Tesco has launched a “Back From Holiday Shop” at London Southend Airport, handing returning travellers complimentary bags of groceries and household essentials as they collect their luggage.
The supermarket has partnered with Clubcard Reward partner easyJet holidays and London Southend Airport on the one-day pop-up, which will appear in the airport’s baggage reclaim hall on 29 July.
Passengers arriving on selected flights between midday and 5pm will be able to collect bags containing products designed to replenish empty fridges and provide some of the home comforts shoppers say they miss most while travelling abroad.
The initiative forms part of Tesco’s wider “Need Anything From Tesco?” campaign, which focuses on the different ways the supermarket aims to support customers in their everyday lives.
It follows research commissioned for the campaign that found a quarter of UK consumers regard returning to an empty fridge as one of the most frustrating parts of coming home from holiday.
Tea, milk and custard creams among most-missed items
Tesco said its airport bundles had been shaped by research into the food, drinks and essentials holidaymakers most want waiting for them when they return home.
More than half of respondents, at 57 per cent, said they craved a cup of tea after getting back from a trip, while 56 per cent wanted fresh milk in the fridge.
More than a quarter, at 28 per cent, said they would reach for a custard cream after returning to the UK.
The bags therefore include Tesco Finest English Breakfast Tea Bags, two pints of British semi-skimmed milk and a 400g packet of Tesco Custard Cream Biscuits.
Other products include a Tesco Finest Wholemeal Seeds & Grains Loaf, baked beans, mature English cheddar, carrots, cucumber and strawberries.
Tesco has also included its Yorkshire Pudding Batter Mix, aloe vera body lotion and non-bio concentrated laundry detergent.
Roast dinner tops holidaymakers’ wish lists
The supermarket’s research found that shoppers were also keen to return to familiar British meals after spending time abroad.
Almost a quarter of respondents, at 24 per cent, selected beans on toast as a preferred post-holiday staple, while 14 per cent said they looked forward to eating porridge.
However, the traditional Sunday roast emerged as the meal travellers missed most, with 31 per cent saying it was the dish they most looked forward to after an overseas holiday.
That figure increased to 42 per cent among respondents in the North East.
Almost two-thirds of shoppers, at 63 per cent, said it was difficult to recreate a proper roast dinner overseas and that eating one helped them feel as though they were truly back home.
Shoppers seek healthier food after travelling
Despite the appeal of familiar comfort food, Tesco’s research suggested many travellers also want to return to healthier eating habits after a holiday.
Seven in 10 respondents said they tried to restore more balance to their diet once they arrived home.
Fresh produce featured heavily among the products holidaymakers wanted, with 51 per cent selecting British strawberries, 34 per cent choosing cucumber and 19 per cent opting for carrot sticks.
Tesco has included all three products in the complimentary grocery bags being distributed at Southend Airport.
The supermarket said the selection was intended to provide a combination of quick meals, fresh food, household necessities and familiar British treats.
Holidaymakers look to prolong their tan
Tesco has also included a bottle of its Extracts Aloe Vera Body Lotion in each bag after its research indicated that many travellers wanted to maintain their holiday glow or soothe their skin after returning home.
Some 65 per cent of respondents said they were keen to keep their tan after landing, while 36 per cent said they bought after-sun or a similar skincare product after a trip.
Demand was particularly high among travellers aged between 18 and 25, with 56 per cent in that age group purchasing products to extend their tan or calm sun-exposed skin.
Tesco and easyJet holidays launch customer giveaway
Tesco and easyJet holidays are extending the campaign beyond passengers arriving at London Southend Airport through a social media competition.
The businesses will give away ten £250 vouchers to customers through Instagram.
One winner will also receive an easyJet holiday worth £1,500.
The promotion builds on Tesco’s existing partnership with easyJet holidays, which allows Clubcard members to convert their points into credit that can be used towards package holidays.
EasyJet holidays offers beach and city breaks across more than 100 destinations in Europe and North Africa.
New routes from London Southend Airport include Lyon, which is due to begin operating in December 2026, and Sharm El Sheikh, launching in January 2027.
Five flights included in airport activation
The Back From Holiday Shop will be available to passengers arriving on five easyJet flights at London Southend Airport on 29 July.
The participating services are flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle, Alicante, Malta, Faro and Gran Canaria.
Travellers will be offered the bags in the baggage reclaim area after landing, with the activation scheduled to run until 5pm.
The full bundle contains:
Tesco Finest English Breakfast Tea Bags, British semi-skimmed milk, a Finest Wholemeal Seeds & Grains Loaf, baked beans, Yorkshire Pudding Batter Mix, Finest Mature English Cheddar, Extracts Aloe Vera Body Lotion, custard cream biscuits, carrots, cucumber, Finest strawberries and concentrated non-bio laundry detergent.
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