'No I'm not buying smaller bottles!': Shoppers’ outrage as Tesco to ‘phase out’ six pint bottles of milk in UK stores
28 July 2023, 19:25 | Updated: 28 July 2023, 19:27
Tesco customers have slammed the supermarket chain after it announced a major product is being discontinued from the store.
The UK’s largest supermarket chain has officially confirmed its plans to phase out six pint milk bottles from its shelves.
Customers started complaining to the supermarket months ago as they noticed the six pint bottles disappearing from its stores.
One wrote in May: “@Tesco have you stopped selling six pint bottles of semi skimmed milk?
“Coming up as unavailable on app and none on shelf in store this morning.”
But now Tesco have officially confirmed plans to discontinue the family-sized bottle.
“We are phasing out six pint bottles of milk to reduce wastage, but our four pint bottles provide the same great value per pint, especially as we have reduced milk prices twice in recent weeks,” a spokesperson told The Mirror.
The next size down available to customers is a four pint bottle, which costs £1.45 at present and works out at around 36.2p a pint.
Compared to the May price of a six pint bottle, which was £2.15, working out to around 35.8p a pint - making the six pint bottle slightly cheaper.
Read more: Supermarket bosses from Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons to be grilled by MPs over high prices
However, despite the minimal change in price, customers have drawn attention to a bigger problem with the product’s discontinuation.
One wrote: “Tesco what exactly are families to do? My household goes through approx 14pts of milk a week. It's much easier for me to store 2x6pts than 3x4pts. Surely that makes less waste too?”
While another said: “Phasing out 6 pint Milk bottle to reduce plastic waste . A family using 6 pint of milk will have to buy 2 plastic bottle of 4 pint (even at same price / pint).
“Kudos ! ! Making customers buy more plastic bottles is certainly way to reduce plastic waste.”
"Tesco's loss is Iceland Food's gain. For whatever reason Tesco will no longer stock 6 pint bottles of milk. No I'm not buying smaller bottles more frequently. Iceland keep stocking the 6 pint bottles."
While another simply asked: “Can we please have 6 pint milk back in stores thanks!”
It comes after the supermarket giant slashed the price of milk for the first time since 2020 earlier this year.
Tesco's UK chief executive Jason Terry said: "Milk is a key everyday staple for so many families. We’ve seen some cost price deflation for milk across the market in recent times, and we want to take this opportunity to pass that reduction on to customers."
