Somerfield now to become a Co-op?

[macroban]

More progress on Somerfield becoming a Co-op

[Asset]

I think the last sentence is quite telling.

[HonaloochieB]

bon3yard Wrote:

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

> So Somerfield are closing, that explains a lot.

> Like why the attitude of nearly everyone who works

> there is so piss-poor or the fact that they only

> have one of those 'next customer please' partition

> signs between 3 tills or the fact that its so

> dingy in there you need to take your own light

> source with you in able to distinguish between the

> tinned beans and the tinned spaghetti...etc.

> Grumble.

I shop there regularly, have done for some years and I can't see in what way the staff's 'attitude' is "piss poor" or has been over the time I've been using the place. For the most part I've been treated witn courtesy, respect and a certain amount of 'chumminess', depending who I was served by. There's never been any shortage of 'next customer please' straight edges at any time I've visited the place so that is inaccurate, I know it. It's a fact. You can go and count them.

Not enough light in the place for you to distinguish between the tinned beans and the tinned spaghetti? There's enough light shed on everything for me and my not in the best eyesight to be able to distiguish between the various items on sale. If you're partially sighted, then I'm sure the good people there would help you out. If you're not, then I reckon you're talking a load of tinned bollocks.

[LibraCarr]

Hi,

I go to the head office of Somerfield quite a lot, I get the feeling that they would not dispose of the Lordship Lane store, as the store is a good earner. Evidently, it takes more money at the peak time 5.30 - 7.30pm than other branches do during the day. The ones they may dispose of are the larger ones on housing estates as they are troublesome.

And finally.... Just to clear up a little confusion. The Coop is not franchised but owned by the Cooperative Society. They are divided into regions i.e The East Midlands Cooperative Society etc. Other brands in the portfolio are Cooperative Bank (now re-branded) and Cooperative Insurance. Recently they have restyled their food branches to bring them up to date.

They are one of the top farmers in this country and brought fair trade to the high street well before anyone else. I think if they were to have a store on Lordship Lane you would be pleasantly surprised. That said, M&S would do well here as well.

Regards,

Libra Carr.

[Asset]

If the owners of Somerfield are selling the company in entirety then the LL branch will go.

I wouldn't want an M&S food place as they only really cater for the 'ready-meal' market. The produce is over packaged and over priced.

Waitrose buy it please.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Even tho I don't "do" supermarkets anymore I can pretty much see the rationale behind many of them:

Iceland - cheap as chips for many (scary)items (they do overprice in some areas to make it up tho)

Lidl/Aldi - for all the interesting and strange ingredients as well as cheap basics (if you don't worry too much about how they treat their staff - click here for one of many reports

Waitrose - decent quality and staff reward schemes and the punter pays accordingly

Tescos/Sainsbury's - world domination

But M&S (especially M&S Food stores) are just odd - way way way overpriced for no discernible quality - ready meals and 2 baked spuds for just shy of a fiver (not because of sourcing, or suppliers but because they are ready-washed?)

My take on the LL Somerfield is that it is about the right size for a supermarket, stocks decentish basics, the staff have been around for years in many cases and I find them mostly lovely and that some of the stock is marked-up beyond comprehension for a national chain. If a supermarket occupies that spot I would favour that one staying. Otherwise a Waitrose. Then a Morrisons

[SimonM]

But I am pretty sure Waitrose do not *do* "small" supermarkets like the LL Somerfield do they? A proper Waitrose usually offers a fantastic choice - more so than the Ocado online shop does - and there's just not the room in the Somerfield.

[Asset]

I don't know, there's a fairly small one in Edinburgh that I know. Possibly slightly bigger than the LL site but still smaller than average.

[SimonM]

Yes there is or was - also a fairly small one in Bromley, outside the centre. But I think the tendency for years now has been for Waitrose to open large new branches or increase the size of the older ones (as they did in Beckenham)

[macroban]

Premises are too small for Morrisons business model?

[fish]

Netto, please. Waitrose is too posh for us 'native' East Dulwichites to shop in. ;-)

[macroban]

The current financial state of the Waitrose "arm" is interesting. Investment in their current financial year seems to be limited to a minimal (?6.7m) refurb of existing premises. They see a strategic need to move into the smaller convenience store format, but with the parent bleeding cashflow it is difficult to see where the funding would come from.

[citizenED]

But with the Co-op buy out of Somerfield seemingly cemented today, the suggestion is that some of the branches might be sold on to, among others, Waitrose. So LL might be getting a Co-op, Morrisons or Waitrose.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

SeamMcG - even though I wouldn't trust the Telegraph to ever print anything truthful, and I loved Lidl, I have recently heard reports of Lidl treating their warehouse and farm/processing staff really badly especially in Eastern Europe.