Operations
Tesco Ireland has come in for increased criticism for apparently high prices in its Irish stores. However, there have been general criticisms of the similar pricing between Irish supermarkets, and economic reports noting the high prices in Ireland generally. Research from Forfas,[8] concluded that only a five per cent difference in the cost of goods between North and South was justifiable.[9] Despite claims from Tesco that it matched prices in the Republic of Ireland with prices in Northern Ireland, a November 2009 survey by Consumers Choice magazine has claimed that, on average, prices are still 18% more expensive in the Republic[10] In June 2012, Eurostat blamed "overly dominant supermarkets" as a factor why Ireland is the fifth most expensive nation in the EU in terms of supermarket prices.[11] Tesco increased the prices of some well-known products significantly just weeks into 2011 before reducing them as part of a 1,000-product price promotion launched in March 2011.[12][13]
Tesco Ireland was one of seven shops fined for failing to display prices properly by the National Consumer Agency in July 2008.[14]
Tesco Ireland decided in 2019 not to make home deliveries in Tallaght due to a anti-social behaviour incidents in the area.[15][16][17]
Tesco apologised for selling anti-Jewish literature to customers in Ireland. Sheikh Dr Shaheed Satardien, head of the Muslim Council of Ireland, said this was effectively "polluting the minds of impressionable young [Islamic] people with hate and anger towards the Jewish community".[18]
The supermarket refused in 2002 to stock any of the million postcards which were aimed at closing the controversial nuclear reprocessing plant at Sellafield in Cumbria, in England. Competing retailers did sell the postcards.[19]
Tesco tried to hide its policy of buying directly from UK suppliers. An internal document said that ensuring its policy of taking deliveries directly from UK suppliers went unnoticed and "invisible to the Irish customer" was a key objective.[20] At the same time the Irish Farmers' Association president said there was deep anger about Tesco's decision to displace local produce with imports "will inevitably lead to thousands of job losses and will put Irish producers of local, fresh produce out of business,"[21]
In 2008 The Irish Independent reported that roles in Tesco Ireland's head office in Dún Laoghaire were being redeployed to the UK and outsourced to India.[22] The Irish Times commented in April 2011 that "Increasingly, Ireland is being viewed as a provincial backwater by the parent company – albeit a very profitable little backwater – and all the strategic decisions are being taken in the UK.[23]
Tesco used the slogan "Change for Good" as advertising, which is trademarked by Unicef for charity usage but is not trademarked for commercial or retail use which prompted the agency to say "it is the first time in Unicef's history that a commercial entity has purposely set out to capitalise on one of our campaigns and subsequently damage an income stream which several of our programmes for children are dependent on". They went on to call on the public "who have children’s welfare at heart, to consider carefully who they support when making consumer choices".[24][25]
Large supermarket chains were accused by Fine Gael of putting up to 100,000 Irish jobs at risk by forcing suppliers to pay €160 million a year in "hello money".[26] The company was the subject of claims in February 2010 of demanding up to €500,000 per supplier for stocking goods.[27] The leader of the Labour Party described the practice as "outrageous extortion" and was "like the kind of thing you expect to see in The Sopranos."[28]
In early 2011, Tesco warned Irish publishers that it would ban their books from its shelves if they did not comply with its rules. A bestseller, which sparked the controversy over the revelation about Sean FitzPatrick's golf meeting with Taoiseach Brian Cowen, was published in secret and distributed directly to Easons and selected bookstores—but not to Tesco or other supermarkets. The secret last-minute delivery was organised to avoid any legal complications that might have prevented publication. Tesco said "if we find evidence of this happening (again), the offending publisher will have all their titles removed from sale and returned". One publisher pointed out that Tesco sometimes implements exclusive deals itself.[29]
Tesco was convicted of a breach of consumer law for not displaying the right price of goods in October 2011.[30]
In January 2012, a former Tesco employee was awarded damages at the Employment Appeals Tribunal where he claimed there was a link between his dismissal and his HIV status. Tesco stated that he was dismissed for gross misconduct, i.e. consuming a product without paying for it.[31]
In February 2013, it was reported that staff at a Tesco warehouse were made to wear digital arm-band devices that monitor their performance.[32]
Tesco was branded "hypocritical" by Irish poultry farmers for its commitment to source all UK-sold fresh poultry from the UK, but not doing the same in Ireland. This is putting pressure on prices in Ireland as surplus poultry meat from the UK is being dumped on the market.[33]
