back to article Tesco store bans shopping in pyjamas

The Tesco branch in Cardiff's St Mellons has clearly had enough of barefoot shoppers wandering the aisles in their pyjamas, and has ordered customers so dressed to cease and desist. According to the BBC, the store has posted a "customer dress code policy" notice reading: "To avoid causing offence or embarrassment to others we …

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  1. Lionel Baden

    summer time

    dont lots of ppl go barefoot ???

  2. John P
    Unhappy

    Been there, done that.

    I used to work in a Tesco in Northamptonshire on the night shift, and we saw this quite regularly, people coming shopping in their pyjamas, sometimes with a dressing gown, sometimes with shoes, almost always overweight with their BigMac filled bellies hanging out.

    Most interestingly though, on several occasions we had women come in wearing all sorts of lingerie and various other exotic bedroom-wear which you wouldn't expect to see while replenishing the frozen peas!

    We wouldn't've minded, if only any of them had been remotely attractive!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Grenade

      hahaha

      Never mind the quality - just go for quantity :D

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Children

    I have only ever seen children in PJs at my local tesco, most of them are probably still in nappies

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Liverpool

    As someone who grew up in Liverpool I was constantly amazed by the number of people in some parts of the city who would go shopping in pyjama's. I never did it and I no longer live there.

    Nice to see it's done in other places as well.

    AC because I'm a wimp.

    1. Vincent Ballard

      Liverpool

      I assumed from the headline that it was a story about Liverpool, where shopping in your pajamas appears to be considered perfectly normal.

      I have seen one person in what looked like pajamas in Fenwick's department store in Canterbury.

  5. Gordon Ross Silver badge
    Boffin

    Never been to Uni then ?

    "Readers are invited to report on whether this is a purely Welsh phenomenon, or a nationwide issue"

    Reg hacks have obviosuly never been to University. Happens all over the UK.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Damn

    As a perpetual barefoot walker - I find it offensive that I have to put shoes on in order to enter a Tesco store. What quality hygene are they wanting to improve? My clean feet are nothing compared to all those dirty shoes and soles brought in by Joe Public. What Tesco should be writing is that they cannot garuntee the safety and hygene of their customers, and therefore require you to wear protective clothing in order to enter their stores. It is probably linked to a cost cutting exercise whereby the 'aisle cleaning' machine is relegated to overnight polishing for the frozen turkey bowling of the shelf stackers.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      In case you're serious.

      No, of course they can't make such guarantees. And while they can't guarantee you won't cut your finger somewhere there is surely much less chance of that - on account of where your attention generally is - than barefoot customers stepping on something sharp enough to make the blood flow. The stores are too large and the people in-store too many to be able to guarantee safety. Personally I would expect the store to be closed while spilt human blood is dealt with. However many levels that may or may not be justified, it certainly is in the litigation society that, like it or not, Tesco is operating in.

      As for what might come in on shoes, as long as it stays down there it doesn't bother me so much as Athletes Foot (which once you've got it is effectively a lifelong companion. I would prefer not having it spread around a food store, when whether you wear footwear or not is kind of like the difference between sneezing into a snot-rag or into the open air).

      It doesn't matter how clean your feet may be, it doesn't stop fungal diseases spreading, but unless you get to the store by jet pack, autogyro, or even, I suppose, piggyback, you're treading in the same as the shoes are treading in anyway, aren't you?

      1. Intractable Potsherd
        WTF?

        @The Great Mooshta ...

        ... "Personally I would expect the store to be closed while spilt human blood is dealt with." Please tell me you are joking. If you are wearing shoes and normal clothes, what is the problem? Next you'll be saying that you want stores to close because someone has tracked dog-shit in! FFS man, grow up - blood isn't going to kill you (unless you happen to inject it somehow, and even then, the chances are fairly small).

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          You missed the bit

          about 'in a litigation society' then?

          1. Intractable Potsherd

            Apologies ...

            ... I did see it, but misinterpreted it. I'll leave my original comment as a reminder of my shame! ;)

  7. Ross 7

    Pretty common

    Oddly enough I've seen it loads of times in a number of Tescos but not in any other supermarkets.

    The little Tesco Metro in NE2 on a weekend morning is jam packed with students dressed like Arthur Dent. I've seen it late at night/early hours (like 2am) in the 24 hour Tesco Extra as well.

    Personally I don't see the problem. I;ve seen plenty of people dressed far worse in non-nightwear doing their shopping.

    1. TeeCee Gold badge
      Joke

      Only in Tesco?

      I can explain that. You've just stumbled on the fundamental purpose of Tesco, which is to keep the riff-raff out of Waitrose.

      I saw some bugger turn up at Waitrose the other day without a tie and they let him in! I don't know what the world's coming to......declining standards......moral turpitude......think of the children.....write to the Daily Mail.......etc ad infinitum.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Joke

        Thats not Tescos

        Thats Sainsburys.

        Tescos is to keep the riff raff out of Sainsburys.

        Oh, and Waitrose shoppers are requierd to read the Times, Telegraph or, preferably, the FT (Observer or Independent are passable, if your female or hip and rich). Not the Daily Mail though.

        1. Ned Leprosy Silver badge

          Riff-raff

          Waitrose has the worst riff-raff of all. They just *think* they aren't. They're certainly the most ill-mannered of the lot, anyway, and the main reason I don't shop at Waitrose is because of its rude and unpleasant clientele.

          Can't say I've ever witnessed anybody shopping in their pyjamas. And after a moment's thought, it's not an experience I feel I've missed, either. You do occasionally see the shoeless in summer, though since they have a vested interest in not stepping in anything nasty I'm not really sure what the problem is. Well, other than the aforementioned (lack of) safety issues, though IMHO that's really something for the stores to sort out rather than asking customers to go in wearing steel toecaps and hard hats "because that's what'll happen" etc. Oh come on, a bit of hyperbole never hurt anyone.

      2. StooMonster
        Joke

        Quotations

        It was Stephen Fry who quipped that the purpose of Sainsbury’s is to keep the riff-raff out of Waitrose.

        The purpose of Tesco appears to be to become the British 'Buy n Large' megacorporation.

        1. nowster
          Headmaster

          Correction.

          "It was Stephen Fry who quipped that the purpose of Sainsbury’s is to keep the riff-raff out of Waitrose."

          Actually, that was penned by the late Alan Coren.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          no it wasn't

          it was Alan Coren.

  8. John 62
    Alert

    obligatory "'elf 'n' safety" angle

    unprotected feet and loose nightware is a bit of a hazard, not to mention the risks to other shoppers of possible David Duchovny doing a 'Basic Instinct' in his bathrobe in the Larry Sanders Show incidents.

    Maybe they don't want the store to appear on 'People of Wal-Mart' either.

  9. Wize

    No entry to Arthur Dent.

    Customers need shoes or they will sue next time one walks through some broken glass from a bottle they just smashed themselves.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Grenade

    Pyjamas aren't nightwear in Cardiff

    It's haute couture.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    The title is required, and must contain letters and/or digits.

    Pah! My jammies are no more offensive than the average trackie.

    Sure, I've shopped in jammies and slippers, including the ridiculous Homer Simpson ones (note: not good for driving in). I've worked graveyard shifts in a 24hr Tesco (in Wales and in NE England) and seen people do it, robe and boxers the least someones worn. Hell, in summer, Northern Neds would come in shirtless with shorts, is that any better than my jammies? Pft. No!

    Wasn't there a Tesco that allowed nude shopping after regular hours? (i recall reading an article many moons ago about that...)

  12. Velv
    Coat

    Only corner shop left...

    Since Tesco's expansion policy effectively closes the corner shop, where else am I meant to go on a Sunday morning for rolls, bacon, milk and the Sunday papers before returning to bed with Mrs V.

    Perhaps Tesco need to introduce a delivery service........

  13. Anonymous Coward
    IT Angle

    Not just Welsh

    Have seen it all over Dublin, and not just in Tesco. Pretty common to see women of all ages walking about in pyjama's

  14. swaygeo
    Go

    Missed opportunity

    I'm stunned Tesco don't just ask them to buy some clothes...

    ...also where are these people keeping their money [shudder]

  15. Psmiffy

    In other parts of the world

    A few months / years ago you ran an article about that naked shopper in Germany ...

    And in South Africa if you come off the beach and are headed to a braai (barbeque, grill etc) then you just wrap a towel over your costume and walk on it to the shop .. no shoes required.

    Personally unless you are causing harm to someone, who care what you wear.

  16. Jay Castle
    Coat

    Not in Tesco....

    ....but I've been known to pop to the local Co-Op in T-Shirt and PJ bottoms. I wear trainers though so you prolly wouldn't know they were PJs - you would just think I had no fashion sense, which isn't too far from the truth!

    Mines the tartan one, with the bed-breathey tissue in the pocket.

  17. John Donovan
    Alien

    Daytime nightwear

    The fashion for scallies/chavs/neds to wear special "going out" pyjamas is still going strong in Merseyside.

    It warms the cockles of my heart to see girls dressed in pyjama bottoms that have soaked up all the dirt from the pavements, as they head off to the tanning salon to change their skin colour from diarrohoea brown to Oompa-loompa orange.

  18. Bilgepipe
    WTF?

    Just put some clothes on

    Is it that hard to just get dressed before going out? Christ, this country is getting like the Middle Ages.

    You see "Shirt and Shoes Required" in stores in the US all the time, I don't see a problem with it.

    1. Pablo

      Only on restaurants

      It's a health code thing. As far as I know it's perfectly alright to go barefoot or shirtless in a grocery store, not that I can recall seeing it very often.

  19. Andrew Jones 2
    Go

    Time to dress back....

    Group on facebook has been set-up to gather members who are outraged at this: http://bit.ly/bnA0Ey

    Twitter topic is #shoppinginyourpjs

    The intention will be to organise a mass UK event where members go to Tesco in the Pyjamas at a set time countrywide...

    Any

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    not a member of The Register? Create a new account to post here

    "As a perpetual barefoot walker - I find it offensive that I have to put shoes on in order to enter a Tesco store. "

    Are you, by any chance, Australian? Because parading your corns and bunions in public places is very common here...including in public toilets <vom, vom>

  21. Simon B

    pics?!!

    Where are the pics?!!

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    My shoes were stolen...

    What if you're going to Tesco to buy new shoes?

  23. Longinus
    Happy

    Just checked with my parents........

    and it wasn't one of them having an alzeimers moment again, it their local store. Could we get some cctv?

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Suggestion

    Tesco should sponsor the cricket and stop them wearing pyjamas too.

  25. StooMonster
    Boffin

    Meh ... it's from Liverpool

    Visiting family and friends up in the North West of England I've seen female "scallies" -- scally being the Scouse chav -- wear PJs outside for years: whether at the local "offie" or at the supermarket (Mrs StooMonster was confused then amazed the first time we saw a teenage girl in her teddy-bear PJs in John Lewis).

    I first saw it in Liverpool about eight years ago, but my friends say it's been going on for years before that.

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Pyjamas?

    I haven't worn pyjamas since I was about 12. I'd be arrested or indecent (matter of opinion) exposure for shopping in _my_ night wear.

    Our local Tesco express (in a suburb of Leeds) often has pyjamad scumbags from the local chav farm/estate wondering around it. Looks like a fucking mental hospital in there these days. Needless to say I now go to Morrison's for my cigs, booze and Rizla.

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    I still think

    perv scanners sound like they're finding pervs, not being run by them.

    Mine's the one with the tube and the hamster in the pocket.

  28. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    Are we to expect....

    ...the deployment of small mirrors on wheels with an attached handle so that Tesco security can check whether their female customers are wearing knickers under their skirts?

    Some time ago I got a less than attractive eyeful of something that wouldn't have looked out of place on the deli counter when a 'lady' had squatted down to pick something from a low shelf....

    <shudder!>

    Paris, because once you've seen one you've seen them all.

    1. No, I will not fix your computer
      Stop

      You made this up

      I can't quite imagine the angle/pose that the people concerned would need to have been in to get a flash, even with a degree of immodesty.

      >>because once you've seen one you've seen them all.

      No, not really.

    2. Ken Hagan Gold badge
      Paris Hilton

      Re: Are we to expect...

      I'm afraid I haven't quite understood the geometry here. *She* was squatting down and yet *you* were still able to see something that would normally only be visible with a mirror on a stick. Were you having a nap and she squatted on your face or something?

    3. LinkOfHyrule
      Joke

      Japan

      I believe Tesco now operate in Japan after buying a local chain of stores there or something, so yes! I'm sure 'up-skirting' is likely! They probably have a special aisle for it, next to the tentacle aisle.

  29. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    Local Store

    This is actually my local store, and yes, it was weird walking the aisles on a Saturday afternoon sometimes with people still in their dressing gowns and fuzzy rabbit slippers...

    It's not even a 24hr store - I could excuse people buying baby supplies at 3am - but not doing a full trolley-load on a Saturday afternoon...

    It's gotten worse since they put those self-scan tills in so the customer never has to actually speak to a member of staff...

  30. Bassey

    Slippers

    I used to pop over to the garage opposite my first flat (for late night fags and nibbles) in a dressing gown and slippers. And I'm still prepared to go damn near anyway in my slippers. My wife was quite appalled when we went to Brazil and they were at the top of my suitcase. Apparently, she considered the climate unsuitable for sheepskin moccasins. Home is where the slippers are!

  31. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Clearly these people have no dignity...

    I remember seeing this happen in working class areas of Belfast where women would take their kids to school in their pyjamas but i've started seeing more and more people do it in Tesco. Strangely I've noticed it in the big Tesco Extra stores where people would have had to actively leave their house, drive a distance to the store then get out and wander in. Given the time/effort required to get there in the first place, is it too much effort to just throw on some casual clothes before setting off? I've had to go to Tesco late at night myself the odd time and it's really not that hard to throw on some Jeans and a T-shirt. These people clearly have no dignity, and the stares that they were getitng from everyone nearby clearly didn't bother them....

    1. Intractable Potsherd
      FAIL

      Quite simply...

      ...Other people's dignity is none of your business. Live and let live - it does not cause you any harm, so it does not fall within your remit to control.

  32. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Students

    There has recently been a large increase in this "fad" in Nottingham. Mostly it is students that are obviously so keen to demonstrate their "studenty-ness" by going shopping in pyjamas at 3pm. Ooo, look at me, I'm such a student that I've only just got up at 3pm and need to go and buy food but don't want to get dressed....

  33. Sarah Bee (Written by Reg staff)

    Re: Are we to expect....

    That's lovely, Brian. I might have rejected that one, but I figured, hey, share the joy.

  34. Spleen

    Pyjamas

    Aren't pyjamas considered daywear in the East, where they come from?

  35. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Here in sunny N. Cambs

    Friend came round to drop something off she had borrowed from SWMBO, in her pyjamas and dressing gown. I thought that was a bit naff, but not as naff as when she said she was just off to Tesco's....

  36. John H Woods Silver badge

    Proper Footwear

    At our local cornershop, all the dogs have to sit outside whilst we all trudge in from the stables in our wellies. The shopkeeper reckons his floor would be cleaner if we sent the dogs in to buy stuff.

  37. Eden
    Go

    Hmmm

    I've seen a few people in Jammies and slippers in various places in my time, i've accidently left the house in slippers once and not realised until I walked into the Chinese in London (having left Harrow with them)...but then I was 8 at the time and in a hurry to get some yummy food :).

    I live litteraly a stones throw (Litterally litterally for a change) from large 24hr Tescos and have a baby due in May so I may well find myself in need of some slippers and a night gown for those 3am runs where every second counts and I need to get SOMETHING from over the road fast. ...anything less urgent and I'll be stopping to get dressed.

    *Note - would it be more acceptable to take screaming baby with you so people know what you're about, or to just turn up and blend in with the other nutters.

    1. Metalattakk
      Joke

      Litterally?

      The word it seems is "illiterately".

  38. Mark York 3 Silver badge
    Paris Hilton

    Tesco's Meh

    I've seen women in nightwear playing the slot machines in my local bar in Canada.

    PH - Doesn't do nightwear or if she does it doesn't stay on for very long.

  39. Graham Marsden
    WTF?

    If you think this is a problem...

    ... then I strongly recommend you don't google for People of Walmart...!!

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

  40. Sly
    Thumb Up

    yup... students

    if you wanna find the hawt pajama shoppers... go to any university supercenter/grocer/etc about 9pm or so. tank tops and cotton shorts with no undies at all seems to be the norm around here (DFW, TX). Though I have to say that those pajama shoppers are usually better than anything from www.peopleofwalmart.com (and they're usually wearing non-pajama type clothes). My wife still won't let me go get groceries by myself during rush week.

  41. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    We have them here too

    I have seen them in Limerick (ireland not the poem) a lot recently, in Aldi, Dunnes Stores, Spar and Tesco. The worst I have seen was a pair of women, that appeared to be in their late 20s early 30s. One was wearing white, shiny polyester Pjs with Uggs, It had been raining so the muddy water had soaked up the back of the leg of the Pjs. Not nice at all. Her companion was of a portly nature and the choice of Fleece Pjs, while being warm, certainly did not flatter

  42. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    @rogerborg

    I most strongly object to the term "mong", which is a derogatory reference to someone with Down's Syndrome. It is how they are born, and not something they can do anything about. Please choose your words carefully in future, and have a little respect for disabled people (yes, they are disabled in varying degrees!)

    1. Paul 4

      Mong

      Is short for Monger, or Minger as it also know, not "Mongaloid", which is what your thinking of.

      –noun

      1. a person who is involved with something in a petty or contemptible way (usually used in combination): a gossipmonger.

      2. Chiefly British. a dealer in or trader of a commodity (usually used in combination): fishmonger.

      –verb (used with object)

      3. to sell; hawk.

      Origin:

      bef. 1000; ME (n.); OE mangere, equiv. to mang(ian) to trade, act as a monger (≪ L mangō salesman) + -ere -er 1 ; c. ON, OHG mangari

      It comes from the derogatory use.

    2. DoorHandle
      Stop

      Same word different meanings

      Actually it doesn't have to mean disabled. In the army, and by extension people who regularly hang out with soldiers, it means lazy. (At least in the regiments I have been to.) Words and phrases can have different meanings y'know. I had a gay time reading the article.

  43. mad clarinet
    Coat

    Could be worse...

    I submit....

    http://wwwpeopleofwalmart.com/

    I rest my case......

  44. Blue eyed boy
    Coat

    I was there

    `I live about two miles from the place, and regularly shop there. The way I heard it, this was a reasonably regular occurrence during the run-up to Christmas when late opening was briefly introduced. Never actually seen it happen myself.

    Do people still wear pyjamas these days? My regular nightwear is a null set.

    (Mine is actually a pyjama top.)

  45. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Long day

    I must be tired, I read the headline as 'Tesco bans shoplifting in pyjamas'.

  46. Anonymous Coward
    Headmaster

    I can't believe

    no one has jumped on those uncouth subhuman types who write pyjama's - it's pyjamas no apostrophe. No wonder standards are racing down to the Marianas trench

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I can't believe

      To: AC 19:51 GMT

      Would you care to comment on starting a sentence with a small letter, or ending one without a full stop?

      1. Nuffnuff

        Pedantry and tourism

        From the context, it would appear that the original poster has commenced a paragraph in the title bar, and continued underneath - this I would find perfectly acceptable, given the nature of the communicative medium.

        The missing full stop, however, is most reprehensible. String em up, I say.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Pedantry and tourism

          Damn it, you're right. Here have a vote.

          Oh no! I think I just voted for my own hanging.

    2. Ball boy Silver badge
      FAIL

      To AC 19:51

      ...while we're on the subject, why's your use of 'Marianas trench' sporting a lowercase intial letter? As any fule kno, 'Trench' forms part of a formally recognised name so it should enjoy capitalisation.

      Signed

      A. Pedant

  47. Dann
    Happy

    To illustrate the point

    Its not just in Cardiff - In Newport I constantly felt over dressed

    Here is a link to a local cartoonist

    http://agagaday.blogspot.com/2010/01/thank-dai-its-friday.html

    I think the cartoon says it all

  48. Allan George Dyer
    Coat

    Knightwear?

    Do they have a lot of trouble with people shopping an armour?

    Mine's the one that clanks

  49. wim

    Japan too

    Happens a lot in Japan too. People wandering the convenience store in their nightwear but not barefooted. Traditional wear for the PJ crowd are crocs.

    Best I have ever see was in McDonalds. Two girls between 16-28 (I can't see the difference in age) dressed in Minnie Mouse towels as skirt and a tank top.

    The McD was close to the red light district so maybe there girls just popped over during a break in their entertainment schedule.

  50. Winkypop Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    In the 1960's

    As kids, we would go to the Drive-In movies dressed in PJs then play on the swing-set/slides underneath the giant screen while the oldies watched Laurence of Arabia or something.....

    Fun times.

  51. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hats at Sainsburys

    Thrown out of Sainsburys in the summer for wearing hat. Apparantly I fell foul of the anti-hoodie policy. Meanwhile, burkas and headscarves seem very much to be encouraged.

  52. chris 130
    Headmaster

    The first ever shoppers in Tesco 24 hour in Aylesbury

    ...were a family in the 'jamas at 2 am at few years ago

    So - are we banning a long established tradition?

  53. Anonymous Coward
    Alert

    OK I own up

    It was late, I sleep in the buff - so I borrowed my girlfriends baby doll nightie and went out for supplies.

    What's all the fuss about?

  54. Alan B

    @ Dann - To illustrate the point...

    That cartoonist should learn how to spell, shouldn't he? Pajamas? When I was at school, it was always spelt "pyjamas". Send him bak too skool imeediuttly!

  55. BritishNaturism
    Happy

    Glad to see Tesco welcomes Naturists

    I'm really pleased to see that Tesco have such an enlightened attitude. Their notice says "no nightwear is permitted", which is good because I don't wear any. So clearly I am permitted to shop at Tesco naked - suits me :-)

    Seriously, we are far to hung up on such issues in this country, but even naturists often say "but I wouldn't go naked in Tesco's" and I'm not seriously suggesting that I will. However, what harm can the clothes that one person chooses to wear do to another person? We all need to lighten up a little and stop being so prudish. Many people dress is ways that we wouldn't want to ourselves, but that is no reason for us to impose our tastes on others. These objections are based on prejudice and prejudice often leads to harm, seldom does any good come of it.

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