Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Co-op

Another holiday period and once again we are faced with empty shelves in the Co-op. Is this going to be another summer without fruit and vegetables? As a loyal customer my patience is wearing thin. Suddenly home delivery by other supermarkets that don't trade in Swanage seems very appealing.



Posted by Anonymous to swanageview at 12/4/11 9:46 AM
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31 comments:

Anonymous said...

you could allways ask the very rude manager what he has to say about it, after his reply you definetly wont shop there.
"good with food"

12/4/11 2:47 pm
Anonymous said...

I drive to Sainsbury's in Wareham now to do my weekly shop. Coop runs out of the most bizarre things. Surely the till sends a message to the warehouse and the stuff gets delivered for the following day -NOT!
Someone puts the weather forecast into the system + takes note of holiday periods and the supply chain machine responds accordingly -NOT!
It's also irritating that people who walk to the Coop are in effect subsidising those who get their car parking fee back. Why don't we all get 50p/£1.20 off our bills? What if I arrive by helicpter -how much should I get then?

12/4/11 6:54 pm
Anonymous said...

We have been using online ordering from Waitrose for a few weeks. Generally OK but they also run out of things like the sort of coffee we buy quite often. Theres no delivery charge of you go over 50 quid, unlike some firms and contrary to urban legend the prices are competitive Recommended and it beats flogging halfway across the county for groceries.

12/4/11 11:03 pm
Anonymous said...

Here's a nice morning out (and cheap, if you have a bus pass):

-take the morning W&D 40 to Asda in Poole (or to the Sovereign Centre if you have other errands). You can load up on the weeks' groceries, have a cuppa, a good chat, and come home with everything you need.

-or, to liven things up, take the 50 W&D to the Asda by the rail station in Bournemouth - including a ride on the ferry.

Both trips beat the frustration of not finding what you need at the Coop. And if you are short on time, you can take the bus to Sainsbury's in Wareham.

13/4/11 1:23 am
Reece de Ville said...

It's very poor that 2 supermarkets in a small radius of one another can't even sort out fresh fruit and veg.

Unfortunately, there isn't a local shop solution as such that's affordable for the weekly/monthly shop.

Increasingly, it seems that online ordering is the way to go in Swanage (if we had a reliable internet system, but, hey, that's another discussion ;0) ) as clothes shopping is out, as is indulging in music and film purchases etc. Happy to go to Southampton or Bournemouth but I'd love to have the opportunity to go local more too.

It does seem - as many have suggested - that those who live here all year round are being swept aside for the needs of the (much needed and welcomed!) tourists during the summer. Shops are more than happy to stock up and open then, but then leave us in a bit of a ghost town - which is not only a real shame for those who visit off-season, but a bit of a slap in the face for the rest of us.

We live in a town that takes TWO MONTHS to decide on whether to convert one or two taxi spaces to disabled spaces. Councillers, give us a bit of faith back in this wonderful town - show you care about us a little and you'll reap the rewards.

13/4/11 6:42 pm
Anonymous said...

I can't believe someone is running Ron the mnager down, he has done so much good wqorkds for the town and extremly very generous on giving for all the fundraising events. Last year at the Armed forces weekend he not only supplied raffle prizes he aslos gace a lot of stuff to support the event. I know this is not the only chsrities he supports. People are always grumbling!

16/4/11 1:44 pm
Anonymous said...

I can't believe someone is running Ron the mnager down, he has done so much good wqorkds for the town and extremly very generous on giving for all the fundraising events. Last year at the Armed forces weekend he not only supplied raffle prizes he aslos gace a lot of stuff to support the event. I know this is not the only chsrities he supports. People are always grumbling


he also gives out bad moods no stock and rudeness unwilling to listen and no customer care attitude. other than that he is fine ....i suppose.

17/4/11 9:27 am
Reece de Ville said...

One of his senior staff also gave a mock Nazi salute in full view of a jewish customer. Lovely stuff.

You can be the nicest man in the world but if you can't supply your customers with what they need then its time to move on. Too many excuses are made for shop owners who are 'really nice people' but who sell nothing of interest and are stopping fabulous shops opening because they've been here for years and therefore have some sort of right to stay open.

17/4/11 10:54 am
Anonymous said...

......"are stopping fabulous shops opening"......

Such as?

17/4/11 1:26 pm
sansom62 said...

 store ☂

17/4/11 1:45 pm
Reece de Ville said...

Well, the high street is incredibly tired and certain shops open during the summer. And not everyone wants fudge or to shop for large ladies pants.

We have wonderful new shops with Janine Dreyson, Chococo and others dotted around. But none in the high street.

17/4/11 3:07 pm
Anonymous said...

Janine Drayson's shop is in the High Street, It runs from the East Bar to Herston. I too am intrigued by the thought of the shops that cannot open. I do like the idea of boring businesses being called upon to shut down. Women's clothes shops are very boring so that takes care of most shopping centres as that is pretty much all they have.

17/4/11 8:00 pm
Reece de Ville said...

Yep, a wonderful cornacopia of shopping in Herston.

Anyway, as much as I love talking to Geoff Anonymous....that is your real name isn't it? ;)

17/4/11 8:26 pm
Anonymous said...

Sorry, I am not Geoff. I just thought you were a little geographically challenged. Do you really think some official body should have the right to close businesses for being boring? Lovely idea, but a bit harsh for the customers. If they did not have customers they would be out of business. Why stop at shops? Insurance firms and accountants are even duller than ladies pants shops.

17/4/11 8:47 pm
Reece de Ville said...

Sorry Geoff.

I didn't say close them down for being boring, but the area does need a bit of life injected into it. There are some great little shops in Swanage, but not necessarily in the centre of town (ok, not the 'high street' but certainly the high street as others would see it).

No harm in having a rethink and a few thoughts brought forward As all towns get a little stale after a while. Again, not advocating mass closures, but maybe a debate on how local shops serve the community.

Please post your name - easy to do and means I don't have to give you a fake one - easy to lose track of Mr & Mrs Anonymous :)

17/4/11 8:58 pm
Anonymous said...

It is a little more complicated. For local shops to serve the community directly the members of the community would have to turn up and buy things from them. In a seaside resort a high proportion of the turning up and buying is done by non residents. Shops like Chococo and Janine's are very much dependent on this. They benefit the town as a whole indirectly because the staff and owners then spend a proportion of the money coming from outside the town with other local businesses.

Do you think the owners of the drabber businesses are interested in turning up for a meeting to have their failings debated in public. I am struggling with this concept.

17/4/11 9:19 pm
Reece de Ville said...

I'm not talking about a moaning session aimed at particular shops - and I do realise how a seaside town works too.

However, I am saying it's surely worth an open debate - as we all live here (I assume you do although you will stay anonymous won't you ;) ) and want the best for the place. My original point was that just because you've had a business here for years doesn't mean that it isn't be time for a rethink on you serve your customers and the community. it doesn't mean closing down, merely tweaking to represent a wider variety of customer - or at least have the potential to do so.
Also, Chococo and Janine's shop rely more on online business than they do shop sales - passing trade just isn't enough. Chococo are now in Selfridges for instance and
no doubt make more from their than Swanage. Which is probably the future for a sea-side town. A mix of shops that can also operate online in the low season.

I guess I'd just like to see some of these shops more 'front and centre' , but that is, of course, my personal opinion.

17/4/11 9:30 pm
sansom62 said...

I for one would like to improve my business in the way I think fit and I know many people would agree . But it would cost a few hundred grand , I am sure there are a few others as well so if you know how to then you could make a film for us humble shopkeepers . Seriously , if a shop is still trading and paying the rent then end of story.
I think your ideas are not particulary new , and to me it sounds like some spiele from the 30s.

17/4/11 10:00 pm
Anonymous said...

I too struggle with the idea that a shop serves the community rather than its customers. Community is one of those nice vague, warm words and we are all in favour of it, but what does it mean?

17/4/11 10:33 pm
Anonymous said...

I agree with Reece - what was the last thing you actually bought in Swanage? Some of the shop displays are years old, and not in a good way. And *why* do so many of them insist on selling Gollies?! Way to be both offensive and old fashioned in one go. When friends from outside of Purbeck come to visit I am embarrassed to take them into town.

18/4/11 8:59 am
Anonymous said...

There are good and bad aspects to the Swanage time warp experience. I hear a lot of praise for the good aspects from visitors. Unfortunately there is also a proportion of residents whose attitudes suggest they think the place is immune from changes that have taken place in the rest of the world. Gollies is a good example. Thinking it is amusing to black-up for the carnival procession is another. The sort of common sense sensitivity to others that is taken for granted elsewhere is regarded as the height of misplaced political correctness by some here.

We have a residue of shops left over from the tourist demographic Swanage had a generation ago. Are they the problem?

18/4/11 10:12 am
Anonymous said...

Also part of our heritage is burning people accused of witchcraft, throwing the contents of pisspots onto the streets from upstairs windows and catching syphilis from local prostitutes. Is there an appropriate novelty gift range for all that too?

18/4/11 5:08 pm
Anonymous said...

Quite 3.01. Your attitude is exactly what I meant. Totally oblivious of how things have changed. Very Swanage.

18/4/11 5:56 pm
Anonymous said...

Quite 3.01. Your attitude is exactly what I meant. Totally oblivious of how things have changed. Very Swanage

you can allways leave. and attitudes have been forced upon us.and i hope the moderator removes the p£££ pot post. I am white english and proud dont force multicultural bs on me they are your ideas not mine you are entitled to your opinions and me mine. all are welcome but not at the cost of freedom of speech

18/4/11 7:54 pm
Anonymous said...

Is that a stab at post ironic humour?

18/4/11 8:40 pm
Anonymous said...

Its a shame that many discussions on here end in a rant. The intial poster, intended, it seems, to offer a way of encouraging what we have got in Swanage, even better. It must be a good thing to support local shops as far as possible. Who would choose to drive to Asda/Tescos by choice, there are far more exciting ways to spend time. And would have thought it to be a good thing to support the local economy which in turn encourges employment.

Pleased that this sort of discussion, is happening though, as it shows that people are thinking about the future of Swanage!!

It would be good to attract some exciting new businesses to the town.

Reece has some good ideas, Swanage needs to be outwardlooking and open to changes if going to survive.


That said, the Co-op for me is a good ethical shop, is supportive of local groups and is a good local employer. The staff have always been more than helful! So speaking with cup half full, why don't we find out the root of the problem and why the shelves are sometimes empty.
Off to the Coop this evening, will ask the manager what the problem is and post the reply.

Wouldn't we rather support the local shops so we keep them rather than shop online and in Poole/Bournemouth and lose them. Everyone is free to do whatever but we shouldn't complain when, one day, we get snowed in and the shops will only serve their regular customer or they have closed down owing to lack of support.

21/4/11 12:22 pm
Anonymous said...

Snowed in at Swanage? I dont think so, at least not for more than a few hours if very unlucky.

The Co op suffers from a poor delivery service from its depot. They cant be bothered to organise it all properly according to the staff anyway.

Time for some competition perhaps?

21/4/11 10:48 pm
Anonymous said...

What makes you think the other members of the supermarket oligopoly are any better. What competition? The spend huge amounts on adverts telling us they cut prices but my weekly shop just goes on getting dearer. That must be how they pay for the ads.

21/4/11 11:57 pm
Gary not-so-Subtle said...

'Insurance firms and accountants are even duller than ladies pants shops.'

Who says accountants are dull??!! We are rather nice people, actually!

22/4/11 11:48 pm
Anonymous said...

I am sure you are. They used to say that actuaries were people who found accountancy too exciting and while there are lively accountants their business premises, like any other offices. do lack somewhat in visual appeal to the passer-by.

23/4/11 9:05 pm
Anonymous said...

So accountants' offices lack visual appeal. So which type of business is it that displays the illuminated "Welcome to Swanage" sign throughout the summer and on other significant days? Is it not that same office that has a large floral display on its premises throughout the summer and on a number of occasions won the business section of Swanage in Bloom? I think you will find they are an accountancy firm!

26/4/11 8:43 pm

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