diet hunger strike starts today'

Banished: The comments read: 'THESE PRINGLES HAD BEEN OSTRACISED BY THE OTHERS FOR BEING TOO PLAIN' and 'As usual, Tesco have kindly taken the liberty of deciding my diet/hunger strike starts today'

One shopper lamented: 'I went in for potatoes but all they had was this long thing. I don't know what it is but I'm going back tonight to see if any further reductions have been made'

One shopper lamented: 'I went in for potatoes but all they had was this long thing. I don't know what it is but I'm going back tonight to see if any further reductions have been made'

Another said: 'I tried to buy carrots the other day for carrot cake at about 2pm, couldn’t find any.

'Decided to investigate further and look at the tags to see where the carrots normally live. None of the bins had carrot tags on them. None.

'Eight different varieties of onion, no carrots?'

The blog soon went viral and Tesco bosses quickly got in touch to assure Mr Allan they would amend the situation.

Mr Allan told the Evening Standard: 'I put it out on Facebook and Twitter and didn’t really think much more of it, but because of the industry I work in it got picked up and one thing led to another.'

A Tesco spokesperson said: 'We are aware of the blog and agree this store has not met our high standards. We are working with the store to make sure we offer the best possible service for our customers.'

'A LETHAL CHICANE OF GROCERIES': SOME COMMENTS FROM THE BLOG

'THEY’VE STARTED MAKING CHICANES TO ENTERTAIN THE PUNTERS WHEN THEY CAN’T FIND A SINGLE THING THEY WERE SHOPPING FOR… A LETHAL CHICANE OF MIXED GROCERIES. THE SECURITY GUARD IS THE UMPIRE.'

'SOMEONE FILLED A BASKET WITH PICKLED ONIONS AND LEFT IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AISLE. IT WAS THERE THE WHOLE TIME I WAS IN THERE… NO ONE DID ANYTHING ABOUT IT UNTIL A CHAP CAME AND PUSHED IT NEXT TO THE DORITOS.'

'THIS ISN’T I, ROBOT. WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE?! OH, THAT IS RIGHT, THEY’RE RUNNING AROUND TRYING TO FIX THE (self-service) MACHINES INSTEAD OF JUST USING THE TILL LIKE THE GOOD OLD DAYS… SOMEONE GAVE UP WAITING TO BE SO MUCH AS NOTICED AND DUMPED THEIR PAMPERS AND WALKED OFF.'

'THERE IS NEVER ANY SPICES. WHENEVER YOU GO. WHO IS BUYING ALL THE DAMNED SPICES?! I JUST WANT SOME DAMN CHILLI POWDER TO STOP MY READY-MADE PASTA SAUCE TASTING LIKE WALLPAPER PASTE!!!!!!!'

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