Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Tesco is supporting the Pride Festival in London, with stores across the capital joining in the annual celebration.
The Pride Festival runs from Saturday June 24 to Sunday July 9, with the Pride Parade and main events taking place this Saturday (July 8).
The Parade is the biggest LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) parade in the UK, as many thousands of people march down the route.
This year’s Parade is set to be the biggest yet, with more than 300 groups marching and more floats taking to London’s streets than ever before.
The procession starts at Portland Place and runs from the BBC’s Broadcasting House to Oxford Circus, down Regent Street, through Piccadilly Circus, Lower Regent Street, left into Pall Mall, Pall Mall East, Cockspur Street, past Trafalgar Square, and into Whitehall, where the Parade disperses.
Tesco’s Regent Street Metro branch kicked off celebrations this week with exclusive pre-Pride events, including performances from the London Gay Men’s Chorus, a pop-up bar serving rainbow inspired cocktails and a ‘Ride for Pride’ bicycle-powered smoothie maker.
Thirteen Tesco stores along the parade route will add a splash of colour to the Tesco chevrons in the rainbow shades of Pride to show their support.
Tesco’s Regent Street Metro branch will also have Pride themed window vinyls, rainbow coloured flooring and shelving, and display the Pride colours at the checkouts.
A specially adapted 40-foot Tesco delivery truck will take part in the Parade. Decked out with a Pride-o-Meter, dance floor and coloured smoke canons, the truck will play music selected by DJs from Gaydio, the world’s biggest LGBT radio station.
In addition, Tesco stores across London will be fund-raising for the LGBT charity Diversity Role Models, which works to prevent homophobic and transphobic bullying in UK schools.
Stores along the Parade route will also sell exclusive Tesco own-brand F+F Pride t-shirts, with proceeds being donated to the charity.
John Dickinson, Out at Tesco Chair, said: “Pride in London is such a fun and vibrant event, and that’s why we’re proud to be an official sponsor again this year.
“Over 300 of our colleagues are expected to take part in the parade and thirteen stores along the route will enter into the Pride spirit with special Pride-themed signs, bunting and carrier bags.”
A team of 650 volunteers will help make the event run smoothly and Tesco will provide each volunteer with lunch to keep them going on the day. The retailer will also hand out bottles of water, sweets and flags to attendees.
Tesco’s Regent Street Metro store kicked off celebrations this week with performances from the London Gay Men’s Chorus
