Waitrose or M&S TYPE supermarket - do we want one on LL?

[jimmyay]

My guess is that the Co-op probably don't make much money out of that branch, they can't be bothered to stock it properly and the stuff they do sell is second rate and often old and a bit past it.

I wouldn't be surprised if they sold their lease to Waitrose and cashed out of the area.

[Huggers]

I'd love a Waitrose in Lordship Lane and would still shop regularly at small grocers, greengroces in Lordship and Nunhead Lanes. The only place I would no longer go to would be sainsburys. Also I like the ethics of the workers owning Waitrose as part of John Lewis Group and can imagine it might create some more permanent employment too.

[Medley]

My votes:

Waitrose - yes please

Peoples Supermarket or other local produce shop - yes please

M and S - no thanks

[edcam]

There isn't really any room for a Waitrose surely? I doubt they'd bother unless they could find a place with enough room for a decent sized shop and car parking (and I can't think of anywhere that qualifies.) Same with M&S, unless it's just one of their food shops and they're at all the mainline stations.

More independent shops please!

[reetpetite]

Sue Wrote:

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

> Alec John Moore Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> >

> > However, I seem to recall that when Somerfield

> was

> > revamped a few years ago they had a small fresh

> > fish stall. That may well have closed due to

> lack

> > of patronage. That is a shame and it is

> > interesting that Moxons seems to be surviving

> > further up the Lane.

>

> xxxxxxxx

>

> Yes, they did have a fresh fish stall. The fish

> looked fine to me. The stall didn't last long.

>

> I have no idea why it was removed, but maybe -

> just maybe - the people now buying their fresh

> fish at Moxons didn't want to be seen shopping in

> Somerfield.

>

> Just a guess .....

>

> Oh, and *Bob* and Silverfox, :))

And they had a meat and a Deli counter too.

[SeanMacGabhann]

It was the same stuff they had in plastic wrappers unwrapped. A ridiculous charade.

You think any of them could fillet a fish or slice a steak?

[AlexC]

James Barber Wrote:

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

> BUT its clear that despite many individual posts

> in the past requesting such another supermarket

> that when actually asked posters are strongly

> against.

I'd have to strongly disagree with that statement. There are plenty of no's, some more vocal than others and also a fair amount of yes's and maybe's. I don't think it's clear cut at all, and as someone else stated I'm sure there are plenty of forum lurkers who have not made their opinion known as well as the ED residents who don't visit the forum.

[LuLu Too]

For the record I would happily welcome a Waitrose (along the lines of their Clapham Junction shop) in place of the current Co-op on Lordship Lane. It would save me the drive to Beckenham and get me walking on the Lane.

But I am curious James Barber about the council owned site you have in mind.

Is this site currently dormant? Or still in use providing a much needed public service?

[tiddles]

no

[Damo]

no

[neilson99]

Interesting exchange of views here but at the end of the day if M&S/Waitrose/Unckle Tom Cobbley think there is a good enough return to be had, they will open one. If they don't they won't. Will we bleeding hearts/snobs/inverted snobs/proles of ED-narnia have much say in the matter?!

Also worth echoing a comment made earlier - as a "red" I have developed a grudging respect for you James. If anyone does put in a planning app can you get them to fund a working lamp post or three in Peckham Rye park as part of the "quid pro quo"!

For what its worth, I am in the Co-op out/anyone else in camp - if it was a horse they'd shoot the thing and build a giant glue wholesaler in its place. What a waste of space! And its little brother on Forest Hill Road!

[SLH]

I would be in favour of M&S or Waitrose so I vote yes to either. Although I agree with the posts that views expressed on the forum are not necessarily representative of the population of east dulwich I also think some people will be reluctant to post in favour for risk of being labelled a snob or not being true to the values of east dulwich as has happened every time this topic has been brought up before.

[civilservant]

I've read many of the posts and none of them convince me that we need a Waitrose or M&S. I haven't got any deep-rooted objection to having one, but the main problem with LL seems to be lack of shopping choice for the later shoppers, and I don't see how a Waitrose or M&S would solve that - anyway, I'm sure they've cased the joint and worked out whether it's worth their while.

A word of support for the much-maligned Co-op. I've always found what I needed there, or a close approximation, and their special offers are always good value. And the shop assistants are genuinely helpful. As Twirly points out, it's chicken and egg - you don't shop there, they reduce their stock in response, and so it goes.

[toast]

Co-op rocks!

neilson99 wrote

> For what its worth, I am in the Co-op out/anyone

> else in camp - if it was a horse they'd shoot the

> thing and build a giant glue wholesaler in i

> place. What a waste of space! And its little

> brother on Forest Hill Road!

[bonaome]

civilservant Wrote:

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

> As Twirly points out, it's chicken and

> egg - you don't shop there, they reduce their

> stock in response, and so it goes.

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

People who go in early find they have loads of stuff. People who go in later are saying they have nothing left. So it would seems to be a stock control / management problem rather than a deliberate reduction in stock levels to account for fewer people shopping there. There's plenty of people shopping, just not buying as they can find neither chicken nor egg.

[Craftygirl]

Yes please, either would benefit the area. They both have a good range of products. Yes, parking is a big problem already. If it was the Police Station, could there be a car park built at the back of it? or people could even walk!

[Jeremy]

neilson99 Wrote:

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

> Will we bleeding hearts/snobs/inverted snobs/proles of

> ED-narnia have much say in the matter?!

Actually yes... if the council currently own the premises/land.

[LUVED]

A Waitrose gets my vote and it wouldn't stop me from shopping at the local shops. To be honest, if a Waitrose was there I would probably visit LL more often.

[prdarling]

Yes to Waitrose

Yes to M&S

[jumpinjackflash]

I don't know why our views matter..surely the site in question will go to the highest bidder anyway

[louisiana]

Twirly Wrote:

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

> DulwichFox Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > The Co-op is truely abysmal.

> >

> > With it's empty shelves It resembles images of

> Eastern-Bloc supermarkets during the Cold War.

> >

> > It is much over priced.

> >

> > Many of the Perishable goods are reduced

> because they have reached their Use-by date.

> > Vegetables are sparse and those that are

> > available look 'tired'

> >

> > Gateways, Somerfields and now The Co-op have

> failed to make the site work.

> >

> > Probally because of Sainsburys at Dog Kennel

> Hill

> >

> > and now with the opening of the Sainsbury Local

> up by the Plough, things will not get any better

> for any store in Lordship Lane.

> >

> > Not sure what the answer is.

>

>

> I?m sorry, but I don?t think that we?re shopping

> in the same branch of the Co-op! It isn?t the best

> around by a long way, but this is total

> exaggeration.

>

> I went in last night between 5.30 and 6 to get

> some salmon, a red pepper, broccoli, pitta bread,

> some taramasalata and skimmed milk. The only thing

> I couldn?t get, oddly, was the skimmed milk though

> they were well stocked with full fat and

> semi-skimmed.

>

> I do wonder if it?s a bit chicken and egg though ?

> no-one shops there, so they don?t keep their stock

> levels up, particularly on perishable items, so

> no-one shops there.

>

> I agree that sometimes it can be a bit hit and

> miss, but I find that?s the same with Sainsbury?s,

> as they don?t always have what I want despite

> being several times the size. You should try the

> Co-op where my in-laws live, which is half the

> size, the only supermarket in the town and where

> they think that broccoli is supposed to be yellow!

Too right. I popped in to Sainbury's Local at the Plough this afternoon, and they had neither swede nor beansprouts (I'd already checked at Val's.) Though there was half an aisle devoted to half-a-dozen bad varieties of potato. (I only buy my spuds from Franklin's, who sell the fantastic Yukon Gold variety which is good for everything.)

I then popped down to Moxon's, where there was a chunky queue and several of us fought over the last of the (undyed) smoked haddock. Few supermarkets, including those with a fish counter, seem to stock undyed smoked haddock.

Co-op stock management seems to be an issue more generally. The Co-op pharmacy on the other side of LL sometimes seems to have acres of empty shelf space. They could probably stock the same stuff in a shop 25% of the size. Lovely people though.

[DulwichFox]

Just a little info. Dont take too serious. Sean.

Mince pies: ASDA and Lidl come out top!

Published 12 December 2010 in Make your money go further

Rachel Wait

21 comments

The results of this year?s mince pie taste test are in. And once again, Lidl and ASDA have beaten M&S and Waitrose...

Source:- Here

The results of the lovemoney.com annual mince pie taste test reveal Lidl's mince pies (12.4p a pie) taste the best - while Marks & Spencer's (26.5p a pie) taste the worst!

Source:- Here

Lets have a Lidl.. Just think of the Shame. Lidl and Iceland.

[SeanMacGabhann]

This!!!

[DulwichFox]

I have bought spuds with Yukon them.

But a good wash and scrub and all the Yuk come off.

[philosophie]

Don't we already have a huge Sainsbury's just down the road and plenty of smaller-sized stores represented (Londis, Iceland, Co-Op, Sainsbury's Local - catering for a wide range of budgets)? Let's continue to help ED stand out from the crowd and instead encourage more independent business! (P.S. this is going to cause a middle class shockwave...but I think Waitrose is overrated!)