When I hear people moaning about the likes of Tesco and Sainsburys taking over their local shop all I can think is if only that happened in my village. Our local shop does still have a post office so you can say it’s providing an important service that perhaps a multiple wouldn’t include but it also provides a terrible selection of cheap brands at huge prices with basics like bread often unavailable after 3pm. This coupled with the surly shopkeeper and the need for constant vigilance that the sell by date hasn’t passed some weeks ago doesn’t make a visit a pleasant experience. So the only alternative for that vital missing recipe ingredient or similar some bread for tomorrows sandwiches is a trip 3 miles to the local superstore. I’m not going to save the planet or cut my fuel bill like that. So all I can say is if you don’t want a Sainsburys Local in your village send them to me

Posted By Anna | 06 June 2008 14:12 PM

The major national grocery retailers believe in local shopping. They continue to open more small stores to compete with the symbol groups, with even Waitrose making plans for market town and convenience stores.

For years, the number of UK local shops has been declining. The closure of post offices, with many of their services transferred to the internet, continues to threaten the viability of village shops. However, the need for local shopping provision has never gone away and is now increasing. The drivers of local shopping provision include:

- a society, both frenetic and ageing, is increasingly reluctant to travel for reasons that are a mix of cost, fear of assault and time poverty 

- a world of high oil prices and global warming. To be stuck behind an internet grocery delivery van in a residential street leads easily to reflection on the consequential damage to the ozone level

Unless we do want to buy a mobile phone for a fiver etc, a local shop will meet our needs, with convenience, ambience and stock. As shoppers, we should surely welcome the beneficial effects of the national multiples on local shopping.

Posted By Nick | 03 June 2008 16:29 PM