Tesco starts charging shoppers 10p for something they’ve never paid for before

Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket chain, has begun charging customers an additional 10p for something they’ve never had to pay for before – hangers.

The new charge is currently being trialled in select stores that sell F&F clothing. In this test, people can choose to buy a hanger for 10p when they get their clothes, or they can leave it to be used again.

While Tesco confirmed that only a few stores are participating in this trial, they did not disclose which ones or how many. One Reddit user described the new move as a “sneaky charge being imposed on customers” as it was previously unseen.

Online discussions have been sparked by customers who noticed the new 10p charge. One customer shared their experience: “So, was in Tesco today, got some swimming clothes for the kids and my wife got a dress. Went through the scan as you shop and paid, went to get the tags taken off and was told it’s 10p for a clothes hanger or they could take it for us.”

The same customer, who also works at the store, added: “Now I work at this store, and I’ve never heard of this. I’ve also never seen anything around the store or around the clothes section. So either someone is trying to earn some extra Dosh or it’s a sneaky charge being imposed on customers. Has anyone else had this?” reports the Manchester Evening News.

Tesco’s latest move to charge 10p for keeping their hangers has sparked a mixed reaction among shoppers. One disgruntled customer exclaimed: “Tesco charging 10p if you want to keep their hangers now! Next there will be an entrance fee.”

Another shopper chimed in with criticism, saying: “If this is a new thing that is actually pathetic of Tesco to do that.”

However, not everyone is against the idea. A Reddit user supported the initiative, stating it was “surely a good thing” arguing that it would ensure only those who really need the hanger would take it, potentially reducing plastic waste.

Echoing this sentiment, another shopper pointed out: “It’s a trial. They are trying to discourage people from taking hangers as they usually just get chucked anyway. If Tesco can keep them, they can reuse them and therefore don’t have to produce more. Little planet-saving steps.”

In response to the feedback, a Tesco spokesperson said that the supermarket giant aims to cut down on plastic waste.

This follows the expansion of a hanger reuse scheme already being tested by Tesco, which encourages customers to leave behind hangers they don’t need, leading to an uptick in the number of hangers being recycled by the store.