My local Tesco is currently undergoing a change. Bigger and better selections of this, that and the other combined with new items like ‘electrics” and more clothing etc. They’ve also provided more disabled bays and most shoppers seem quite happy about it, but …
Starting backwards, the disabled bays are still contained within the original space allotted to them. All Tesco have done is narrow the spaces to make two or three more bays, and remove three Parent and Child bays to make them available for the disabled.
Inside the store they’ve crammed more saleable items in by simply narrowing the aisles to make more room. I’ve also noticed that the branded items I used to buy have been replaced by Tesco’s ‘own label’ stuff.
What worries me most is that my local Tesco now appears to be an accident waiting to happen. Narrower aisle, to my mind, means that in the event of a fire there would be an unknown number of shoppers unable to escape. All shoppers are able to suit themselves which way around they go, so all aisles have two-way traffic, with elderly shoppers slowing down the faster shoppers, and people in wheelchairs — like me — slowing the traffic even more.
I’m currently debating whether my long-term fears are real or imaginary, and whether or not I should express them to Health and Safety. I have in mind the Woolworth, Piccadilly, disaster where shoppers lost their lives because some upper floor windows were barred on the inside and firefighters were unable to reach them.
I’ve almost made my mind up to write to Health and Safety, but what do you think? I have to admit that I’m not likely to be influenced, but I’d like to know all the same.
