Co-op LL upping it's game

[Louisa]

A quick browse of Southwark Planning shows that the co-op is now going to be upping it's game in response to the M&S opening further down the road. A complete re-brand shop fascia along with perhaps some internal layout changes? Looks like they won't be going anywhere just yet - game on it seems.

http://planbuild.southwark.gov.uk/documents/?GetDocument=%7b%7b%7b!8Ag4MowQiQO1DHxLsuNrew%3d%3d!%7d%7d%7d

Louisa.

[Mick Mac]

They might not be going anywhere, but I suspect a lot of their customers will be.

It's better to be proactive than reactive, too late co-op maybe.

[Elphinstone's Army]

The Cooperative is doomed and rightly so. New signage will not save its sorry ass.

[edhistory]

The Co-Op has a 17.5% discount on its business rates.

Let's see what discount M&S negotiates.

[Seabag]

We lost our Co-Op in Sydenham, replaced by Budgens (who came up with that as a brand name?)

Careful what you wish for people

[JohnL]

I saw this episode of South Park - it doesn't end well.

[titch juicy]

Budgens has been around for about 30 years I think

[Elphinstone's Army]

Seabag - have you been able to ascertain any difference in these two mediocre stores?

Budgens will not be there forever, as the

complexion of Sydenham High Street changes, and is, with already an excellent vegan restaurant, Italian, Blue Mountain, wonderful book shop with beautiful cards, at least one 'We sell everything' chandlers, and large Sainsbury's at the other end. And a Railway Station.

The High Street is changing, and retail dinosaurs have no place in a faster paced, demanding, gentrified HS which needs to keep pace with customer expectation and aspiration, especially in these times of closing down town centres, pay to park, traffic wardens, nowhere to park, online shopping and delivery points. It is the evolution of shopping and now unstoppable.

As the demographic shifts and alters and thirty somethings with babies and young families move into the area, this is a fact of life and I would suggest, that for those mourning a past, passed or passing way of life, that this one could be better, and embrace it, as resistance is futile.

[Seabag]

You missed Chef's Delight there in the mix EA

And Subway

I love Sydenham, and no there's not much difference between Budgens/Co-Op. But really I hardly shop at either as Hello Fresh turns up on Sunday nite, 3 meals all there and ready to cook. It's eliminated the 'choice' out of the busy week. Who'd have thought that Sweede chunky chips baked in the oven were so delicious??

[dbboy]

Why is their such opposition to the Coop on LL?

[BrandNewGuy]

High prices, poor stock control, rude staff, huge queues, rotten fruit and veg...

[DulwichFox]

Seabag Wrote:

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> We lost our Co-Op in Sydenham, replaced by Budgens

> (who came up with that as a brand name?)

>

> Careful what you wish for people

The first Budgens store was opened in 1872, by John Budgen.

Bit of a clue there.. I'll let you work out the rest.. ;-)

Foxy

[Elphinstone's Army]

Seabag Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> You missed Chef's Delight there in the mix EA

>

> And Subway

>

> I love Sydenham, and no there's not much

> difference between Budgens/Co-Op. But really I

> hardly shop at either as Hello Fresh turns up on

> Sunday nite, 3 meals all there and ready to cook.

> It's eliminated the 'choice' out of the busy week.

> Who'd have thought that Sweede chunky chips baked

> in the oven were so delicious??

Chef's Delight??

that sounds like your kitchen after a delivery of swede chunky chips,

(in the war apparently swede was bashed up and things done to it to turn it into 'ice cream')

In the good old days.

[dbboy]

I'm happy to support Co-op especially for the in store baked bread

[cella]

I loathe that CoOp store for all the reasons already listed by others. It's a shame they have ownership of that flagship store, located in the best part of our high street - everything that modern business is they aren't. If there is to be a new frontage as per the link shown then I think the M&S effect will have served a purpose if it makes others up their game.

[siousxiesue]

I'm tired of complaining about and to Co-Op, they are not interested in negative feedback or customer satisfaction. Disgraceful store

[Grok]

BrandNewGuy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> High prices, poor stock control, rude staff, huge

> queues, rotten fruit and veg...

Agreed.

[Elphinstone's Army]

BrandNewGuy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> High prices, poor stock control, rude staff, huge

> queues, rotten fruit and veg...

well said, succinct and brutal

[JoeLeg]

Too little, too late.

I may not want an M+S personally, but I think they're going to kick the Co-op's backside, and frankly that's a good thing.

Budgens, while it's been mentioned, are usually a franchise as I understand it. They can be good or bad. The one in Crofton Park is fantastic, well stocked and professionally run (IMO). Others, not so great.

[maxxi]

The Co-op is as unpredictable as Somerfield was before it but I've always found fresh veg (even if it is often hiding under the layers of bendy celery, yellowing broccoli and soft onions), some cheap goods and friendly - but thank God not obsequious - staff (the odd sullen youth excepted) - all in all exactly like the co-ops I remember from my youth.

This one however does seem bedeviled by a managerial incompetence that regularly fails to communicate its produce-ordering whims and spontaneous layout changes to the bewildered staff which leaves them unable to answer "Have you not got any 'x' this week or have you just moved it again?".

Sometimes wonder if the store is at the end of a 'run' and they get whatever's left on the truck.

[DulwichFox]

Too much produce on sale has already reached it's 'use by' date .. so reduced price.

Milk with just 1 day use by.. one would expect 7 days use by. I put milk in my fridge and expect a few days use.

Some produce on or past Best Before date so ok to eat ? but taste impared..

Sad looking fruit and vegetables... I'm not talking about misshapen.. but shrivelled.. discoloured..

Empty or broken down fridges.. some of the sliding doors have been recently repaired.

Most of the till staff are friendly if you talk to them ...but I suspect they are P'd off with things themselves.

They are just having to get on with dreadful management or lack of it..

It's probably why everyone seems to have lost interest..

DulwichFox

[binkylilyput]

I'm excited by M&S! Well maybe not excited.......there's a limit to how excited I can be about a supermarket.....but pleased. I won't do a weekly shop there, but I didn't do that at Co-Op either.

Pleased another rubbish small Tesco or Sainsburys isn't opening- there are enough of those.

I will be pleased to pop into M&S here and there when I want some treats and better quality stuff.

But this thread is about Co-Op having a facelift so, what's the saying, you can't polish a turd?!

[LondonMix]

BrandNewGuy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> High prices, poor stock control, rude staff, huge

> queues, rotten fruit and veg...

Exactly

[indiepanda]

Elphinstone's Army Wrote:

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> Seabag - have you been able to ascertain any

> difference in these two mediocre stores?

> Budgens will not be there forever, as the

> complexion of Sydenham High Street changes

Not all Budgens are like the ones in the city, in the Cotswolds I've been to quite a smart one which included a branch of Cook. If one like that replaced the Co-op it would be more competition for M&S than the current co-op.

[Nigello]

I don't think all the staff at CoOp are rude, in fact most are polite but wear an air of long-suffering stoicism. I agree that it's not well run, on the whole, but it is adequately run most of the time. Not a ringing endorsement, I grant you, but not enough for me not to use it. If something is wrong - like a lack of people on the checkouts or a spillage - I ask a staff member to deal with it and it's always seen to. I like the ethos and values of the CoOp in all its guises so will continue to shop there.

As for M and S - despite its '00s ads claiming its exceptionalism - it's just a supermarket, ultimately.