supermarketchoiceforshire

Supermarket Choice for Shirehampton

 

We the undersigned endorse the following letter to Co-op urging them to allow choice on Shirehampton High Street which will lead to lower prices for grocery shopping.

Dear Co-op

“We write as the residents of Shirehampton and the surrounding area, local representatives, and those concerned for the residents of Shirehampton, Bristol.   You will no doubt be aware of a campaign that has been ongoing to get an alternative supermarket provider into Shirehampton Village.   Many of us are on low or very low incomes, have very little disposable income, and for many of us, the weekly shop is an almost unmanageable expense.  

Co-Op prices are far above that which we would otherwise be able to pay, but because your store currently (many would say aggressively) monopolises the High Street, and many of us are not mobile, we have absolutely no choice. We have no access to the budget supermarket this community needs. This is financially crippling for us.    We note that your organisation claims it is different from other supermarkets, and other businesses, and has a strong ethical dimension.

We note that you state:   “In common with organisations across the Co-Operative movement, we believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. Our ethical policy is founded on those values”  

We now appeal to those founding values of your organisation and ask you to take steps to either:   -         

Significantly lower your prices, so that your stores are affordable to the population they and they alone, serve as a local monopoly. -         

Make a concerted effort to allow other grocery providers into the market.   This latter point is with specific reference to the former Alldays site.   A concerted effort may either comprise renegotiating the lease to enable Co-Op to sublet the site at an attractive rental (providing concrete evidence that Co-Op is not saying ‘no’ to retailers who approach them, as has been, rightly or wrongly, reported); or it may comprise Co-Op exploring whether the lease can be re-negotiated to end earlier, thus relieving Co-Op of £38k plus £18k business rates per year, for maintaining an empty high-street site.  

We would very much like to invite a senior head-office representative from Co-Op to Shirehampton, to meet residents and hear their concerns. We would also invite the property owner;   We would very much like to give Co-Op the opportunity to demonstrate in practice the values articulated so eloquently in your ethical policy.”  

 

 

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