New shop at Rose Hill

[chicken lady]

I agree, it looks dreadful.

[Lisa Oldham]

 I thought the same thing but didnt want to say in case someone called me snooty! But its true.. very tacky

[Rachael]

Called into the Spar tonight, all the posters on the Premier store window next door, in my opinion completely lower the tone .

[marveld]

The owner of Spar is a business man the same as the owner of Premier, the Spar owners do not even come from Marple!

That's a pretty lame point. I don't care where a shop owner comes from.

[Jay]

As previously mentioned how he can complain about a shop opening next door selling the same goods as him when he opened selling wine and closing the wine shop next door. What goes around comes around!

Not entirely true. The franchise went in to liquidation thus the store closed.

[marplex]

I have no allegiance to the new Premier store but I do welcome the competition and I have to say that there are a number of things I dislike about the Spar.

The owner spends a lot of the time stood outside smoking, this in my opinion is not a good way to greet your customers especially if you are a non smoker. That alone is reason enough for me to visit next door!

Prior to the shop opening next door he used limit the number of school kids entering the store and didn't make them feel welcome at all, now because they are going next door he stands outside staring at them and making them very feel very uneasy. My own son has told me that he feels intimidated by him.

As previously mentioned how he can complain about a shop opening next door selling the same goods as him when he opened selling wine and closing the wine shop next door. What goes around comes around!

The owner of Spar is a business man the same as the owner of Premier, the Spar owners do not even come from Marple!

The prices are cheaper in Premier

For all the above reasons I shall be using the new Premier store.

[andy+kirsty]

this thread seems to have gone quiet, but I think it needs to keep going. I understand that the new Raja Bros shop is giving free energy drinks to children who buy sweets there, and also selling alcohol without checking ID. I am so glad I don't have young children any more (my 21 year old moved out yesterday - hurrah !!!!!) these drinks are not good for children and young people,  and I would be very unhappy if my children were given them for free.

You can follow a trail of empty cans all the way to Marple Hall. I think I remember reading somewhere that local councils can prohibit the dale of such drinks in the vicinity of schools as the amounts of caffeine et al in these drinks leads to poor behaviour and educational attainment. Might be worth looking into especially if they are giving them away. Doesn't seem all that responsible, I wonder what it says in their licencing terms.

[chicken lady]

this thread seems to have gone quiet, but I think it needs to keep going. I understand that the new Raja Bros shop is giving free energy drinks to children who buy sweets there, and also selling alcohol without checking ID. I am so glad I don't have young children any more (my 21 year old moved out yesterday - hurrah !!!!!) these drinks are not good for children and young people,  and I would be very unhappy if my children were given them for free.

[chicken lady]

I don't plan to use the new shop, am very happy with the SPAR, however it is interesting to note that the new shop, despite claiming to open at 6am, was just raising its shutters at 6.35 this morning when I was on my way home from walking the dog. are they giving up already? watch this space.........

[Victor M]

With regard to the ongoing discussions about planning permission. The rules are that you only need to apply for planning permission when there is a change of use. The premises before were a shop and the new premises are still a shop. Hence no planning permission required, so in this instance don't blame the council. However if you feel that the second shop should not have opened then don't patronise it and go to the Spar instead. That's what I'll be doing.

[alan@marple]

I do seem to recall, that the Spar shop originally was not going to sell alcohol in deference to Victoria Wine, which was next door at the time it opened. But did so all the same.
I am sure they said that in the application to planning -What about that then?

[Dave]

when you run a spar shop, do you buy the franchise, and run it like your own  to make your own profit, or are you employed as managers, and get a set wage regardless of custom or not ??

I'm pretty sure it's the former - i.e. the people who run it own the business.

[Jo Scarlett]

Well I for one WILL NOT be using the new store at any cost.

The Spar has everything which I'd need from a convenience store and with the Somerfield/Coop at the petrol station up the road I don't think I'll have a need to use the new one.

I do not understand how they get away with opening a 'like for like' store next door to one which already exists?  What were SMBC thinking, surely they must be able to have an input into what type of retail operation occupies a retail unit??

I hope that the couple at the Spar are able to keep their spirits up and put up a strong fight (with the support of Spar for promotional stock etc), hopefully if they can stick it out they may see them off.

There is also a facebook page seeking support for the Spar :
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Support-our-local-Spar/150334644987609

Just edited the link so that it works! Admin

[Rachael]

I really like the couple in the spar shop,  they are always nice and friendly and always have been since it opened .

I cant bring myself to walk in the shop next door,  for some bonkers reason  ( or maybe not bonkers ) I would feel totaly disloyal

But we have had discussions ( and usually in the car when we have driven past !)  .. when you run a spar shop, do you buy the franchise, and run it like your own  to make your own profit, or are you employed as managers, and get a set wage regardless of custom or not ??

And another question  ... was it the spar shop that was not supposed to sell alcohol  when it first applied for the tenancy of the premises because of the off licence next door, or was it Mace  ( and then it didnt become a mace store  and was a spar shop instead ) .... and are Mace stores and spar shops related  ??

[elpram]

I guess the dilemma is ... shall I support the shop which is owned by a couple (for whom it's their livelihood and home) who gave up everything to pursue the venture ?

Or shall I patronise the shop owned by a couple of businessmen who are just adding to their portfolio and to be honest, must be a bit ruthless to set up next to an almost identical shop in a place where there are only two shop premises!

Pity they didn't take their Premier store to Marple Bridge after the demise of Town Street Stores where it is needed much more