Comments on: Online food delivery, progress or a killer of the local village shop?

By: Alistair

Alistair — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:32:40 +0000

Very valid comments Sue no one is forcing us to shop at Tesco et al, maybe we are just like the convenience, ability to drive, park outside also. Personally i think free parking has had a big effect, if you have to pay to park to then spend money locally, you compare this to where you can drive to a supermarket park for free and outside i think this is a big driver to the supermarkets.

Thanks for your comment,

Alistair

By: Sue

Sue — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:45:21 +0000

As we buy our meat and frozen fish from the supermarket counters, and bemoan that “you just can’t find a local butcher or fishmonger anymore”, perhaps we need to take a bit of responsibility ourselves. Today’s lack of high-street fishmongers may well be a future-echo of tomorrow’s lack of high-street fruit and veg shops, newsagents or indeed any shop other than the pound-shops, phone shops and charity shops.
With a £1 in £8 UK spend going to Tesco’s, we only have ourselves to blame though – nobody is forcing us to spend it there…. yet!

By: Alistair

Alistair — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:14:49 +0000

Thanks Sarah for your comment, very intersting time certainly is a big decider for lots of people

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:12:19 +0000

In kingsteignton the local shops so themselves no favours with opening hours to suit them whereas Tesco is open all hours to suit me, not a difficult choice for a hardworking mum.

By: Alistair

Alistair — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:36:53 +0000

Thanks for your comment, interestingly enough since this I (at home) have started getting our milk delivered by Dairy Crest, they have a great website http://www.milkandmore.co.uk that lets you manage the account online. Maybe we should all be prepared to do more ‘locally’ or else what we really cherish will wither and die, and then i bet others really will complain.

Alistair

By: Michael Greenland

Michael Greenland — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:39:41 +0000

Alistair, I like your thinking – I agree, it’s a shame that the village shop is dying out.

But – we (collectively, the public) are to blame.

Remember the Milkman? Where is he these days? Unfortunately, the rise in car ownership brought about the demise of the milkman – because the rise in discount price superstores – which then also led to the demise of the local shop.

It’s often the case that businesses will expand and contract based on market forces. Businesses as entities are often (but not always) driven by profit first, social responsibility second.

The gap in the market is to communicate (by letter or sales person) to non-internet people an see if they would like their milk/bread delivered. Probably won’t happen – unfortunately.