£27 million Tesco store a "no go area for cyclists" say campaigners

The Tesco green living page
http://www.tesco.com/greenerliving/go_greener/greener_travel/get_cycling... promotes cycling, saying that it "is better for the environment than driving – it helps keep you and your family healthy and saves you money, too."

I have a verbal agreement from Tesco Extra Crewe to reconsider the current location of some of the customer cycle racks. At the old store we parked under shelter just feet from the entrance which made shopping by bike a convenience and a pleasure. Now they are exposed to the rain, which is bad for the machine, and rider who has to get back onto a wet bike! It makes it even more galling that now motor vehicles have covered parking, which is entirely unnecessary.
If you want to campaign for cycle shopping this may help:

In a recent study retailers overestimated the importance of car-borne trade by almost 100%;
http://www.sustrans.org.uk/assets/files/liveable%20neighbourhoods/Shoppe...
For each sq.m of non-revenue parking space cyclists purchased 20% more per year than motorists.
2 bags was a normal pedestrian maximum purchase - only 25% of those shopping by car purchased more than this, and thus justified the need for a car to transport their shopping home, but 17% of cyclists purchased more than the pedestrian limit.
Average amount spent by cycling customers is about £28, customers coming by car spend £55, people using public transport usually spend £30. Shopkeepers wonder whether cyclists are good customers - in fact they are, since they visit shops more often.
Local shoppers are more loyal to a local store, whereas car borne shoppers will range and be more perfidious in their habits.

Prominent in the foyer is a notice board, proudly announcing 'Together we can make a difference'.
The last straw today was when I was given a voucher at the till telling me I could get 10p off every litre of petrol. Not only have Tescos encouraged a greater carbon footprint by making car facilities more attractive than cycling, they are rewarding the motorist, and literally, leaving the cyclist out in the cold.

Tesco is just an arrogant bully. Councils are scared, and in cases powerless to go up against them. Tesco can afford to counter claim any planning application that is refused. Especially at the moment very few councils have the money to be able to put together a legal opposition.

At Lidl and Aldi I take bike in with me and either leave it at loading counter (across from Check-outs) or wheel it round with basket on the rack. I tend to shop ojnly where I can take the bike inside - but it is a Brompton, and thus more manouevrable and self supporting when parked.

Tesco's used cheap & tacky stunt for naturist shopping nights before but no main stream stores have considered cyclist shopping times (quieter times of day when there is no problem in bringing bikes in to the store, and you can load up inside, potentially directly at the check-out)

A V Low; were you the person who was arrested after being hit from behind by a BMW? And now harrassed by a Tesco security guard for no reason? How badass do you look? Reminds me of a friend who shaved all his hair off and said,"It is great fun to see the looks on little old ladies faces when you hold a door open for them!"!

The local Tesco extra in Chichester has very poor bike racks, and they're tucked away at the side of the store, dimly lit, with no CCTV. Cycles are frequently stolen.

I try to avoid Tesco whenever possible but if I do use it I always double lock my bike.

Compare that to the nearby Waitrose store, where the racks are immediately outside the front entrance, and well lit. Also, of course, Waitrose have the cycle trailer loan scheme, where you can borrow a trailer big enough for a weeks shop for no charge. A really great idea.

Lidl is very good - bike racks right outside the main entrance. I think the company has a genuine appreciation of cyclists' needs from their stores in Germany.

Tesco do seem to be the worst. All the ones I can remember have the bike racks misinstalled - too close to a wall is the most common error.

Happily, waitrose now price-match on lots of lines, so it doesn't cost much to use a cycle-friendly and generally nicer store.

Is it not time Tesco started giving "green points" to cyclists for not using their car to shop.

Well I go to my local Aldi a lot by bike. It's only half a mile away. No particular problem and they have some cycle racks but I just lean my bike against a wall. It's just access from a normal, although busy road.

The bike gear in there is generally very good and way cheaper than most branded gear. You should review some of it some time or maybe I can as I've been using some for a few months now.

Wonder what Lidl & Aldi are like for bike access and the like?

Just another example of Tesco trying to take over the country. They are only interested in making as much profit from people as possible, and don't seem to care how they achieve it.

Check out http://www.tescopoly.org/

The big supermarkets seem to use the same design no matter if the location is on the outskirts of a town or in a city. They are designed for you to drive to and use the hugh car park.
Anyone on foot or cycling is a complete after-thought (if thought of at all).

I can think of Sainsburys at Vauxhall and Richmond in London that are unpleasant to get to by by foot or bike.

Apparently "Every little helps" apart from when it involves listening to cyclists

As I read it he's not trying to get to Tesco's, he's just trying to get past it.

Why would a Friends of the Earth campaigner even want to shop at Tesco's, by bike or any other means?

Tesco is losing market share and is perhaps the least cycle friendly of the 'shed' shops. personally I choose to shop a) locally, as prices are generally little different and for many local greengrocers and butchers the produce is fresher and better selected. plus b)I choose cycle friendly stores, where I can bring the bike inside to load up and even wheel round the store when it is quieter.

Officious stupidity in Crewe 24 hr store when I went for food before catching overnight train - not a single other customer seen and I get to the check out when security man (justifying his presence?) threatens to throw me out - but I make him wait until I've mad a (very) small contribution to his wages by paying for the goods, and then leaving.

“We’ve had nothing but praise from everyone else on this scheme"
- so just them pesky cyclists causing trouble by choosing a form of transport that's not a car to get around their local communities.
I don't understand why Tesco would want to dig their heels in. Why not make it pleasant for cyclists to ride to and near Tescos and then everyone would be happy and like Tescos again.
Could have been a PR triumph for the supermarket instead of making themselves look like they don't care about public safety and hold cyclists in disdain.
If only Waitrose wasn't so expensive...

Main road entrance to Tesco, Brooklands in Weybridge is pretty unfriendly to cyclists as well. I find it safer to enter via one of the pedestrian entries. Whether it is Tesco or M&S once safely inside there are cycling parking places most of which are undercover. Council seems to be encouraging more cycling on the pavements as more of the blue signs have appeared on lampposts recently. I find the pavements still very bumpy and every time it crosses a road it becomes very hazardous as the cars don't expect you to cross there.