Tesco accidentally orders 38,000 bananas instead of 2,500. Now, they're now giving them out for free
After Tesco’s staff realized that they had ordered a stock size double that of Orkney’s entire population, they decided to give them away for free
About 10 miles north of Caithness in the United Kingdom, residents of Orkney are going bananas, literally. Otherwise known for its dramatic landscapes, historic chapels, Viking artifacts, and ice-cream factories, the archipelago is currently in a festive mode, hosting this viral “banana bonanza,” thanks to an ordering blunder caused by Tesco.
The company mistakenly ordered more than 38,000 bananas from the island (when they only needed around 2,500), and once the fruits arrived, they realized they couldn’t be returned, according to a report by the BBC. Paula Clarke, Tesco's community champion, shared a Facebook post on March 28, sharing that the outlet is giving away bananas for free.
The bonanza is reminiscent of an episode from the vintage cartoon Oswald the Octopus, where the protagonist, Oswald, plants a banana seed, which grows into a giant banana by the next morning. Since he cannot finish it all by himself, he announces a “Big Banana Day” in town and gives away free banana discs to everyone. After Tesco’s staff realized that they had accidentally ordered a stock size double that of Orkney’s entire population, they decided to give them away for free, up to two per resident, per The Telegraph.
The decision to host this bonanza was made after the bananas arrived this weekend, 380 wholesale boxes, each crammed with 100 bananas. Turbulent weather conditions and high winds made returning the fruits to the island impossible. Ferries were disrupted, and giving away seemed to be the only feasible option if they didn’t want the fruits to sit around in the storehouse and rot away.
For locals, the slip-up has prompted a whimsical celebration. Schools, football clubs, local organizations, and householders are flocking to the supermarket to collect free boxes. Subsequently, the islanders started a discussion on how they would use these free bananas. In comments to Clarke’s post, people speculated about baking it into banana bread or muffins. Others suggested peeling, chopping, and freezing the fruit. One graphic designer tweaked the photo of a Tesco outlet, surrounding the logo with zillions of bananas, in a sea of yellow. However, one keyword stood out: children.
Several educators and advocates asked Clarke to donate free boxes to the children's shelter, preschools, and other areas serving low-income kids. Ross Flett wrote, "One box for the Marengo Centre would be welcome," to which Clarke responded in the affirmative, and they set a time for pickup 1 hour after the comment was posted. Lynne Peace asked, "Could I get a box for our toddler group please Paula?" while X asked, "Any chance of some boxes getting put to the north isles? Schools and community groups be very grateful." To both of these, Clarke responded with a resounding, 'Yes!'
This is not the first time a company has encountered a stock blunder like this. Two years ago, an independent store in Sanday erroneously ordered 720 Easter Eggs — nine times what the owner needed. Dan Dafydd, the store’s owner, described his initial reaction as “embarrassment and shame” when he realized how many eggs had arrived, per The Guardian. Inspired by Willy Wonka, they decided upon an “eggstremely unusual plan” and raffled out squares containing 100 chocolate eggs each to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
Elsewhere, search engine Ecosia and the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper organized the “great potato rescue,” giving away nearly 4,000 tonnes of potatoes for free. A farm in Saxony, Germany, was left with an unusually high stock of potatoes, and selling them was no longer profitable, per DW. In February, Lay’s gave away around 100,000 bags of chips in less than 20 minutes, according to an Adweek report.
More on Scoop Upworthy
18-year-old distributes 6000 book bags as a part of his back-to-school giveaway
Husband bought bananas and tuna for no reason—then his wife found a secret note that left her crying
Share on Facebook
