Now that Ulverstonians have had time to take stock of the new store, many have realised it is a big disappointment.
The stock is limited. The prices are high. The service not brilliant.
What has been good is that the Co-op have had a shake up for the better and the atmosphere of helpfulness has improved to even higher levels than before.
So for the time being most people are happy. We have a major business learning the hard lesson that Ulverstonians are a canny lot. They quickly see through a bunch of crooks and appreciate the personal contact with people at the Co-op selling goods that are wholesome in most respects.
Other good local stores are thriving if they provide a genuine service and a wide variety of stock.
We should be looking done the road to planning what we will do when Tesco have learnt their lesson and decide to pull out and cut their losses.
24 comments:
ust talk to a total different set of people than me then,the people i speak to love tesco's and haven't been in the coop since.
I guess you're right!
The people I've talked to have been genuinely disappointed. People with no bias - unlike me!
Many people also won't put a foot in the place; they feel strongly about their ethical practices and the way they put profit over people: nice to those they want favours from: viscious to those that won't go along with their requirements.
I love Tesco, its greeeeeat! I can pour out of the pub and get a decent pizza at 10.45pm. And I really am not bothered about their ethics or lack of them.
I haven't been into Ulverston's Tesco and don't plan on doing so (nothing against them really, although after trying their rip-off 'metro' stores in other towns it just doesn't appeal), but it sounds like their opening has given the local Co-op a much needed kick up the backside.
In my humble opinion, the store was badly run and the service was maddeningly slow. You could sometimes be in there with 3 other shoppers and spend 10 minutes queuing!
Not only will Tesco have modernised the old Woolworth's shop when they fitted it out, they're also providing jobs and smartening the town centre up, so it's definitely been a good thing.
And to think people actually protested against it...
I go to both, each have great offers to last me to my big shop in Kendal. Plus I get points and dividends
I did not want TESCO but, to my surprise local traders did. Maybe they think it will draw more visitors into the town? TESCO will adjust - they haven't gained their present status for nothing.
Ethics are important when it comes down to jobs in Britain.
People mistakenly think that because local jobs are provided in the store then this is good.
Closer examination reveals that overall fewer people working the total supply chain are employed.
How else do Tesco keep their prices down and profits up?
Many suppliers to Tesco are put under severe pressure and often put out of business because of their ruthless tactics.
With a relative working in the farming industry with Tesco as a major purchaser of their produce you might see things differently.
I believe that a retailer like Sainsbury would have been much to be preferred to Tesco.
How else do Tesco keep their prices down and profits up?
So what about asda there cheaper than tesco,so why aren't you slating them.How can asda keep there prices so low?
Yeah that's a good question,i wait to see what Geoffs answer is to that question,i'd like to no how asda are cheaper than tesco
I haven't made it my business to find out about other than Tesco, and to some extent, Booths.
Tesco are continually causing waves with sharp practices all over the country - I've covered this to some extent in the leaflet I prepared.
See http://geoffdellow.blogspot.com/2009/03/tesco-is-coming.html
(Click on the Tesco link at the bottom of the original posting.)
Booths, being a family business maintain high standards and as a result can be a little more expensive. They however put an emphasis on local produce both Cumbria/Lancashire and British rather than European.
The Co-op try hard but suffer from not having a well tuned business approach but they put people and animals before the almighty god "Profit". In my view they bumble along and I'm happy with this - they go to the trouble of maintaining a shop on Croftlands.
In the States they can be both efficient and provide great facilities like nurseries, meeting rooms and a regular person offering diet and food advice. Something I haven't come across here but would love to see.
Tesco offer diet advice ect yet asda don't
Purchased a bag of Tesco fresh coffee this morning. Much cheaper than co-op and I found - to my surprise - that the coffee was endorsed by the Rainforest Alliance which, inter alia, ensures coffee farmers get a "just wage." Now I don't concern myself much with others' wages, just or not, but if I can help a South American labourer as I pass that way......
My first reaction to the Rainforest Alliance news above was:
"My I am impressed!"
Then based on their trend in deceptive labeling on other products - chicken and pork - I said to myself "hang on a minute Geoff",
"Let's check them out!"
Sure enough certification doesn't mean too much.
First to qualify one only has to have the INTENTION to become certified.
Second to display the label the contents have only to be 30% from certified suppliers. The genuine stuff has 100% Rainforest Alliance on the product.
Thus in Tesco's case a quick scamper down to the store reveals the coffee to be only the 30% variety so you can worry about the main 70% which could be dirt cheap and very dodgy!
This confirms my suspicions that Tesco is up to every trick in the book in order to create a good impression but in reality the products are highly questionable.
The low price may be just a temporary aberration designed to win over the impressionable - once impressed it is hoped that you won't keep checking out the opposition - The Co-op!
Tell me more about the Dietary Advice please.
Which stores and what form does it take - a trained person available at all times or a leaflet.
Blimey, I'm impressionable now, as well as unthinking!
Wonder how I get through the day!
Geoff you need to get it into your mindset that the majority of Ulverstonians will not be losing sleep over the other 70% (too much caffeine) nor do they care much about coffee plantation workers or Tesco strangling chickens.
They care about the damage to their wallets, end of.
Yes, their labeling clearly made an impression on both you and me - enough to report it here.
I don't see the "majority of Ulverstonians" shopping at Tesco quite the reverse.
"Some of Ulverstonians think mainly about their wallet" I agree!
In my experience, not many, however, are the uncaring kind of people which you confirm in your comment. Most would give a neighbour a bottle of milk, a cigarette in the street, stand a pint to a stranger in the pub.
Ulverstonians are a great lot, which is why I live here.
Can you get polls on here,maybe if you can we can vote and see how many people who visit this blog shop at tesco
Any supermarket run by Jews can not be trusted.
Thanks for the idea of polls on this blog - sounds good.
I've heard of other web sites that can conduct surveys so we could use them.
Great idea.
As for Jews - I couldmn't disagree more.
But then I'm half French and also not to be trusted!
There are bound to be good'uns and bad'uns.
I've just checked out one of my favorite stores - Marks and Sparks - started , I find , by a Polish immigrant (where have I come across them before?) Michal Marks and yes he was a Jew who started off with nothing other than get up and go.
He was joined once he'd already got going by a North of England man who recognised a good business opportunity when he saw one. He bought into the business for £300 last century.
He would appear to be very 'English' and Church of England.
I gather from history that they got on fine . . . .
Perhaps it's this immigrant blood in my veins that makes me fight like hell. Nothing like being given a hard time when you are young to teach you survival skills - with help from some fair minded people around me to encourage me!
Here's a poll i sent up,lets see how the people vote on this
http://www.addpoll.com/view?41859
Well, Geoff.
What do you think about the proposed Lidl, that the Planners and Town Council are meeting about of Friday.
That surely has to be the end of Ulverston as we all know it.
Well Anon. What do you think and going to do about it.
I know little about Lidl and much more about Tesco.
I get the impression that Brocklebanks are a rebust trader. I think we in Ulverston value the personal service we get from the likes of Smith and Harrison. Do you really think these traders are in danger?
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