MP and councillors back campaigners' calls for Tesco to rethink price hikes at Leamington town centre store

Labour councillors in Leamington have written to the CEO of Tesco Jason Tarry about the impact of the decision to change the status of the Tesco on the Parade to an Express brand
Shoppers protest outside Tesco in the Parade, Leamington, to show their opposition to the rebranding of the store from a Metro to an Express branch which has led to price hikes on many products.Shoppers protest outside Tesco in the Parade, Leamington, to show their opposition to the rebranding of the store from a Metro to an Express branch which has led to price hikes on many products.
Shoppers protest outside Tesco in the Parade, Leamington, to show their opposition to the rebranding of the store from a Metro to an Express branch which has led to price hikes on many products.

Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western is supporting the campaign for Tesco to rethink its rebranding of its store in Leamington town centre which has led to price hikes on many products and higher bills for customers.

All seven Clarendon Ward councillors have written a letter to the CEO of Tesco Jason Tarry asking for the store to revert back to being a Metro as opposed to an Express branch with the latter type meaning prices are geared more towards smaller 'hand basket' shops and less suitable to those who do their main grocery shopping at the supermarket.

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They have said: "The current Metro is a keystone grocery and provisions store in the centre of our Town, which has a population of 50,000.

Tesco in The Parade, Leamington.Tesco in The Parade, Leamington.
Tesco in The Parade, Leamington.

"There is no other store like it in the town centre or within a single bus journey for many residents (the bus stops are adjacent to the store).

"There is a significant population of the elderly, less able and less well-off who rely on buying their groceries, greengrocery, and other essential items in one place conveniently and at fair prices."

The letter can be viewed in full on the Leamington Clarendon Community Facebook group and Mr Western has shared the post on his own Facebook page saying: "As my Labour colleagues in Clarendon have said, the Tesco in the Parade in Leamington is an important amenity for the local community.

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"The Express store has higher prices for the same goods compared to larger store formats.

"Many are campaigning against the change and I fully support.

"We need good central stores in the town centre and a Tesco Express would see not just price rises but fewer choices for shoppers and the loss of some staff.

"I echo the call for Metro prices to be retained - or keep prices in line with super stores. These are much more appropriate for a supermarket of such size, that caters to more than 50,000 people in a town centre with no similarly sized alternatives for shoppers.

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"Tesco is about to lose thousands of customers if it does not reconsider."

Campaigner Peter Glanfield said: " Leamington has now in effect lost its main food shop/supermarket in the town centre causing distress to its oldest and most vulnerable residents who live here.

"Other local towns in Warwickshire and probably the West Midlands all have a food shop where elder or economically deprived residents without access to a car can make their main food purchases - usually in one bag daily on a very regular basis, week in, week out.

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"Leamington is losing the one shop which they can afford to use."

A spokeswoman for Tesco has said that the rebranding is a result of a change is customers' shopping habits over the past few years and that all of the company's Metro stores are being rebranded "to better reflect this".

They added: "Our Metro format was originally designed for larger, weekly shops, but today nearly 70 per cent of customers use them as convenience stores, buying food for that day so the majority of them will be rebranded as Express stores.”