According to the British " Guardian ", in addition to scattered supplies on the shelves of many supermarkets in the UK recently, cardboard printed with photos of fruits, vegetables and other foods were also placed on shelves without physical objects. British media said that due to supply problems and the reduction in product types, many supermarkets have insufficient supply, so they can only take this action to cover up the slightly empty shelves.
Tesco has begun using pictures of asparagus, carrots, oranges and grapes in its fresh produce aisles, prompting ridicule on social media.
British supermarket chain Tesco has begun to place pictures of asparagus, carrots, oranges and grapes in its fresh agricultural product channel, and this move has been ridiculed by netizens.
Pictures: Twitter
"Mmmm, delicious photos of asparagus," one commenter wrote on Twitter.
One Twitter user commented: "Well, delicious photos of asparagus".
"Look carefully," another Twitter user wrote alongside a picture of an aisle of laundry detergents. "The middle three rows are photos."
Another Twitter user posted a photo of the laundry detergents and wrote: "Look carefully, the middle three rows are photos."
Picture: twitter
Shoppers have spotted fake carrots in Fakenham, cardboard asparagus in London, pictures of oranges and grapes in Milton Keynes, and 2D washing liquid bottles in Cambridge.
Consumers saw fake carrots in Feckenham, cardboard with asparagus printed in London, photos of oranges and grapes in Milton Keynes, and flat-screen wash liquor bottles in Cambridge.
Pictures: Twitter
The tactic comes as shortages of HGV drivers and pickers and packers on farms and food processing plants lead to low availability of some items in supermarkets. Problems at ports, where handlers are struggling to cope with a surge in deliveries for the festive season, are also leading to shortages.
Supermarkets take this countermeasures because the lack of large truck drivers, pickers and packers in the supermarkets, resulting in insufficient supply of certain goods in supermarkets. The port problems also led to a shortage of goods. Port loaders are struggling to cope with a surge in delivery during the holiday season.
Bryan Roberts, a retail analyst at Shopfloor Insights, said he had only begun to see the cardboard cutouts of fresh produce in the past year, but said similar tactics had been in place elsewhere in supermarkets for some time. “It has become quite commonplace. It is not only because of shortages, but because a lot of the larger stores are now simply too big.”
Shopfloor Brian Roberts, a retail analyst at Insights, said he only started seeing cardboard graphics for fresh produce last year, but said shelves in other areas of the supermarket have been adopting similar strategies for some time. "This phenomenon is already quite common. It's not only because of the shortage of goods, but also because many large supermarkets are too big."
He said the cutouts were one of an array of tactics being used to fill space, including filling meat fridges with bottles of tomato sauce or mayonnaise, spreading packs of beer out across whole aisles, and erecting large posters or other marketing material.
He said the cutouts were one of an array of tactics being used to fill space, including filling meat fridges with bottles of tomato sauce or mayonnaise, spreading packs of beer out across whole aisles, and erecting large posters or other marketing material.
He said these cards are a countermeasure to fill the space. Similar strategies include loading several bottles of tomato sauce or mayonnaise in the meat refrigerator, placing many beers in the aisle, and erecting large posters or other marketing materials.
Tesco, which has boosted that its sales have been boosted by its ability to keep shelves stocked, said the fruit and vegetable pictures were not linked to the recent supply chain issues and had been in use for many months.
Tesco, which previously claimed that its pictures of the fruit and vegetables have not been related to recent supply chain issues and have been in use for many months.
Traditional supermarkets, which can stock more than 40,000 product lines, have been honing their grocery ranges to improve efficiency so they can cut prices and compete more effectively with discounters such as Aldi and Lidl, which sell fewer than 3,000 different products.
Traditional supermarkets can store more than 40,000 products.
Traditional supermarkets can store more than 40,000 products. They have been streamlining the types of products to improve efficiency, thereby reducing prices and forming more effective competition with discount supermarkets such as Aldi , Lide and other discount supermarkets. These discount stores sell no more than 3,000 products.
That process has only been accelerated by Brexit and the pandemic which have led to staff shortages and difficulties in shipping goods. Supermarkets and manufacturers have reduced the range of different types of pasta, coffee or teas they sell to make it easier to keep goods flowing.
This process has been accelerated due to the shortages of personnel and difficulties in shipping goods. Supermarkets and manufacturers have reduced the variety of pasta, coffee or tea on sale to make the goods more convenient for circulation.
Some bulky and not very profitable items, such as bottled fizzy drinks and water, have also been pushed down the delivery priority list because of driver shortages, meaning there may be larger gaps on shelves than usual.
Due to driver shortages, some large and low profitable items, such as bottled fizzy drinks and water, have also been pushed down the delivery priority list because of driver shortages, meaning there may be larger gaps on shelves than usual.
Some bulky and not very profitable items, such as bottled fizzy drinks and water, have also been pushed down the delivery priority list because of driver shortages, meaning there may be larger gaps on shelves than usual.
Some bulky and not very profitable items, such as bottled fizzy drinks and water, have also been pushed down the delivery priority list because of driver shortages, meaning there may be larger gaps on shelves than usual.
Some bulky and not very profitable items, such as bottled fizzy drinks and water, have also been pushed down the delivery priority list because of driver shortages, meaning there may be larger gaps on shelves than usual.
Some bulky and not very profitable items, such as bottled fizzy drinks and water, have also been pushed down the delivery priority list because of driver shortages, meaning there may be larger gaps on shelves than usual.
Some bulky and not very profitable items, such as bottled fizzy drinks and water, have also been pushed down the delivery priority list because of driver shortages, meaning there may be larger gaps on shelves than usual.
Several chains, including Sainsbury’s, Asda and Tesco have also shut food service counters to cut costs, leaving more space to fill.
Sainsbury, Asda and Tesco have also closed food service counters to reduce costs, leaving more space to fill.
Sainsbury, Asda and Tesco have also closed food service counters to reduce costs, leaving more space.
The rise of online shopping, has meanwhile led to many supermarkets no longer stocking non-food items such as televisions, CDs or kettles which they once did, leaving areas of empty space which many have been unable to fill with alternative products. Some have brought in other services, such as opticians, key cutting or dry cleaners to take up space.
At the same time, the rise of online shopping has led many supermarkets to no longer store non-food goods such as TVs, CDs or kettles as before, leaving many blank areas that cannot be filled with alternative products. Some companies have also introduced other services such as eyewear stores, key-fitting stores or dry cleaning stores to fill the space.
On fresh produce, stores such as Tesco also have targets to reduce food waste, and so are keeping stocks tighter than they might have done in the past.
In terms of fresh produce, supermarkets such as Tesco also have targets to reduce food waste, and so are keeping stocks tighter than they might have done in the past.
In terms of fresh produce, stores such as Tesco also have targets to reduce food waste, and so are keeping stocks tighter than they might have done in the past.
In terms of fresh produce, stores such as Tesco also have targets to reduce food waste, and so are keeping stocks tighter than they might have done in the past.
On fresh produce, stores such as Tesco also have targets to reduce food waste, and so are keeping stocks tighter than they might have done in the past.
On fresh produce, stores such as Tesco also have targets to reduce food waste, and so are keeping stocks tighter than they might have done in the past.
On fresh produce, stores such as Tesco also have targets to reduce food waste, and so are keeping stocks tighter than they might have done in the past.
On fresh produce, stores such as Tesco also have targets to reduce food waste, and so are keeping stocks tighter than they might have done in the past.
On fresh produce, stores such as Tesco also have targets to reduce food waste, and so are keeping stocks tighter than they might have done in the past.
On fresh produce, stores such as Tesco also have targets to reduce food waste, and so are keeping stocks tighter than they might have done in the past.
On fresh produce, stores such as Tesco also have targets to reduce food waste, and so are keeping stocks tighter than they might have done in the past.
On fresh produce, stores such as Tesco also have targets to reduce food waste, and so are keeping stocks tighter than they might have done in the past.
Cardboard cutouts of expensive items such as detergents, protein powders and spirits such as gin are also sometimes used to prevent shoplifting. Pictures of the items are put on shelves to indicate availability, and shoppers must pick up the actual product at the till.
Cardboard cutouts of expensive items such as detergents, protein powders and spirits such as gin are also sometimes used to prevent shoplifting. Pictures of the items are put on shelves to indicate availability, and shoppers must pick up the actual product at the till.
Cardboard cutouts of expensive items such as detergents, protein powders and spirits such as gin are also sometimes used to prevent shoplifting. Pictures of the items are put on shelves to indicate availability, and shoppers must pick up the actual product at the till.
Cardboard cutouts of expensive items such as detergents, protein powders and spirits such as gin are also sometimes used to prevent shoplifting. Pictures of the items are put on shelves to indicate availability, and shoppers must pick up the actual product at the till.
Cardboard cutouts of expensive items such as detergents, protein powders and spirits such as gin are also sometimes used to prevent shoplifting. Pictures of the items are put on shelves to indicate availability, and shoppers must pick up the actual product at the till.
Cardboard cutouts of expensive items such as detergents, protein powders and spirits such as gin are also sometimes used to prevent shoplifting. Pictures of the items are put on shelves to indicate availability, and shoppers must pick up the actual product at the till.
Cardboard cutouts of expensive items such as detergents, protein powders and spirits such as gin are also sometimes used to prevent shoplifting. Pictures of the items are put on shelves to indicate availability, and shoppers must pick up Pictures of the goods are placed on the shelves to indicate that they are in stock and the shopper must collect the actual goods at the cashier.
Source: Guardian Editor: Dong Jing
Source: China Daily Network
