Sale of the Marple CO-OP to ASDA

[Barbara]

Not exactly good news for the businesses involved though, Dave!

[Dave]

Asda is probably looking to the future and the possibility of extending into a large store subject to PP. Who owns the shops facing Stockport road? I understand that the old Hanbury's store belongs to the Co-op -- do the rest? If they do it's easy to understand Asda's interest in the existing Co-op site.

That's a very interesting notion, Henrietta.  If by any chance the whole of the Hollins row of shops belongs to the Co-op, and has now been acquired by Asda, that could be the best possible news for Marple, in that they might just want to demolish our worst eyesore!   

[My login is Henrietta]

I was talking to an assistant in the charity shop on the Hollins. She said that the row of shops next to the actual Co-op shop are included in the Asda deal (as we probably already knew). The original charity shop has a lease which holds until it expires so the estate agent must have too but the charity shop's expansion into the empty shop next door is not subject to a lease so they can get chucked out any time.

Asda is probably looking to the future and the possibility of extending into a large store subject to PP. Who owns the shops facing Stockport road? I understand that the old Hanbury's store belongs to the Co-op -- do the rest? If they do it's easy to understand Asda's interest in the existing Co-op site.

Whether the position of the Fire Station will affect the future granting of PP will be interesting, unless Asda agree to funding the re-siting of the fire station in order to provide them with larger floor space and parking?

[Duke Fame]

Public transports good even if you don have a pass 'I've never had a car doesn't stop me shopping or going all over the country .

I've heard this and I've started biking to work as much as possible and I can get in as quick as by car.

However, planning my finish time to get a bus etc would be a pain in the posterior. I travel by train to Newcastle every so often to see the football and it's handy so I can have a drink etc. However, if I need to be back,  it's still quicker for me to take the car as there is no change at Manchester, change at York etc.

[amazon]

For those of us with sufficient recall it is worthy of remembrance that the anti- Hibbert Lane argument was that the proposed supermarket 'was out of town' and that this would have the effect of drawing people away from the centre and not bringing them in. It was said at the time that such a siting would have a negative implication for local traders and may even put some of them out of business and in its worst scene, finish Marple centre off altogether.

Even with this proposal there was still a traffic issue although it was more one of traffic than one of parking.

Wheels has been batting on about this years and he is right, it is a community issue and not a council one. It's the community itself that causes the traffic/parking problems by their point blank insistence on taking their car on every conceivable journey they make, and many of these journeys could be comfortably carried out by foot/bike.

I am as guilty as the next person in doing this but from today I'm going to make a conscious effort to re-think my car journeys.   

Public transports good even if you don have a pass 'I've never had a car doesn't stop me shopping or going all over the country .

[simonesaffron]

For those of us with sufficient recall it is worthy of remembrance that the anti- Hibbert Lane argument was that the proposed supermarket 'was out of town' and that this would have the effect of drawing people away from the centre and not bringing them in. It was said at the time that such a siting would have a negative implication for local traders and may even put some of them out of business and in its worst scene, finish Marple centre off altogether.

Even with this proposal there was still a traffic issue although it was more one of traffic than one of parking.

Wheels has been batting on about this years and he is right, it is a community issue and not a council one. It's the community itself that causes the traffic/parking problems by their point blank insistence on taking their car on every conceivable journey they make, and many of these journeys could be comfortably carried out by foot/bike.

I am as guilty as the next person in doing this but from today I'm going to make a conscious effort to re-think my car journeys.   

[Duke Fame]

He does. I do. Lots of others I know do too.

Expenses, his or mine, are irrelevant.

Wow, you have time on your hands. Surely if you want a better quality of food you go to the greengrocers, butcher etc or perhaps Stockport market but not travel 25 miles to a soulless shed for factory prepared fast food. You can use that travel time to cook properly.

[Duke Fame]

You need to speak to the charity "War on Want" and the GMB union about Asda's labour relations . There is documented evidence that Asda tried to remove the legal rights of their workers, among other things, to take disputes to ACAS, remove sick pay for the first 3 days of illness, and to implement working practices that even their own company risk assessors say are dangerous and illegal.

UNI Global Union's 2014 report on Walmart's Global Strategy makes very interesting reading. However, if you are getting your bread and your beer cheap I suppose it doesn't really matter to you how the retailer behaves to its dependents (ie its direct employees in this country and abroad and its developing world suppliers and their employees).

Init pay attention to the withering a of a union.

Asda will keep the best staff and edge out the worst, how it should be.

[My login is Henrietta]

Asda are legally required under TUPE regulations to honour the existing contracts of employment. They can't "renege" on this.
However, they still have all the normal options open to an employer, so I would imagine that the good staff will get managed upwards, and the poor staff will get managed out.

You need to speak to the charity "War on Want" and the GMB union about Asda's labour relations . There is documented evidence that Asda tried to remove the legal rights of their workers, among other things, to take disputes to ACAS, remove sick pay for the first 3 days of illness, and to implement working practices that even their own company risk assessors say are dangerous and illegal.

UNI Global Union's 2014 report on Walmart's Global Strategy makes very interesting reading. However, if you are getting your bread and your beer cheap I suppose it doesn't really matter to you how the retailer behaves to its dependents (ie its direct employees in this country and abroad and its developing world suppliers and their employees).

[wheels]

Further I would estimate that at least 50% of the town live within easy walking distance of the shops. So don't need a car at all.

[My login is Henrietta]

Unfortunately the silent majority stayed silent. And the vocal minority, led by a small group of shopkeepers, won the day.

Too late now.

I was against the original plan because I have seen what has happened on other places where I've lived when a large supermarket arrived in a previously thriving small town. I was neither led by nor influenced by "a small group of shopkeepers". In fact there were a lot of small shopkeepers but they were not alone. There was a lot of opposition from private citizens. Anyway, this is in the past and not the point at issue here.

What concerns me is the impact that Asda will have on parking elsewhere in the centre of Marple. As it is, we have some of the cheapest council car parking of anywhere I know. We also have a free car park and both time-limited and unlimited kerbside parking. It's a pretty safe bet that this will not continue when Asda "get their feet under the table" and, before anyone asks, I base my comments on personal experience in other areas (and Asda are not on their own in this).

[Harry]

I'd assume it's on his way to work / home / to see a mistress - nobody would make a special trip to shop for food at M&S - also his expenses are too high!

He does. I do. Lots of others I know do too.

Expenses, his or mine, are irrelevant.

[Duke Fame]

Well they do. I have frequently seen one of our councillors doing his food shopping at M&S in Handforth Dean, and I've never seen him shopping in Marple.

I'd assume it's on his way to work / home / to see a mistress - nobody would make a special trip to shop for food at M&S - also his expenses are too high!

[Harry]

i can't believe anyone travels far to shop at a Waitrose or M&S, surely people drop in if they are passing.

Well they do. I have frequently seen one of our councillors doing his food shopping at M&S in Handforth Dean, and I've never seen him shopping in Marple.

[Duke Fame]

Finally, if you want the ASDA just remember it when your house prices don't go up as much as they should, because like it or not, justified or not, an ASDA in a town holds down prices whereas a Waitrose or an M&S causes them to rise. I have no idea why that is other than I guess no-one travels far to go to ASDA whereas people will travel from other towns to shop at Waitrose or M&S but maybe its because of the effect they have on other shops nearby. Personally I won't be going there and I will be using the local shops as I mostly always have done anyway. I just hope they are still there in a year or two because one thing about the Co-op, they were not too damaging to the town centre. ASDA low prices will provide a much tougher challenge for several long established Marple businesses and I fear for their survival if people fall for the old ASDA jingly pockets. By the way, don't expect to see Julie Walters in there anytime soon. This may be a shock announcement to some people but I've heard she doesn't actually shop in ASDA! Is she a snooty???

If all people care about is the value of their house, I have to say there is not much to worry about.

I'd guess that posh areas attract the likes of Waitrose rather than the other way around. I personally think waitrose is over-priced & over packaged rubbish - if you care about your food, you will find far better fare at Archers, the fish man, the butchers, the greengrocers & poundplus than plodding around the co-op, Waitrose, Asda or any major supermarket. Supermarkets are a compromise, for me, I prefer to keep the compromise on the cheaper end and will use Aldi if I'm coming home by car.

i can't believe anyone travels far to shop at a Waitrose or M&S, surely people drop in if they are passing.

What Julie Walters has to do about the price of fish is beyond me.