Diversity of, or lack of, shopping in Shetland

[dodd]

This thread has been split from the cinema and music venue discussion

 

What about Somerfields? We're getting a £10 Million extension soon. Though I'll have left for uni by then.

 

Does this mean we will now be getting better sevice from the appalling staff and the near out of date fresh food?

 

I sould also say that I am in favour of the cinema/venue, this can only but help with the increasing problem of youths hanging about the streets complaining that they have nothing or nowhere to go. It will also give the tourists something to do once they have completed the tour which takes all of 2-3 boring days. Shetland and in particular Lerwick is very much in need of a facelift. I have been informed by many a visitor that on the approach to Lerwick and subsequent tour through the town it appears tired and dull. That there are very few shops of interest and what is there charges through the nose for cheap "tat". I must agree with these comments that I have heard (all i can say is thank god for the Internet- even then though many companies consider Shetland as the end of the earth and will not deliver here, and if you make arrangements to have artilces delivered through local shipping companies they charge a premium rate to do so). It is about time that the council stopped thinking of themselves and putting the future economy and the up and coming young persons first by allowing national companies to bring business to Shetland either as sole entities or under franchise. This can only benefit the public by providing jobs and introducing some competitiveness with the local businesses. Example being petrol, it costs 91.9p per litre in Aberdeen for petrol, but here in shetland we are paying at least 12p more per litre.

I could go on all night with the lack of choice in Shetland and how rundown the whole place looks, but think now is the time to stop, before I start getting hate mail!!

However just before I go I would like to say that Shetland has a vibrant culture, it is about time local businesses the council and tourist industry took advantage of this to the benefit of all. This could so easily be a wonderful place for cruise ships to stop-and shop! Word of mouth can be just as effective as advertising. The Narrona is soon to stop docking in Shetland because it is not economically viable to do so, how long before the other cruise companied follow??

[dB]

[quote="dodd

 

 

Does this mean we will now be getting better sevice from the appalling staff and the near out of date fresh food?

I've always found the staff in Somerfields to be a helpful and cheery bunch. Politeness and a smile go a long way to getting good service. Maybe you should try it sometime.

 

It is about time that the council stopped thinking of themselves and putting the future economy and the up and coming young persons first by allowing national companies to bring business to Shetland either as sole entities or under franchise.

Can you provide evidence or perhaps a link to prove that the council prohibits national companies from opening branches in Shetland? Pardon me for not holding my breath waiting.

 

I could go on all night with the lack of choice in Shetland and how rundown the whole place looks

One choice we all have is whether or not to live here. There's plenty of flights and a boat every day. Why don't you exercise your right to choose one of them, preferably on a one-way ticket?

[whodat]

db,

 

Yawn.

 

Yours is a typical reply of many on this forum. Instead of debate, you attack. Basically you are saying "Get out if you disagree with anything I say! How dare you besmirch our islands!"

 

I too have, almost without exception (two staff the exception!), found service in local supermarkets to be appalling. Barely in date shopping is shoved through by sullen faced staff either too grumpy to speak or too busy talking to their colleagues.

 

I recommend you visit other stores in other places sometime, get out a bit more. Not all are perfect, but my goodness, they are on the whole better than what we have here.

 

And I choose to live here, pal, and will NOT be told to get out by anyone merely because I exercise my democratic right to free speech.

 

Or could it be, gasp! that like myself, Dodd does not have a Shetland accent and therefore does not qualify for a reasonable degree of service.

Don't insult my intelligence by saying it doesn't happen. I have lived here for many years and still have the accent I was brought up with. I resolutely refuse to insult Shetlanders by attempting to adopt words, accents, phrases, etc, just to fit in. By and large you are an incredibly warm and welcoming folk, but I have had enough grief in pubs and other places over the years, purely for my accent, just to put it down to coincidence.

 

As for manners and smiling, I adopt both without fail, even when seething within while my shopping is being crammed at high speed through the scanner into a tiny space, without the offer of assistance to pack (and me an "older person" too, shock horror) or the common courtesy one expects anywhere in a service industry.

 

As to national companies, my God, look in the local papers. If they gang up and attempt to cripple honest competition from a "local" (Chris Hodges ring any bells? No?) how are nationals expected to get a foothold. As for evidence, look around, Somerfield, Co-op, Hydro-electric, emmm... uhhhh. Nope, can't think of many more.

 

Next time you reply to a post, whether you disagree or not, try extending the common courtesy you waffle about, rather than flinging vitriol.

 

I don't suppose you work or have a link to Somerfield in some way? A nerve touched perhaps? Ot do you simply believe that life in Shetland is perfect? If you don't work there, perhaps you should, you would go a long way yourself in the service industry with a hostile attitude like yours, my friend. Not that I would expect you to admit it anyway.

 

Not nice to be attacked is it? But it happens all too often in this forum, which - excuse me - I always thought was about free speech?

 

Perhaps you can persuade the moderators to make sure that you are native born and bred before you can post?

 

Or perhaps it is you who should move away, get some experience of life outside the islands, or move to a country where you are not allowed such free speech?

 

Gie's peace. No, really, I mean it.

[whodat]

dB,

 

PS your request for "evidence" of such malfeasance exhibits a naivety that is almost endearing. If such existed, then legal action would, I am sure, be taken by any such wronged parties. Just because it does not exist, it does not mean it does not happen, it merely means that any such decisions are "covered" in other ways, or dealt with covertly, rather than overtly.

 

Once again, I refer to gaining life experience and humbly suggest , for your own sake, that you try it.

 

[Ghostrider]

One choice we all have is whether or not to live here. There's plenty of flights and a boat every day. Why don't you exercise your right to choose one of them, preferably on a one-way ticket?

 

This subject deserves a far more detailed response, but for now a word in reply to this comment.

 

Not everyone by any means has that choice, a large number do for sure, but a number, through one kind of personal circumstance or another, simply don't. The list is endless, from people with committments they can't get out of without bankrupting themselves, thereby removing their ability to go anywhere anyway, to those with disability/health issues who simply don't possess the physical ability to do so. For those at least, if here is where you are, here is where you're staying for the forseeable, and you've got to make the best of it, which most definitely includes your right to exercise your opinion and influence on how things are and are done here in the here and now.

[JustMe]

dodd wrote

Does this mean we will now be getting better sevice from the appalling staff and the near out of date fresh food? Rolling Eyes

 

I am not sure which branch of Somerfield you shop at but I have found the staff in Somerfield very friendly. Short dated food?.....two reasons for that. Simple distance from the packing and distribution centres and Somerfield's policy which seems to be to date perishable foods so they are still perfect the day after the date expires.

 

It will also give the tourists something to do once they have completed the tour which takes all of 2-3 boring days. Shetland and in particular Lerwick is very much in need of a facelift. I have been informed by many a visitor that on the approach to Lerwick and subsequent tour through the town it appears tired and dull. That there are very few shops of interest and what is there charges through the nose for cheap "tat". I must agree with these comments that I have heard

 

If a tourist comes to Shetland and completes a tour in "2-3 boring days" then in my considered opinion that tourist should not have come to Shetland. Lerwick may not look freshly polished for the tourists but that is simply because Lerwick is a working town where tourists should be able to enjoy the difference between Lerwick and their home town. If "shops of interest" is meant to refer to places selling souvenirs I can only say that my recent experience when showing a relative around town was high quality goods at high but reasonable prices.

 

 

 

It is about time that the council stopped thinking of themselves and putting the future economy and the up and coming young persons first by allowing national companies to bring business to Shetland either as sole entities or under franchise.

 

To add to an earlier posting Boots, Intersport and Mackays all have Lerwick stores.......Hays and North Eastern farmers are mainland firms. Bound to be more somewhere in Shetland so I do not see that the council is stopping national companies opening here.......in fact they would not dare do that as they could suffer huge financial penalties if they tried.

[dodd]

Thanks to everyone who stood in my corner, and emphasised that this facility is all about freedom of speach.

I would also like to emphasise that there are many employees of the local supermarkets who are gracious and helpful (and yes I am polite and never forget to say thankyou and please!) As for out of date food, in this day and age no consumer should be expected to just accept that the fresh food is still okay to purchase items that are out of date that day and consume it after the sell buy date just because it is Shetland. Goodness me we are only 12 hours away by boat and 1 hour by air, how can food be put on the shelf so close to its sell buy date, when the same and other well known supermarkets on the mainland have fresh food on the shelf with a week still left before the sell buy date.

I have obviously tread on some toes with my thoughts, but for those who dont agree its your opinion just like i have mine.

[JustMe]

dodd wrote

Example being petrol, it costs 91.9p per litre in Aberdeen for petrol, but here in shetland we are paying at least 12p more per litre.

 

Each litre of petrol has to get here which means a dedicated product tanker that has to return to the mainland empty. That adds costs for the fuel companies. (Just think what it would cost you to send a parcel the same weight as a litre of fuel from here to Grangemouth)

 

There is a glimmer of hope over fuel costs.......get the government to cut taxes on fuel for island communities. Meanwhile we just have to pay up or drive less.

[Marooned in Maywick]

As for out of date food, in this day and age no consumer should be expected to just accept that the fresh food is still okay to purchase items that are out of date that day and consume it after the sell buy date just because it is Shetland. Goodness me we are only 12 hours away by boat and 1 hour by air, how can food be put on the shelf so close to its sell buy date, when the same and other well known supermarkets on the mainland have fresh food on the shelf with a week still left before the sell buy date.

 

Hmmm, the obvious solution then is to buy your fresh produce from one of the mainland supermarkets.

 

Honestly, I can't see why this is an issue. If you know that you're not going to be able to consume the product within the use by date (NOT the sell by date - I hope you're not confusing the two...sorry if that appears patronising, it's not meant to be) then simply don't buy it. If it means doing without something for a day or two then so be it - we all know that deliveries are dependent on a variety of circumstances and sometimes we DO have to do without.

[Muppet]

dodd wrote

Example being petrol, it costs 91.9p per litre in Aberdeen for petrol, but here in shetland we are paying at least 12p more per litre.

 

Each litre of petrol has to get here which means a dedicated product tanker that has to return to the mainland empty. That adds costs for the fuel companies. (Just think what it would cost you to send a parcel the same weight as a litre of fuel from here to Grangemouth)

 

There is a glimmer of hope over fuel costs.......get the government to cut taxes on fuel for island communities. Meanwhile we just have to pay up or drive less.

 

Not sure I would let them off so lightly JustMe.

 

A product tanker will carry around 600 tonnes of fuel. Thats 600 000 litres at 12p, I dont think it can cost £72 000 every trip from grangemouth to Shetland. If it does, i'm off to buy a tanker!

[Ghostrider]

dodd wrote

Example being petrol, it costs 91.9p per litre in Aberdeen for petrol, but here in shetland we are paying at least 12p more per litre.

 

Each litre of petrol has to get here which means a dedicated product tanker that has to return to the mainland empty. That adds costs for the fuel companies. (Just think what it would cost you to send a parcel the same weight as a litre of fuel from here to Grangemouth)

 

There is a glimmer of hope over fuel costs.......get the government to cut taxes on fuel for island communities. Meanwhile we just have to pay up or drive less.

 

This isn't stricty a fair comparison. BP don't maintain a fleet of product tankers to service Shetland alone, they ferry fuel to a whole slew of other distribution depots as well, and assumedly return empty from each one, sailing back light is not just a Shetland phenomena, it has to be assumed it's the norm for the whole fleet.

 

That said, there is grounds in a lot of people's minds to argue that a multi-national the size BP, supplying a product that is an essential part of life as we know it for virtually everyone, has a certain "duty" to pool it's entire distribution costs as a single sum, and recover them from it's entire national sales, in much the same way as Royal Mail supplies a nationwide uniform rate letter delivery service.

[JustMe]

Ghostrider wrote

That said, there is grounds in a lot of people's minds to argue that a multi-national the size BP, supplying a product that is an essential part of life as we know it for virtually everyone, has a certain "duty" to pool it's entire distribution costs as a single sum, and recover them from it's entire national sales, in much the same way as Royal Mail supplies a nationwide uniform rate letter delivery service.

 

An equal charge ex-delivery truck for all petrol might sound good.....except that BP has to compete with other multinationals who just do not supply remote areas.

[dB]

 

Basically you are saying "Get out if you disagree with anything I say! How dare you besmirch our islands!"

I didn't say that. Check the post if you don't believe me.

 

I too have, almost without exception (two staff the exception!), found service in local supermarkets to be appalling. Barely in date shopping is shoved through by sullen faced staff either too grumpy to speak or too busy talking to their colleagues.

I'm very sorry to hear that. It does make me wonder though, why should I get perfectly acceptable service from the vast majority of the staff? Maybe my standards are too low or maybe my general attitude is different.

 

I recommend you visit other stores in other places sometime, get out a bit more. Not all are perfect, but my goodness, they are on the whole better than what we have here.

Why should I? I'm perfectly happy with the shops I use in Shetland. There's one local shop I will never set foot in again due to appalling service but that's my choice and their loss. I generally get good service wherever I choose to shop - perhaps the problem lies with the shopper, rather than the shop???

 

And I choose to live here, pal, and will NOT be told to get out by anyone merely because I exercise my democratic right to free speech.

I completely agree with the concept of freedom of speech. I'm exercising my rights just as you and Dodd exercised yours. That's the whole point of a forum such as this. And I'm not your pal.

 

but I have had enough grief in pubs and other places over the years, purely for my accent, just to put it down to coincidence.

You're sure it's just your accent that invites grief ???

 

while my shopping is being crammed at high speed through the scanner

"Crammed" and "through the scanner"???

My shopping is passed past the scanner so it can read the bar code. That's why it's called a scanner. I'm sorry to hear someone trys to "cram" yours "through" the scanner. That must make a right mess. They really should take more care re staff training. I suggest bring it to the manager's attention.

If they're doing it at high speed then good for them. I'd rather that than have to stand and wait for it. The queues would be horrendous.

 

As to national companies, my God, look in the local papers. If they gang up and attempt to cripple honest competition from a "local" (Chris Hodges ring any bells? No?)

Is that the same Chris Hodge who's trading out the North Road? Not sure what your point is but I'm sure you'll enlighten us.

 

As for evidence, look around, Somerfield, Co-op, Hydro-electric, emmm... uhhhh. Nope, can't think of many more.

That's all you can think of ???? Try harder or get the local phone book. In that you'll find (off the top of my head) Highland Fuels, BP (North Ness), Allens of Gillock, Hay and Co, Baroc, Intersport, Boots, MacKays, A9, Baker Tilly and most of the charity shops. (apologies to any businesses omitted or included in error)

 

Next time you reply to a post, whether you disagree or not, try extending the common courtesy you waffle about, rather than flinging vitriol.

Anyone

 

I don't suppose you work or have a link to Somerfield in some way?

I shop there. Is that a good enough link to have an opinion?

 

If you don't work there, perhaps you should, you would go a long way yourself in the service industry with a hostile attitude like yours, my friend. Not that I would expect you to admit it anyway.

I should work there - why??? And, I would humbly suggest that the hostile attitude isn't exclusively mine.

 

Not nice to be attacked is it? But it happens all too often in this forum, which - excuse me - I always thought was about free speech?

Attacked??? On a forum - attacked with words??? Yeah, it's hellish.

You're right, it is about free speech. That's what we're all doing. Some folk just haven't noticed.

 

Perhaps you can persuade the moderators to make sure that you are native born and bred before you can post?

Why should I? Rule myself out for a start.

 

Or perhaps it is you who should move away, get some experience of life outside the islands, or move to a country where you are not allowed such free speech?

Anyone able to help with this one???

[dB]

dB,

 

PS your request for "evidence" of such malfeasance exhibits a naivety that is almost endearing. If such existed, then legal action would, I am sure, be taken by any such wronged parties. Just because it does not exist, it does not mean it does not happen, it merely means that any such decisions are "covered" in other ways, or dealt with covertly, rather than overtly.

 

Once again, I refer to gaining life experience and humbly suggest , for your own sake, that you try it.

 

 

 

Conspiracy theories are soooo last year. Fascinating as your theory is I prefer to deal in facts. The fact is, companies from outwith Shetland have set up bases in Shetland for hundreds of years.

The theory that the big bad council somehow keeps non-Shetland businesses (whatever that means) out, without anyone being able to prove it, displays a shocking ignorance of real life and, as you so quaintly put it exhibits a naivety that is almost endearing.

 

Regarding your advice on gaining life experience. By presuming I'm in some need of it you merely highlight your lack of it.

Good luck, I hope you eventually find it.

[trout]

Right. Quit bickering moomin-for-tat like small children with little sarcastic inuendos towards each other .. that goes to everyone on this thread! Otherwise I'm just going to close it!