Trouble at Val's

[steveo]

Nisha tells me that the council arrived last night and gave her 20 minutes to move all the veg back to the window or suffer its wrath, a display that as far as I can recall has been that way for twenty odd years.

Still, making her shop shrink its obtrusive display area should give a struggling Sainsbury's a much needed opportunity to establish a better foothold in the local market.

[DrDom]

No surrender to the Sainsbury's!

destroying Champion hill and now this.

There's been fruit and veg outside vals since I can remember (30 years!)

[Chener Books]

My memory of the boundaries for that parade is that the curtilage extends 12 feet from the shop frontages.

Val needs to check out where her boundary lies.

Unless the law has changed recently the council cannot stop her having a vegetable display within her boundary.

John K

[Loz]

I'd get on to the James Barber thread if I were you. He's pretty good at getting crap like this looked into.

[Domitianus]

Whatever the facts are, 20 minutes warning is hopeless. How can someone move a display like that so quickly? To do so in such a lightly staffed shop would take her away from dealing with customers and would potentially make the shop vulnerable to thiesves or shoplifters while the owner struggles with the external display.

[Timster]

This sounds like nonsense and a jumped up council official likely exceeding his power (possibly prompted by Sainsburys who have been disappointed at how many people are continuing to use the local shops) - it doesn't even sound like they provided any paperwork to back up their request. These sorts of things only usually happen when another trader complains.

Agree get James Barber on board.

[eater81]

Sounds like somebody at Sainsbury's is trying to turn the screw, probably some repulsive store manager who's getting told off by his bosses for the shop doing so poorly.

SAINSBURY'S OUT!

[Jah Lush]

I agree entirely with what Timster said. It's ridiculous. I think someone is abusing their power with bully boy tactics. It would seem a little too coincidental for my liking that no sooner Sainsburys moves in nearby that Val's has a visit from the council.

[Domitianus]

Personally, I am not at all against Sainsbury's opening their store and I have started to use it simply because it does decent stuff and is local. I also still use Vals if all I want is some teabags or a pint of milk. I do not, however, approve of the COuncil getting arsey with any shopholder in the way described.

[ayresc]

The council are great at bulding relationships with the local community and helping local businesses in hard times.

t%ssers.

[New Bhoy]

Has Cost Cutter been asked to do the same thing? - I usually buy my veg at vals - Im not going to start going to Sainsbury's. What a crock.

[Horsebox]

I was in there last night - the guy working there wasn't too clear about it but apparantly they have to apply for a suitable license to use the outside space. Something linked to new council rules. He didn't seem too bothered about it, almost as if it was a temporary problem.

Would like to hear what Nisha has to say about it. She may have more precise information.

*Edited for clarity and crap iPhone typing.*

[karter]

is it on Val's property though?

[Bony Fido]

eater81 Wrote:

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

> Sounds like somebody at Sainsbury's is trying to

> turn the screw, probably some repulsive store

> manager who's getting told off by his bosses for

> the shop doing so poorly.

>

> SAINSBURY'S OUT!

Boycott Sainsbury's - placards,picket lines etc - it's the only way to get back at 'em!!!

[ClareC]

You can't go accusing Sainsburys or anyone at Sainsbury's of this with no evidence whatsoever! What is this a vigilante thread!

I agree the council are being ridiculous but this obviously needs sorting through the proper channels, passing blame unnecessarily and without cause really doesn't help.

I for one are pleased Sainsburys have opened up this end, saves a nuisance treck to DKH to buy all the things (of which there are many) that the shops this end do not provide!

[KalamityKel]

It also doesn't do to acuse the council of wrong doing when you do not have the full facts. Many a time only one side or half the information is given and fuels unnecessary attitudes such as those further up on this thread - name calling is certainly low level.

[ClareC]

The council may be in the right.... impossible to say without knowing the full facts. If they did honestly expect the frontage cleared with 20 minutes notice that is pretty ridiculous and seems rather harsh u- unless of course the frontage was dangerous.

[KoolBananas]

ClareC and KK I'm with you.

I'm a little confused as to what this thread is now really about. Is it about the space used outside a shop or Sainsbury's and it's (as seen by many on this thread) "invasion"??? :-S

[Bony Fido]

I trust any Sainsbury's workers/shareholders will be honourable enough to declare their interest when participating in this discussion?

[KalamityKel]

is this now about sainsburys then?

[Bony Fido]

KalamityKel Wrote:

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

> is this now about sainsburys then?

Well to quote Stevo above :-

"Nisha tells me that the council arrived last night and gave her 20 minutes to move all the veg back to the window or suffer its wrath, a display that as far as I can recall has been that way for twenty odd years"

Sainsburys arrive and in less than a month the small shops are getting hassled - perhaps just a strange coincidence.

Firms like Sainsburys have a huge influence on local councils and that's a fact. (Try reading "Shopped" by Joanna Blythman if you don't understand the facts).

[DrDom]

I'm with you Bony Fido!!!!

These bully boy tactics from supermarkets should not be tolerated. The produce at Vals is far better than that at the Sainsbury's locals anyway. Plus they don't have any of their value range and are a general rip-off.

[DrDom]

"You can't go accusing Sainsburys or anyone at Sainsbury's of this with no evidence whatsoever! What is this a vigilante thread! "

Fully paid up member of the Sainsbury's mafia.

[KalamityKel]

Oh hush Dom with that kind of talk!

[Timster]

I think it is a bit naive to think that this is just a coincidence. Of course it may be! But a similar thing happened to Dulwich Kebab further down LL - just after Bombay Bicycle Club opened next door the council raised issues over the terms of Dulwich Kebabs' licence to trade after 11pm (BBC being open to at least midnight I think) and they were forced to re-apply for their late-opening hours licence (or whatever its technical term is!).

The council doesn't trawl the streets of East Dulwich looking for shopfront displays in breach of regulations etc - it will have been prompted to look into this by a third party. I can't think of who that could have been....