TESCO attacked in US

In the USA, Tesco is already facing the threat of a Wal-Mart style backlash from environmentalists and union campaigners before it opens its first store in the country. The Urban & Environmental Policy Initiative (UEPI), in Los Angeles, has warned that Tesco’s record on corporate and social responsibility was not as rosy as the company’s marketing efforts painted it. The authors have challenged Tesco to live up to its rhetoric rather than “take the low road, the Wal-Mart way”. A Tesco spokesman said, “We would welcome the opportunity to prove to customers that we stand by our promises to offer fresh, quality, affordable food, to be a good steward of the environment and a great place to work.” The retailer is due to launch in the USA this autumn.