In this month’s social media round-up, we’re slicing through the buzz of social media to see what’s happening in the world of grocery.

This month we see a viral Tesco delivery driver sparks swooning in the comments and a pigeon in pastry heaven. Waitrose catches Swiftie fever, there are calls for an RSPCA Assured investigation, and backlash over Choco Leibniz shrinkflation

Crush on your delivery driver?

@elishakidd19 I must add how lovely this man was who delivered our tesco shop. Annie wanted to go with him #fyp #shopping #tescos #tescosdeliverydriver ♬ original sound - Elisha Mcdowell🖤

TikTok user @elishakidd19 shared footage from her video doorbell of her most recent delivery from Tesco. The delivery driver picked up the food tray to take back to his van, but the shopper’s daughter, Annie, had climbed into it. The video poster Elisha Mcdowell says: “Alright, bye Annie,” as he pretends to walk away.

”I must add how lovely this man was who delivered our Tesco shop. Annie wanted to go with him,” said Mcdowell. The video has received 81k likes and almost 500k views, with users commenting on how they’d like to go home with the delivery man too. “Do you think I’d fit in the basket?”, ”Do they have bigger baskets? I’d also like to go home with the Tesco man” and “he’s going to need a bigger van with all the women wanting to get in his basket,” wrote commenters.

The delivery driver himself, Dale Morrow, also commented: “Was lovely meeting you Annie.” The sweet interaction even won over a new customer, saying “Fine, you’ve convinced me, I’m ordering from Tesco from now on.”

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Grocer 33

Influencer and food policy specialist Gavin Wren broke down The Grocer’s recent Grocer 33 from earlier this month. “The winner on loyalty card prices was actually £6.79 cheaper than last month and £2.71 than last year, which suggests that food prices are stabilising much quicker than official inflation figures would suggest,” he said.

“A potential difference of 22 quid is wild,” one commenter wrote. Sharing their opinion on the winner, Instagram user @puckukun wrote: “Me and my dad 100% have noticed Tesco has gotten somewhat reasonable compared to everywhere. Yes Lidl and Aldi are still in a league of their own, but it’s very hit or miss with their quality, only tend to go if we need something quick middle of the week.” But opinions are mixed on the supermarket giant, with @phillip_craig commenting: ”Shame the meat at Tesco is utterly atrocious which puts me off ever shopping there.”

This month, The Grocer made the switch to include loyalty-based pricing when calculating the Grocer 33 winner each week. However, public opinion still believes supermarkets began artificially inflating product prices to make loyalty pricing more attractive. TikTok user @tedjones8642 wrote: “Don’t be fooled by the loyalty card discounts. Yes you get a discount, but on products that are already at inflated prices and they are making millions from your shopping habits and privacy.” While user @direzombie said: “I still don’t think it can be legal to artificially inflate the prices to force people to use their loyalty/Clubcards. If it’s free, you’re the product.”

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Pigeon pastries

@mountbellyache

pigeon shopping in camden

♬ BIRDS OF A FEATHER - Billie Eilish

A Sainsbury’s shopper in Camden, London spotted a pigeon sampling the “freshly made every day” pastries on offer at their local store.

Commenters on the 83k-view TikTok video seem to be team pigeon, including: “Just politely sampling the baked goods”, “Omg bro is in absolute heaven” and “I know he deserves this”. While some were concerned about the health hazard this posed: “Camden Sainsbury’s always has pigeons” and even user @liltriqq writing: “My manager would keep them on the shelf if he saw that.”

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Taylor Swift x Waitrose

Waitrose’s marketing team is going all in while the Taylor Swift Eras Tour is in the UK. In a recent Instagram post, the supermarket shared slides of food puns related to Taylor Swift lyrics, including: “It’s brie. Hi, I’m the problem it’s brie”, “That you were Romeo, you were throwin’ peppers” and “Welcome to New York (Vanilla Cheesecake)”.

Swifties in the comments shared their love for the post: “Whoever did this deserves a raise,” wrote @bychristineross. “Congratulations to the Swiftie who did a stellar job with this post,” said @scampbellhunt25. And @blackberry_stone even suggested some more: “Bad Blood sausage maybe? Cruel Summer pudding.”

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RSPCA Assured?

@animal_rising Yesterday Animal Rising representatives delivered all of the evidence we have gathered in the last few months of investigating RSPCA Assured farms to: 👉the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 👉the British Veterinary Association 👉Scotland Yard 👉and the RSPCA. ‼️We are calling on all these organisations to open official investigations on the RSPCA Assured scheme and look into the 280 law breaches we have recorded on RSPCA farms‼️ 👉Sign the petition calling for the RSPCA to drop the Assured Scheme @ animalrising.org LINK IN BIO 🔥 #rspca #animalrising #animalcruelty #animalwelfare ♬ original sound - Animal Rising

Animal rights group Animal Rising has called for a comprehensive investigation into the RSPCA Assured scheme, following the delivery of extensive evidence to several key bodies including Defra, the British Veterinary Association, Scotland Yard, and the RSPCA itself.

Animal Rising’s findings highlight 280 alleged breaches of law on RSPCA Assured farms, raising questions about the scheme’s effectiveness in ensuring high animal welfare standards. The group is pressing for immediate action from these organisations to investigate the claims and address any failings within the certification process.

In addition to the evidence submission, Animal Rising has launched a petition urging the RSPCA to abandon the Assured scheme. The petition is part of a broader campaign to drive significant improvements in animal welfare standards and ensure greater accountability within the farming industry.

“I found [the footage] extraordinarily difficult to watch. I felt sick, frankly,” said RSPCA president and TV naturalist Chris Packham. “Animal suffering is animal suffering no matter where it is, but when it’s happening in your own backyard – when we should be in a position to guard against it – it hurts more.”

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Shrinkflation

@lifeofdpk_ How can you do this 😩 Breaking my heart! Is this what you do to addicts 😩Bring the 9th Lezza Back 😪 #lifeofDPK #Bahlsen #LezbianBiscuits #CostOfLivvy ♬ original sound - 𝐃𝐞𝐞

German biscuit maker Bahlsen has shrinkflated packs of its Choco Leibniz biscuits, removing a biscuit from each pack – but shelf prices have remained the same in the mults.

“Bahlsen, step forward. We’ve got a bone to pick with you,” said TikTok user @lifeofdpk_, half-jokingly, as he shared his pain of the missing biscuit. “Why are you ruining people’s lives?” He also calls them ‘lesbian biscuits’ due to the difficulty of English people pronouncing Leibniz, and he’s not the only one. “I’m so happy that other people call them lesbian biscuits too, people think I’m weird when I say that,” said user @kell2889. While @greasygrice shared a Pride month theory: “The 9th lesbian biscuit is at a Pride party for all of June!!! Check back in a month.”

The video gained 1.2 million views, with people sharing their anguish at the shrinkflation. The Grocer approached Bahlsen for comment: “Prices for essential raw materials, such as cocoa, have risen significantly and recently reached unprecedented highs in Europe. Labour and energy costs have also been rising continuously over recent years,” said a spokeswoman.

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Charles is The Grocer’s digital and social assistant, specialising in trend pieces, profiles and range previews - curating content and shaping The Grocer’s online presence. Charles conducts interviews with industry professionals, providing a glimpse into the personal and professional lives of leaders in food and drink through My Alternative CV profiles, and offering insight into what a career in fmcg could look like for other young people through My Food and Drink Job. They preview upcoming product ranges, especially during seasonal events, highlighting new product launches, trends, and innovations before they hit supermarket shelves. Charles also contributes to analysis pieces covering trends, industry developments and attitudes on social media.View full Profile

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