It's a PLC - profit is a shareholder requirement, otherwise there'd be no dividend. It's economics.

Of course, you believe that it's nothing to do with individuals / communities / health / sustainability. Perhaps a read of the PLCs' Corporate Responsibility information may help. Details herehttps://www.tescoplc.com/index.asp?pageid

Headlines from this (for 12/13):-
----------------------------------------
* Industry-leading performance in reducing CO2 emissions.
* 9.3m people involved in some form of activity via Tesco (eg. Race For Life / Tesco FA Football Skills / Aerobics, etc). Every evening on the car park at our Bangkok Head Office, I watch around 200 staff and customers doing aerobics to blaring music! This is replicated at every large-format store in the country.
* Staff and customer fundraising last year was >£13 million. The Charity of the Year was Cancer Research, and I believe that this is the largest single-business 12 month fundraising effort ever.
* At least 1% of pre-tax profits donated to charity in 12/13, in addition to the £13m to the Charity of the Year. £74.5m.
* This years Charity of the Year is Diabetes UK - we're after £15m!!

.....but, don't let the positives blur the negatives, hey?

Pity so much of the sugar-laden, processed crap produced/retailed by Tesco and its like are helping cause it in the first place, eh?



Indeed. The homogenisation of high streets, the bullying of producers and councils, the absurdity of the chains of production (see horsemeat again), the driving down of choice and out of business small, independents, the treatment of staff (including a refusal to pay a living wage to many).

Let's stick those to one side and discuss the filthy lucre that the shareholders get and the sops to an idea of responsibility.

Up to you, if that's what you want to do.


The fixed sum was an amount that staff and employees raised via fundraising activities - the target was (I think) £10m. The 1% of pre-tax profit was a donation, and something quite different.

I didn't say they were transparent, I merely pointed out that, like with most things, there's always a different point of view. Regarding benevolence, I suppose it's a very subjective one to answer - I, personally, believe that the fundraising effort was great (it certainly brought many staff and customers together, and some friends / colleagues had fantastic experiences raising money whilst climbing to Mt Everest base camp / walking the Inca trail / etc). And to donate £74m, irrespective of what the annual profit was, should be applauded. But, as I say, that's my subjective opinion.

One of my favourites is the way some large manufacturers advertise their products by saying that, if you buy them, they'll donate a penny to charidee.

And they're buggers for trying to wheedle out of honouring their 'double the difference' pledge when they mess up their pricing.

Sadly all their T&C's say errors and omissions excepted (E&OE).

Erm, you can can't you?

I was thinking more along the lines of an amount I felt appropriate too. And instead of paying VED and council tax, I'll simply fill in a couple of potholes

Nah, just get your staff and customers to do it in their own time ... then you just stick your logo on it and pretend you're socially responsible.

rlEnjoy your raspberriesrl

They're still at it and refusing to accept any blame.

Although that is a year old I doubt much has changed, besides the 10% price increase...