Horsham shoppers' surprise at Tesco changes to food counters

Fresh meat and fish counters at Tesco Extra in Broadbridge Heath are among those closing across 317 Tesco stores nationwide.

The supermarket chain announced last month that it was removing fresh meat and fish counters following changes in customer shopping habits.

A spokesperson said: “We first announced changes to our counters back in 2019, and we’ve been reviewing them on an ongoing basis ever since.

“We have seen a significant decrease in demand for our counters over the last few years, and our customers no longer say they are a significant reason for them to come in store and shop with us. Instead, they are choosing to buy from our wide range of great quality products available in our aisles.

“The majority of our stores no longer operate any counters. In the small number of stores that do still have them, many are only open with reduced days and times – and we have strengthened our in-aisle ranges to ensure that customers can still find the meat, fish and deli products they want.

“We therefore decided to close our remaining counters and hot delis from February 26 and the space will be repurposed to better reflect our customers’ needs.

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"All affected colleagues will be offered alternatives roles in store.”

A new Tesco Express store opened in West Street in Horsham town centre last month. The store has an array of fresh and frozen foods, bakery, drinks, household essentials, along with newspapers and magazines.