My point was that there are two reasons why small grocers, butchers etc have gone - the supermarkets and the shoppers. Neither could do it on their own.
Some change is for the good, some not - sadly there is little consideration given to the effect of change on anything but the profit margins.
At least the supermarkets don't close Wednesday afternoons, nor when you just finish work.
Fair point. I used to live in a village where there was a local butcher. I was happy to give him my business, but unless you did not work, you were lucky to catch him open! Changes in lifestyle have also hit small shop-traders hard.
I would imagine having both partners working full time has had an effect as well. At one time, one might have stayed at home so that they would do the shopping and other such chores.
I would imagine having both partners working full time has had an effect as well. At one time, one might have stayed at home so that they would do the shopping and other such chores.
Indeed, I can remember being dragged around the new J Sainsbury supermarket by my Mum, but she still bought her bread at the local baker and the veg at the greengocer - she had the time. Then, she would sit at home poring over the non-itemised supermarket receipt trying to remember what each item had cost.
I'm not quite sure what you are saying here. Tesco and Sainsbury have already killed off all the local small shops so any competition by another cheap supermarket will just take customers from those two stores. That will be a drop in the ocean as far as they are concerned. We already have one stack em high, sell em cheap supermarket over by the pet shop so Aldi will fit nicely between that and Tesco/Sainsbury I would guess. We have Iceland where mum's go but I'm not sure where that fits in.
No not all, most yes, but not all, there are still one or two about. Every large store that opens will spread the butter a little more thinly for the others selling the same or similar products, and if that is an independent, then that could be the final straw! Supermarkets sell such a diverse range, that practically every small independent can be at risk, unless their line is very specialist.
You cannot just blame the consumer, especially when large chains can buy in such bulk, and sell probably cheaper than a small independent can purchase the items for. It is only human nature, especially in times of belt-tightening, to shop around for the best prices possible, sometimes just to make ends meet. This is what the supermarkets rely on, and what cripples the independent.
Let's just say that it's six of one and half a dozen of the other. When the supermarket first appeared, shoppers were attracted by the bright lights and the stacked shelves where you could help yourself and this gradually evolved, (a bit like the chicken) into the supermaket owners realising that they had attracted their shoppers and now, they could start selling other items that were what the local indies sold. Veg, meat, fish etc. So we can blame the shoppers for taking advantage of this simplistic shopping but the attraction was implemented by the supermaket owners. Slowly, slowly catchee monkey. Next, selling Televisions and knocking Barry Forkins and PA Baker's but, it's still ongoing. Banking, insurance and so on.......Watch this space.
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I can remember being dragged around the new J Sainsbury supermarket by my Mum, but she still bought her bread at the local baker and the veg at the greengocer - she had the time. Then, she would sit at home poring over the non-itemised supermarket receipt trying to remember what each item had cost.
