1999.01.11 The Guardian
In a move worthy of a Benny Hill sketch and certain to inspire endless smutty sniggers, Tesco is considering the introduction of naked shopping.
Health and safety concerns permitting - fruit and veg may need to be pre-packed to avoid contact with naked flesh - the Hastings branch of the supermarket giant could soon allow a special nude shopping evening following demands from local naturists.
A Tesco spokesman said the request was made by the Hastings branch of the Central Council for British Naturism (CCBN) two weeks ago, and was being treated seriously.
If all went to plan, naturists would be able to roam the aisles au naturel on a designated evening following the store's normal 10pm closing time. Naturists would undress inside the store and redress before they left.
However, health and safety rules could be just one obstacle on the road to greater rights for aspiring nude shoppers. The Tesco spokesman said one major concern was the risk of bodily contact with fruit and vegetables on display, and that health and safety experts at the store's headquarters were recommending fresh produce be pre-packed.
'We are considering the request. We have not actually said we will do it but we are seriously looking into it.
'We are waiting for health and safety to give it the all clear. Obviously there are factors that need to be considered.'
If the plan gets the go-ahead, staff who volunteered to work the nude shift would be paid at time-and-a-half and allowed to remain clothed.
Store windows would be blacked out to prevent offence to passers-by. Store manager Mark Gabriel said he was open-minded about the request, which would probably be a one-off event.
'I think as a store we could operate it - but I don't know how much demand there would be for it,' he said.
A decision on whether to approve the evening is expected later this month, although Tesco is confident the craze is unlikely to spread to any of its other 600 stores.
Spokesman for the CCBN, Brian Williams, said Hastings had been approached because Britain's first designated naturist beach, Fairlight Cove, was only 15 minutes drive away.
'We decided at our last annual meeting in September to press for a new tolerance for naturists in the millennium and we are delighted by this enlightened response from Tesco,' Mr Williams said.
