Supermarkets in Shetland - prices, ethics and experiences

[breeksy]

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A 2007 poll on this thread asked "Do you want a Tesco in Shetland?" with the following results

• Yes (280 votes [67.47%])
• No (104 votes [25.06%])
• Don't care/know (31 votes [7.47%])

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Personally I think two supermarkets is more than enough for Shetland. Tesco seems to have a fairly bad name - there are more people rallying together against tesco setting up in their local area than any other supermarket as far as I can tell, to the point there is a website devoted to getting people together for that cause (www.tescopoly.org).

Their business practices have been shown to be less than desireable (although they aren't the only supermarket that can be said about).

Do we really want one in Shetland?

[breeksy]

Hmm - I don't do too well with these polls - this is the second time my last option hasn't been posted! I did have a don't care/know option at the end too.

[trout]

Yeah. Whanged that in for you. It's a pest, but you have to add all of them on and then have a blank space below for another before it takes. Don't worry, I do exactly the same thing! You can use the [Edit] function though to go back and put it in, or preview first (though I can't remember if that works for polls??!)

[breeksy]

Aaah, that explains it. Thanks trout!

[jps]

Not bothered about a tesco store coming as I didn't much like them on the mainland found asda a much better shopping experience.

 

Now a Lidl store coming that would be great especially for their weekly specials ie tools & clothes etc.

[JustMe]

Well I said yes for the very simple reason that Somerfield and before them Safeway (Morrisons were not here long enough to judge) and the Co-op do not seem to compete that much in the little Scottish towns where they are the only two supermarkets.......and I am not only talking about price here.....range of goods counts as well. Competition is good for shoppers and if stores do not compete then they do deserve to die.

[Njugle]

Competition does have a negative side though. In recent discussions with a friend who stays in the south of the country, he explained to me how every town in his vicinity has exactly the same high street shops, all "competition" has been erased, private vendors need not apply. There is a documantary forthcoming that identifies Tesco as being a major culprit in this trend. To paraphase a sound-bite from it "soon we will be living in Tescoland".

[Roachmill]

There's plenty tales of the very shady operations of Walmart (owns Asda) in the USA. They'd move in to a town, undercut the existing competition to the point they'd shut up shop and then raise their own prices back up once they were the only player in town. I'm sure the nice folks behind Tesco would never ever do this...

 

Speaking from a 100% purely selfish point of view (I would rather gnaw me own legs off than step in to a busy supermarket) I'd hate to see that happen here. Just imagine if everyone had to go to the same store. It's bad enough with the population divided between two shops... never mind one.

[Fjool]

I dislike supermarkets in general. I use them, but always emerge feeling sullied and miserable for it.

 

I honestly don't think Shetland needs any more supermarkets; the two we have are doing Shetland enough of a disservice as it is already.

[Para Handy]

Personally I think two supermarkets is more than enough for Shetland. Tesco seems to have a fairly bad name - there are more people rallying together against tesco setting up in their local area than any other supermarket as far as I can tell, to the point there is a website devoted to getting people together for that cause (www.tescopoly.org).

 

Their business practices have been shown to be less than desireable (although they aren't the only supermarket that can be said about).

 

Do we really want one in Shetland?

 

Yes why not maybe they could set up in brae instead of lerwick why should the people of Shetland be denied the right of choice to where they can shop On my trips to Aberdeen I take my car and shop

It’s a lot cheaper than shopping up here

[Sam]

i'd shop there, after the dirty way the town centre ass. have to soposed to have behaved about re hodge has sickend me to never buy from the shops owners involved. mind you i did'nt buy much up here before. I'm one that takes a van south then i go on holiday!

 

i can remember the carry on when the bargin centre opened and under cut the expencive 'street' shops. Its just about filling the pockets to a few business men.

 

its not that long ago i found a 30p difrence between safeways and the co-op on one item.

 

roll on tescos, although i would rather have liddle

[scotty]

not all bad the more supermarkets you have the more they will compete with each other for your custom hence lower prices and cheaper shopping, out of the big supermarkets here id say sainsburys is the best followed by morrisons then tesco asda and co op but on the other hand if it drives local stores out of the market then its not a good thing

[Scoobysue]

When I heard Tesco were looking to open in Shetland, I thought 'woohoo, can shop online'! That's how shallow and selfish I am, immediately looked for the benefit to me. Right enough, there's no saying they'd offfer that service up here because the Co-op do deliveries in both Wick and Thurso so, I would assume, if there was a need in Lerwick or more widely in Shetland for pre-ordering shopping for delivery, Co-op would be cornering that market.

 

It's not just laziness, though, getting groceries delivered - it's easier to budget by just getting the same stuff each week, no falling for cunning point of sale marketing gimmicks and buying trash you don't need. Then there's the added bonus of not wasting time navigating the aisles, then queueing for ages, etc. etc.

 

So, if Tesco could guarantee offering a delivery service (potentially subject to geographical limits), I'd be voting 'yes'. If not, then am not at all sure.

 

'Snot up to us lot anyway, is it?

[Siggar]

Hurry Tesco. Does anyone know the address to send a letter of support to them?

[Guest Anonymous]

Personally I hope Tesco do come to Shetland. The two supermarkets that we have at the moment are a joke - shelves are always empty, freezers and chiller cabinets just open spaces of air, and very little decent choice. If Tesco were to come they would either have to pull their socks up and provide a decent service or ship out, either of which would be fine by me. I am fed up being served with only half a trolley full (because the rest was out of stock...again) by a spotty girl covered in lovebites whose heair has not been washed for a month. At least Tesco stores staff do have some responsibility to carry the company image and look and act professionally and friendly.

 

It should also be remembered that they sell good cheap clothes - a source of which is lacking in Shetland. You cannot knock anywhere that sells jeans for £3 a pair, even if they only last for a few months!

 

I also note that some of those people who are objecting in the Shetland Times (and probably on this site too) don't even live in Shetland. What has it go to do with you anyway then? You can whizz down the road to your favourite Sainsburys without a problem, we cannot.

 

Roll on Tesco!!