A combination of shoppers and intrigued residents packed into Lichfield’s new Tesco Extra store as the doors opened for the first time.
But as the traffic queued to get in and out of the new superstore, many shoppers must have wondered whether the wait would really be worth it.
Despite an apparent abundance of spaces underneath the controversial new store (although most of them were filled throughout the opening day), an unfamiliar parking layout led to a chaotic initial welcome to the city’s newest shopping outlet. But after being lucky enough to find a space fairly close to the store, I then had the unfortunate task of playing human Frogger with the queues of impatient drivers as I went in search of a trolley.
However, I need not have worried as the bottom of the new travellator up to the main store from street level contained a number of trolleys including every parent’s dream shopping vehicle.
Those clever marketeers at Tesco have ensured that shoppers with kids will be unable to go anywhere else thanks to the child-friendly trolleys complete with toddler-mobile (and working horn!) on the front.
My little one became the centre of attention in her new mode of transport, although whether that was down to a toddler hurtling around Tesco on the front of a trolley or my inability to steer the thing I’m not quite sure.
In terms of the actual store it’s hard to judge the content until the initial voyeuristic nature of shopping dies down. However, the selection of goods on offer has certainly improved although for parents pushing buggies and trolleys, some of the aisles seemed a little narrow (especially in the clothing section).
Thankfully there were plenty of checkouts open to take the opening day strain, but it will be interesting to see whether the high level of staffing dies down following the initial rush.
There is no doubting that Lichfield’s new Tesco Extra holds the trump card in the increasing battle of the city’s supermarkets (and the traffic piled up blocking the entry to Aldi may hit that particular rival’s trade more than most), thanks to its range of goods outside the traditional food items – and those child-friendly trolleys – but if the aftermath of the initial rush doesn’t see any easing of the traffic problems on the junction into Tescos many shoppers may feel that the negatives outweigh the benefits.
