A Tesco supermarket in Munich

Yikes, I have some small trouble trying to take all the vacation time here. I realized that if I were to collect my vacation days at this point, I could work slightly less than 4 day weeks for *all* of next year; or take a nice 3 month vacation. Actually, I do know what to do with that; but I guess my point is it seems the leave time accrues so quickly compared to the U.S. Honestly, I'd feel more than a bit guilty of laziness if I were to take all that time, but I'd rather not lose it either...

If it is law, it must be only in Bavaria. Saw a report on Pro-7 last night about a new 12,000 sq.meter supermarket that's recently opened in Lübeck:

http://www.prosieben.de/wissen/reportage/t.../2003-12-10_01/

Didn't catch all of the program but from what I saw it looked like the kind of place you'd see back in the UK. Now if only they'd open one here in Munich...

I think it is hilarious that the opening of a supermarket is newsworthy enough to get a one-hour special on prosieben

more to come. I can see the headlines already "Herr F from M receives good service at shop and pays by credit card"

"Frau S from G discovers chicken in Tenglemann with valid sell by date"

check out www.expatshopping.com you can order all your favorite food items from home. I miss things like tabasco sauce and habanero peppers, but I found out where and how to get my hot little hands of those goodies from home. You could also start your own franchise with Tesco?

Branston Pickle ! Ahhh... the joys of food. Cornish Pasties !

You can get tabasco in HIT (and Tengelman I think). It's a bit more expensive than at home though.

Also, I just heard this from someone who was responsible for store opening strategies for a large UK department store:

But sure this is in violation of the EU free trade agreement stuff? Can they get away with it in a European court of law, that is if you wanted to wait 5 years to get it seen tthen another 5 years to pass it? I thought the EU thing promoted competion in the EU as a benefit to consumers? Obviously Germany has not fully joined yet then?

I essentially object to the government telling people how much but particularly *when* to rest

in holland the law was changed (semi-sensibly): shops still have to have the equivalent of a one-day weekly closure, but can choose *when*

sunday is completely wurst to me. say I am a muslim and I want friday. tough shit. say I am a jew and I want saturday. tough shit again. say I am a devil worshipper and I want tuesday and wednesday mornings to slaughter barnyard animals in my basement. you've guessed it: tough shit...

nope. it is (for once) the market at work. a smart seller prices according to the buyer's willingness to pay. if the landlord thinks the british chains are willing to pay more, he can ask for more money. if he overdoes it and the buyer decides not to buy then tough shit... it is called contractual freedom, and if the EU starts to mess with that then that will be more than the beginning of the end...

Bugger!!

It's finally here !!

bleagh! I don't want to be there! Annoying enough to fight those crowds as it is. . .

One of those streets that runs between Karlsplatz and Hauptbanhof would be just groovy though

There was one there years ago - but it was moved !!!

by the US 8th Air Force in fact.

Yes lets write again for a TESCO store Aldi and Co are a rip off - check out this link http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10...Tesco-Asda.html

We would happily frive to Munich for a weekly shop. Fortunately we're off to B;ighty for Xmas so can stock up for the next 5 months! We always get our food MUCH cheaper in TESCO

Merry Xmas

Well, I certainly dont want to rob you of your beloved british way of shopping (as long as it still exists), but you should realize that prices at Aldi UK have nothing to do with prices in germany. Not to mention, that a Tesco in germany might have to offer mostly german products, as they cant live on sales to british expats alone. I wouldnt mind a Tesco in Munich btw. The ego boost that germans experienced, when Walmart got it´s ass kicked in germany - we could use another dose of that.

I actually want a Tesco's to come to Germany just to see the look of disappointment on expats' faces when they realise that the world doesn't revolve around them. A quick look at a Tesco store in the Czech Republic will show that only a handful of "British" items are available.

The article linked to above is more typical little-Englander thinking, namely focusing on price and price alone. As they mention only at the very end of the article, "the discounters said their intention was never to be the lowest on price, but rather to compete on quality and value for money." Whether they achieve this or not, I neither know nor care, but it's clearly nonsense to compare on price alone. If you think the Tesco Value range represents healthy, tasty and nutritious food, then good for you.

If its just a selection of goods you miss from the UK then go to a shop called Pomeroy and Winterbottom, in the Reichenbachstr.38. (in Munich) The U1 and U2 go to the corner of the road, exit at the Fraunhoferstr station. We have just been there and bought our Christmas crackers, Christmas pud etc. They have a good selection of food and also items such as tea-coseys, porcelaine, place-mats, aprons etc etc. Also british beer.