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The shock troops have been released...

 
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Behemoth



Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds
PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 05 9:04 am    Post subject: The shock troops have been released... Reply with quote
    

https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/4356946.stm

Members of the Cornish branch of the Women's Institute have launched a boycott of out-of-town superstores.
The 4,500-strong branch says the superstores are destroying trade at village shops - the "lifeblood" of local communities.

Stacey



Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow
PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 05 9:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Good on em!

I saw this on local news last night and I'm tempted to join now

ele



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 814
Location: Derby
PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 05 9:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

That's really made me smile

2steps



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 5349
Location: Surrey
PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 05 9:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

good for them

Mrs Fiddlesticks



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 05 1:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

but.... they say they want to get folk to use small towns with free parking.

But..

today I went to Witney - small town local shops, free parking and today, Farmers Market - Yippee ticks all the right boxes!

Trouble is its so popular that I drove round the two large free car parks for half an hour looking for a space, absolutely none! I nearly came home when I remembered to try the Sainsburys on the edge of town ( there's an irony in that isn't there?) and there I found a space and could walk in to town. Most councils don't especially want parking in the towns as they want a car free peaceful environment, perfectly admirable, but living in a village with limited buses (and none that actually go Witney direction) I have no choice but to take the car. So I did as the WI said but.. its not a perfect either.

i have no idea what the solution is...

bernie-woman



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7824
Location: shropshire
PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 05 1:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

What a great story - I wonder if the cost of their food will increase by much

Cost is one of the issues I cannot really argue when trying to get people to shop locally. Excluding having to pay extra for free range/organic/good quality etc.. and I understand that it is a catch 22 situation for local grocery shops but I went into the village last week to buy a large tin of heinz tomato soup (OH had a cold!!) the difference in price to the supermarket was 47p extra

Surely this means that where you shop to many is not a choice

I don't have any answers - just an observation

bagpuss



Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge
PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 05 2:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I think one of the major issues with using local shops that most people have is opening hours

most people don't want to have to do their weekly shop either on a saturday or on a lunch hour but to use a local market or local shops that is what you have to do

I still do a weekly shop in tescos for this very reason I don't have opporunity to got out during a weekday to get to the local shops and mostly weekends I don't want to have to do the food shop as I am doing other things

supermarkets are the only places which are then open when I can regularly do my shop

how to overcome this problem without a major shift in lifestyle I don't know

Jonnyboy



Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.
PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 05 2:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

bagpuss wrote:
I think one of the major issues with using local shops that most people have is opening hours

most people don't want to have to do their weekly shop either on a saturday or on a lunch hour but to use a local market or local shops that is what you have to do

I still do a weekly shop in tescos for this very reason I don't have opporunity to got out during a weekday to get to the local shops and mostly weekends I don't want to have to do the food shop as I am doing other things

supermarkets are the only places which are then open when I can regularly do my shop

how to overcome this problem without a major shift in lifestyle I don't know


The major reason for that is that supermarkets open late not to make money but to prevent the local shops from establishing a competitive niche. In fact it's pretty well accepted that supermarkets lose money during unsociable hours.

Northern_Lad



Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere
PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 05 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

bernie wrote:
What a great story - I wonder if the cost of their food will increase by much


I did a piece of business studies coursework about 15 years ago on the differences between lcoal shops, supermarkets and proper markets.

Markets came out the cheepest
Supermarkets most convenient for a single shop
Local shop (village) most extortionate and inconvenient opening hours.

Stacey



Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow
PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 05 2:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I think their point is that you can do the shopping in the smaller shops in the town. As the supermarkets are usually on the outskirts of a town we may as well drive the extra mile or so and shop at the local independent greengrocer, butcher etc. I don't think anyone could reasonably be expected to do a weekly shop ina village store.
Parking in Cornwall is also quite expensive (except in the really run down towns).

bernie-woman



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7824
Location: shropshire
PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 05 2:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

stacey_guthrie wrote:
I think their point is that you can do the shopping in the smaller shops in the town. As the supermarkets are usually on the outskirts of a town we may as well drive the extra mile or so and shop at the local independent greengrocer, butcher etc. I don't think anyone could reasonably be expected to do a weekly shop ina village store.
Parking in Cornwall is also quite expensive (except in the really run down towns).


My next door neighbour is in her 80s and most weeks she has to do her weekly shop in the village - she has no choice but to pay the high prices. I take her to the supermarket when I am going if she wants to - but there is no bus or train that goes to the supermarkets either.

As I say, I understand that the supermarkets actual existence means that prices are often high in local shops but for the majority of us we have the choice - there are plenty of people who do not have a choice and either have to pay high prices in local shops or cannot afford to shop locally

bagpuss



Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge
PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 05 3:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Jonnyboy wrote:

The major reason for that is that supermarkets open late not to make money but to prevent the local shops from establishing a competitive niche. In fact it's pretty well accepted that supermarkets lose money during unsociable hours.


I am not speaking about unsocial hours here though I am talking about evenings ie 5pm-9pm, after most local shops are closed!

I can't believe supermarkets loose money between 5 and 7pm, overnights probably but not early evenings!

tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45389
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 05 3:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

It's most definitely a conundrum, local shops need to work on profitability, and if I were one I'd definitely try and open between 08:00 and 19:00 weekdays

Jonnyboy



Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.
PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 05 3:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

bagpuss wrote:


I am not speaking about unsocial hours here though I am talking about evenings ie 5pm-9pm, after most local shops are closed!

I can't believe supermarkets loose money between 5 and 7pm, overnights probably but not early evenings!


I don't doubt it, but at least you mighthave a choice outside of working hours if you want to put your shopping off until later on, as I said the supermarkets are prepared to lose money just to stop someone else getting a look in.

What I will say is that we normally do our weekly shop on a saturday morning - butchers, greengrocers, bakery and convenience store. It's a rather pleasent experiance as opposed to the hell that is the supermarket aisle.

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