Baked Bean Wars
There was a short period in 1995 or 6 when Asda was selling baked beans - and I'm not sure that "selling" is the correct word here - for minus one penny a can.

I had a friend whose grandfather was banned from his local branch for collecting cans by the trolleyload, cashing in on the refund, and then dumping the beans and repeating the process.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 10:17, 7 replies)

Bananas
Didn't some guy do that with Tesco bananas too?

I seem to remember the clubcard points they gave out as a special promotion for the aforementioned unzippable fruit were worth more than then the price paid at the till.

Can't remember if he then sold them or gave them away outside the shop. Made the Local News! Woo!!!
(markthebrewer doesn't know if he's coming or going or coming, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 10:20, closed)

I remember
that from Have I Got News For You.
(Bazongaloid, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 10:24, closed)

Linkage
The bananas story, and another time when somebody tried ready meals - although that probably made him look like a crazy loner stocking up for doomsday.
(annexed, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 13:51, closed)

Its interesting that the articale claims
"The Tesco Clubcard was surely one of the greatest marketing ideas of all time. Launched in 1996, the loyalty card now has some 10 million subscribers and spawned a multitude of copycats."
If I read this correctly, it was launched in 1996, and all other loyalty cards are copy cats!.
Back in 1989 (that seven years before 1996), I was one of many in the software development team for the Homebase Spend and Save loyalty card, which was launched in 1990. That's SIX years before Tesco claimed to have invented the loyalty card.
Sounds like Tesco are talking bollocks to me.
In fact all this really started with Green Shield Stamps if you're old enough and can remember back that far.
( turb0t, Tue 28 Oct 2008, 11:13, closed)

this was used
to great effect by the leavers at my school that year.

Many tins of beanz were taken, and almost everybody leaving ended up covered in the fuckers
(bamboozled Can hear you getting fatter, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 14:49, closed)

infinite beans!?
Good job no-one told Rick Waller, or the earth might have been destroyed,
(The Incredible Sulk Finally remembered his password on, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 22:08, closed)

Our local co-op..
Changed their system a few years back, but it has a glitch I take advantage of whenever possible.. If they have 2 items in the reduced area that are buy one, get one free for say 25p, but £1 each normally, the till reads them both in at 25p, but then discounts £1...
(AQ, Tue 28 Oct 2008, 12:58, closed)