Every week, millions of Brits march into Tesco. Trolleys roll, the checkouts are beeping, and shoppers glide down aisles, stacking biscuits, bread and bleach like clockwork. But what if you’re not just shopping? What if you’re being influenced and changed?

A growing fringe of conspiracy theorists claims that major UK supermarkets, especially Tesco, are quietly broadcasting low-frequency electromagnetic (EM) waves to manipulate consumer behaviour. What do they say? These signals are doing more than nudging you towards the walkers’ multipacks crisps- which I don’t even think I would need a nudge towards, I just gravitate there regardless. But apparently, they may be suppressing critical thought, easing social anxiety, and keeping you tame in a branded dream-state.

Welcome to the world of Tesco Mind-Control Frequencies!!

Supermarket conspiracy forums (yes, they exist) have long reported eerie sensations in major chain stores: light headaches, spatial disorientation, or a strange sense of calm that washes over them as they walk in. It’s easy to dismiss as fatigue or overstimulation. I’m sure WE can ALL universally agree this is true when it comes to Primark- after 10 minutes I want to faint. But some say the cause is far more sinister, ultrasound subliminal messaging systems.

In 2013, an article emerged online named: “Silent Subliminal Presentation System.” What is this? sounds professional: A method for modulating ultrasonic frequencies with verbal messages, bypassing conscious awareness to directly affect mood or behaviour, sounds a bit like what’s they say is in a Black cab!! While it never mentions Tesco by name, theorists say it’s only a short leap to envision these systems being embedded into public address speakers or light fixtures in major retailers.

I spoke to a passionate spokesperson on a Facebook forum all about conspiracies within supermarkets. He did not give permission to be named but said: “It’s not just the layout or the music, it’s the feeling that hits you when you walk in. Like your brain fogs over. I’ve tested it: no EMF spikes at home, but inside Tesco, it jumps. Something’s being broadcast. Maybe it’s to keep people calm. Maybe it’s to make them compliant. Either way, it’s not normal and I feel weird when I’m in there.”

Many Tesco stores share a cold, grid-like layout: tight aisles, unnatural lighting, and ceiling panels laced with strange, angular shadows. Some researchers in “parapsychological architecture” argue that environmental geometry can influence the brain’s theta waves, those associated with hypnotic suggestibility.

A TikTok rabbit hole that I delved into, linked this theory to the use of repetitive patterns, off-kilter aisle spacing, and even the subtle use of pastel colours designed to ‘pacify’. Combine that with slow-tempo music and a waft of warm bread from the bakery, and you have what some claim is an engineered psycho-sensory tunnel designed to override resistance and encourage spending. It’s good to know my lack of self-control for a sweet treat every time I walk into Tesco, isn’t totally controlled be me!

For some, the idea of going off track and failing to stick to a shopping list raises conspiracies: Shauna, 35 on the conspiracy Facebook forum said: “I went in for toothpaste. I came out with a garden gnome, three boxes of cereal, and no memory of grabbing any of it… It’s like I wake up in the car park its peculiar.”

I suggested Shauna should now wear copper mesh earbuds when shopping, just in case.

Tesco, of course, denies the existence of any subliminal or ultrasonic systems in its stores. And to be fair, there’s no solid evidence proving that EM wave manipulation is in active use. Retail psychology, after all, is a well-documented science. Scent marketing, shelf placement, loyalty card algorithms, it’s all part of the modern consumer game. One that we are all playing, whether we realise or not…

But that’s where the mind-control theorists fire back.

The anonymous Facebook spokesperson said: “Of course they say it’s psychology. But if you’re using sound you can’t hear, messages you can’t detect, and layouts that induce trance states, what part of that isn’t mind control?”

Maybe it’s all tinfoil-fuelled fantasy, but what more can you expect from a brand like ours! Maybe it’s a subtle evolution in corporate power, less about product, more about programming. In an era where data is flourishing, is it really that wild to think your weekly shop might be engineered for obedience?

So next time you walk into Tesco and feel your shoulders relax, your pace slow, and your trolley steer itself toward a two-for-one deal you didn’t want…Ask yourself: who’s really choosing to pick up this multi-packet of digestives?

Here’s a tip from me to send you off before your next Tesco adventure: Bring a portable EMF detector to your next shop. Just don’t be surprised if security takes an interest.