Sainsbury's shoppers seething as store 'plays hide and seek' with essential groceries - 'Highly frustrating!'

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GB NEWS
James Saunders

By James Saunders


Published: 24/03/2025

- 12:02

'Sainsbury's management has devised a new game... [They] keep moving the stock around!' one shopper fumed

Sainsbury's shoppers in Kent have been left seething after their searches for everyday essentials were turned into "treasure hunts".

Customers at branches in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge have taken to social media to vent about constantly-changing store layouts.


One disgruntled shopper compared the experience to "playing hide and seek" at the former town's Linden Park Road store.

Sainsbury's has insisted that the changes are part of layout and range updates at the affected stores - but customers have been left exasperated as they search for staple items like sugar, eggs and spices.

Sainsbury's Tonbridge/Sainsbury's Tunbridge Wells

Customers at branches in Tonbridge (left) and Tunbridge Wells (right) have taken to social media to vent about constantly-changing store layouts

GOOGLE

One resident shared their frustrations on local social networking site Nextdoor, describing the supermarket's approach as a deliberate game.

"Who loves hide and seek at Sainsbury's? Tunbridge Wells Sainsbury's management have devised a new game... [They] keep moving the stock around!" they wrote.

"Hunt the sugar, hunt the eggs, hunt the spices. After a highly frustrating shop, my husband asked an assistant WHY they keep moving the stock around?"

The customer claimed staff told them it was "a brilliant new marketing ploy" designed to make shoppers discover new products while searching for essentials.

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Bisto/Oxo promotional material

One furious shopper said Bisto gravy granules were stored 'some distance' from rival stock product Oxo cubes

BISTO/OXO

And they joked that customers could either participate or "dump your trolley by the till and keep taking the blood pressure pills".

Meanwhile, one Tonbridge shopper noted on Nextdoor that staff themselves struggle to locate items due to the frequent changes.

In one case, they said: "gravy granules, including that old staple Bisto, are in an aisle some distance from the stock cubes, including another old staple Oxo."

The shopper jabbed that items might be arranged by container shape rather than purpose.

But in the face of frustration, some customers managed to keep their sense of humour intact.

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One quipped: "Ah, that explains why the muesli is next to the cat litter!"

A Sainsbury's spokesman said: "We want to make shopping with us as easy and convenient as possible, while offering an even greater choice of products at outstanding value.

"We recently updated the layout and ranges at our supermarket and appreciate our customers' patience following this change."

"Our colleagues are on hand to help, and we also have posters displayed in store to help customers find their favourite products," the spokesman added.