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Supermarkets in Shetland - prices, ethics and experiences


breeksy
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[...] those people who are objecting in the Shetland Times (and probably on this site too) don't even live in Shetland.

 

Lets get them thar pitch forks and burn them I say! :twisted:

 

I dunno.

 

And seeing as how I don't actually live at home, maybe my right to comment is compromised, but this makes for very interesting reading : www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/good_neighbours_community.pdf

 

Cummon now. Look this "Dandiest_Guitarman" man has had, what two posts, on Shetlink at this present time and comes out with a comment like so.

 

Look, I'm sorry, but that is just the kind of thinking that makes anybody reading imagine the "League of Gentlemen" .. "Local shop for people local people" thinking and that Shetland is full of inbred backward thinking mutants, no?

 

By that very statement "Dandiest_Guitarman" is suggesting that since governmental policies are made in London and Edinburgh that people in Shetland don't have a say in what should transpire.

 

That in itself is a slightly askewed argument as as we all know policies are "centralised" anyhow :wink: (ooh... getting political!) .. but you get the gist!

 

McFly, you lived permanently in Shetland for 20 odd years of your development since you were a "peerie toot", travel between where you are now and Shetland, and still have family living and "breeding", (shock horror 8O ) in Shetland .. so:

 

What has it go to do with you anyway then?

 

? Hmm... let me ponder?

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When you are buying a pair of jeans for £3 do you never wonder why it is so cheap? What levels of exploitation are being supported in third world countries I wonder?

Price isn't everything, although I realise for many it is a priority. What about a Waitrose rather than a Tesco? Now they've moved into Scotland, why not Shetland - that would be a bit more in line with any aspirations to encourage local food sourcing.

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When you are buying a pair of jeans for £3 do you never wonder why it is so cheap? What levels of exploitation are being supported in third world countries I wonder?

Price isn't everything, although I realise for many it is a priority. What about a Waitrose rather than a Tesco? Now they've moved into Scotland, why not Shetland - that would be a bit more in line with any aspirations to encourage local food sourcing.

 

Two reasonable questions and I hope two reasonable answers. Jeans first. Just because you buy an expensive branded pair of jeans does not mean you have not exploited someone in the third world.......just means the brand makes bigger profits. Of course the jeans might not have come from the third world anyway.....we have sweat shops in the UK staffed by family and perhaps illegals working for a pittance. And I would remind you all that simply ending exploitation in the third world could lead to the situation where the exploited were starving as they now had no job.

 

Waitrose?. Not shopped in one but I understand they have a good reputation for quality and, as I mentioned in an earlier posting, competition can be on quality and service as well as price.

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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...

 

Yes, that's exactly what Tesco do in Britain. Shetland is not a big enough place to support three supermarkets. Tesco can afford to undercut rivals until they give up, then prices will go up and all choice gone. Chance are that in the process one or two local shops - a butchers, fish shop maybe -will also go bust. Is that really a desirable outcome?

 

Tesco know that when it comes to shopping people are very dumb. They can't help but think with their wallets. You offer someone a pallid, ill looking chicken that's been pumped full of chemicals and water and tastes like nothing, then show them a healthy free-range local chicken for a couple of pounds more. They'll take the crap every time.

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Fair point on global sourcing JustMe and I agree. Encouraging people to think about these issues in this debate is important, because it should never be just about whether everything is ridiculously cheap.

 

When food producers, in any country, are supplying Tesco or any of the other big 4 in the UK, approximately 35-40% of the produce supplied is either wasted or ultimately not eaten and thrown out. This is due to processing waste, transit damage and shelf life/use by date madness. Food producers prices are paired back to cover that equation. This is why the consumer pays circa 300-400% more for the product than the producer sells it for. And still its cheap so we don't need to worry about these things eh?

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6367511.stm

 

Just by coincidence I came upon this article about migrant workers in Cornwall.......exploitation is closer than we think.

 

Back to topic and I would ask those who say a third supermarket would not be viable in Shetland why both our supermarkets have expansion plans. Must be that they think they can sell more from a bigger store. Probably true but in that case a third supermarket would also be viable.

 

Could local shops in Lerwick survive another supermarket opening?. I am inclined to think that they could as long as they maintained the mix of quality, convenience, service and price that they have now. And that was not a misprint........my local shop is competitive on price for many items compared with the supermarkets.

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Further to my drunken ramblings last night, to get "on" the topic at hand ...

 

... it would be worth noting that Tesco are one of the dearer supermarkets that do the rounds.

 

All go Eleanor Scott with her letter in the times. I too would like to see the results of Nick Gellatly's report that "[..] local shopkeepers should have nothing to fear from Tesco's plans. Previous experience of opening stores in rural areas showed that small local shops received a boost as folk ended visting the 'butcher, the baker and candlestick maker' while they were in town on shopping trips."

 

Why would they when they can do all of that under one roof ala "supermarket"? I doubt we'll hear Nicks reply!

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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.

 

Mm, Tesco will likely run their own ferry in all weathers to ensure that their customers are never disappointed....

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Guest Anonymous
Look, I'm sorry, but that is just the kind of thinking that makes anybody reading imagine the "League of Gentlemen" .. "Local shop for people local people" thinking and that Shetland is full of inbred backward thinking mutants, no?

 

By that very statement "Dandiest_Guitarman" is suggesting that since governmental policies are made in London and Edinburgh that people in Shetland don't have a say in what should transpire.

 

No trout, the only person thinking league of Gentleman is you. As for your accusation that I am suggesting that Shetland folk don't have a say, that is total garbage - if you cannot get your facts right, don't bother to try and stir up trouble or at least try posting when you are not pissed.

 

I stated that people complaining were not living in Shetland. This does not suggest that Shetland folk have no right as to decide whether or not Tesco should come to the islands.

 

Look at the poll - it seems that Shetland folk DO want Tesco.

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Look, I'm sorry, but that is just the kind of thinking that makes anybody reading imagine the "League of Gentlemen" .. "Local shop for people local people" thinking and that Shetland is full of inbred backward thinking mutants, no?

 

By that very statement "Dandiest_Guitarman" is suggesting that since governmental policies are made in London and Edinburgh that people in Shetland don't have a say in what should transpire.

 

No trout, the only person thinking league of Gentleman is you. As for your accusation that I am suggesting that Shetland folk don't have a say, that is total garbage - if you cannot get your facts right, don't bother to try and stir up trouble or at least try posting when you are not pissed.

 

I stated that people complaining were not living in Shetland. This does not suggest that Shetland folk have no right as to decide whether or not Tesco should come to the islands.

 

Look at the poll - it seems that Shetland folk DO want Tesco.

 

Hmm. Try reading it again. The exact opposite of what you have written above.

 

Welcome to Shetlink by the way ;)

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