M & S

[Louisa]

I genuinely feel sorry for the good people of Chesterfield. Ultimately, it isn't going to be the rest of us who will feel the knock on effects of a high end supermarket locally. As you quite rightly raise the point about people from equally or affluent neighborhoods making a point of using this place to get the weekly shop, there is also the wider problem that this isn't on or near a train station, so the whole commuter use argument is a dead duck. Sure, estate agents and other locals will buy their lunch at this store and that's obviously handy for those people, but the majority of people who will use it for the weekly or one off shop will be coming from elsewhere.

Can anyone tell me where the nearest M&S foodhall or Waitrose is in this part of SE London? You can't because there isn't one! This will become the 'go-to' luxury food shop destination for all those people in the village, west dulwich, Peckham, Forest Hill, Brockley, Telegraph Hill. And the list goes on. Telling me they'll all be jumping on a bus or getting a non-existent train? You're deluded! They'll be driving and adding further pressure to parking.

Louisa.

[Lowlander]

Louisa, there's an M&S in Brixton and on the Walworth Road. Do people drive to them? From memory there's very limited parking at either of those.

I'm a natural cynic, but who in their right mind would drive to an M&S food only store?

[*Bob*]

Louisa Wrote:

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> Can anyone tell me where the nearest M&S foodhall

> or Waitrose is in this part of SE London? You

> can't because there isn't one!

I believe Ocado have this demographic covered - anywhere and everywhere.

No-one goes to M&S food to do their 'weekly shop'. Jeez, Louise.

[Abe_froeman]

The nearest Waitrose is just a few miles away in Beckenham and it has an enormous car park.

[*Bob*]

I'm gonna be first in line to get a bag of cheese tasters, maybe two.

I'm literally quivering with anticipation.

Beyond that, long-term plan: well, if there's a picnic somewhere or we're going camping and can't be arsed doing anything more stressful than drinking heavily and tearing the cellophane lid of something pre-prepared and edible - count me in.

[Louisa]

Lowlander the Brixton store is right opposite the Victoria Line, of course it's ideally placed for commuters. The Walworth Road one is a bit of an anomaly. It's glory days have long gone and it's probably barely breaking even. Don't think that can be compared.

Beckenham does indeed have a large store with car park Abe_froeman but surely we can't compare Beckenham wth inner London? It's pretty much a suburban town of its own.

*Bob* that's not the point. The point is, Dulwich Village with a wealthy demographic will use this new store as a handy nearby option for high end bits and *Bob*'s, and invariably they will drive to LL because it's far enough away not to be arsed to walk! Simple as that. Ocado deliver but that's not gonna stop whoever jumping in the 4X4 to grab a few bottles of Prosecco of an evening, adding fuel to the Chesterfield (and surrounding) parking woes!

Unless you live in the immediate roads surrounding this store, I don't think you have have a direct stakehold in this issue, and that's fine. But think of the poor sods who can't park outside their own house.

Louisa.

[*Bob*]

Louisa Wrote:

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> Unless you live in the immediate roads surrounding

> this store, I don't think you have have a direct

> stakehold in this issue, and that's fine. But

> think of the poor sods who can't park outside

> their own house.

That's the deal when you live next to a high street.

On the upside, you live next to a busy high street.

On the downside, you live next to a busy high street.

The busier the high street gets, the more you get/lose depending on what you want from it, that's all there is to it.

[Louisa]

But *Bob*, many people bought in the area before it became a busy high street with cars. Iceland was not a go-to destination for people with cars, and even if it were, the store offered limited parking out the back which was enough to support the customers who wanted to drive. The new M&S isn't just a high end option on the doorstep of wealthy neighborhoods without that option, it's also a high end store with zero parking facilities out the back. It really is delusional to suggest that there will not be an increase in parking strains on the immediate roads surrounding the new store.

Louisa.

[*Bob*]

Some people moved here when there were no cars - and a tram. And 'penny chews' were in fashion. But things change.

If parking is a nightmare, no-one will drive to M&S (a 'convenience' store) because it won't be 'convenient'. You only have to make one trip for a bottle of prosecco in your Range Rover (?m&slazystereotypes) and spend fifteen minutes driving around the block trying to find somewhere to park - to be put-off doing it on a regular basis.

Things will find their natural level, which might be busier. But then we looked at some houses around there ten years ago and the streets were jammed-up enough even back then to be happier a bit further out.

[*Bob*]

That said, if had I known I could have been within an arms reach of a packet of cheese tasters within a mere decade, it still might have been worth it.

[Louisa]

What amazes me, is M&S have setup a supermarket in a residential area not near a train station, and not considered or made provision for parking. It just seems bizarre.

Louisa.

[*Bob*]

Either

They've made a terrible mistake

Or

They've looked at the demographic, done their sums, and worked out it'll do fine without both of those things.

Bearing in mind the investment cost, I think we'll have to assume the latter.

[Louisa]

*Bob* I think you give r&r and property development teams et al way too much trust. These people famously setup supermarkets in bizarre places without knowing a single thing about the demographic and end up closing the store within a year. So to underestimate parking strains wouldn't be beyond my wildest thoughts regarding this particular store.

Time will tell.

Louisa.

[*Bob*]

I'll bet you a packet of cheese tasters it'll do ok!

[DulwichFox]

Louisa Wrote:

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> What amazes me, is M&S have setup a supermarket in

> a residential area not near a train station, and

> not considered or made provision for parking. It

> just seems bizarre.

>

> Louisa.

Well people got what they wished for... (Some people)

We are all stuck with it..

I do not think it is exactly one of M&S's prime locations.

Foxy

[nxjen]

No amount of self righteous wishful thinking negativity is going to make it fail. I wonder how long it will be before "some people" succumb and do some shopping there?

[dulwichbloke]

*Bob* Wrote:

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> I'll bet you a packet of cheese tasters it'll do

> ok!

Same here! I'd like some of that action. The new M&S will (obviously) be mobbed, so I'm looing forward to a free pack of delicious orange cheesy goodness, compliments of Louisa.

RIP old dump of an Iceland. Sorry the 21st century version of ED finally caught up with you, but there you go. Time to move on.

[Jeremy]

dulwichbloke Wrote:

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> M&S will (obviously) be mobbed

This. Anyone that says otherwise is kidding themselves.

The food isn't amazing but it IS slightly better than Sainsburys, and it's perfect for people picking up an easy meal on the way home from work, or working parents with little time for cooking... or people who just don't like shopping/cooking/washing up.

[Louisa]

I agree with the above comments. Yes, of course it will be busy! Extremely busy, packed full of people from outside the vicinity who will park their vehicles on residential streets and cause chaos for local people.

I hope you can all live with yourselves knowing that people in the immediate roads will be left with a constant headache when it comes to parking, unsociable business and delivery hours, and the fact lots of elderly people who were reliant on Iceland now having to struggle to Peckham or further to get their weekly shop.

Selfish beyond belief.

Louisa.

[Abe_froeman]

Well, we will see what happens in just a few weeks' time when M and S finally opens.

[*Bob*]

Louisa Wrote:

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lots of elderly people who were reliant on

> Iceland now having to struggle to Peckham or

> further to get their weekly shop.

Surely some of them could release half a million pounds or so of equity from the house they bought back in the day for ?10 - and get their shopping delivered by Ocado?

[ed_pete]

Sounds like a an opportunity for Deliveroo - why waste 20 minutes searching for a non-existent parking slot when you can have it delivered ?

[Jeremy]

Louisa Wrote:

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> I hope you can all live with yourselves knowing

> that people in the immediate roads will be left

> with a constant headache when it comes to parking,

> unsociable business and delivery hours, and the

> fact lots of elderly people who were reliant on

> Iceland now having to struggle to Peckham or

> further to get their weekly shop.

I don't think anybody on the EDF is directly to blame for M&S replacing your beloved Iceland...

[*Bob*]

Louisa doesn't shop at Iceland. She's too busy shopping in Space NK and going skiing.

[Louisa]

Jeremy lots of people have been talking up the arrival of a high end supermarket since day one on this forum. It's not beyond the realms of possibility to assume the store development team at marks had a rip off about the comments and thread on this forum and consequently sought out a space large enough to accommodate one of their stores.

So in answer to your comment, to a degree at least, some people on this forum should take some responsibility for the arrival of M&S and the death of Iceland.

*Bob* if we had a space NK I'd shop at it, but no we get a M&S instead. A pointless shop selling pre-packaged overpriced food whilst people like me are left without a decent beauty shop AND have our lifeline in Iceland removed at the same time.

I'm running out of reasons to visit LL. A real shame.

Louisa.