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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
 Posted - 11/11/2007 : 14:17:14
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Update: 13-2-08
the old Fopp music store now has a Notices on the windows
for Drinks Lic. etc
for New Mini Somerfield.
Close to the 99p store.
rswb posted this info first.
It is a small store with a big basement.
Downsizing due to the lack of profits
like Evil Tesco gets or Walmart UK.
Life In The City.
____________________________________________________________________
St.James St Somerfield
is in a mess
many of the Fridge Units
are leaking Water onto the Floor.
No staff around
all at the tills.
The Deli has been Downsized
so much of the Veg is now down in front of those counters.
The Fast Tills near the entrance
are no longer used
so they have Cake Stands in front of them.
Many of the Lights are not working
it is dirty on most floor space.
The whole store is a terrible state
they may as well close it down.
Sign Of The Times.
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Edited by - long time no see on 13/02/2008 12:32:01 |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
5856 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2007 : 14:24:02
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| Maybe they should turn it into a Greggs. Then Jimmy Street can benefit from the regenerative superpowers of these providers of real milk and Tetley tea. |
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2007 : 14:26:34
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No a M&S Food Store would be much better
there. |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
5856 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2007 : 14:39:46
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| An M&S food store? Have you looked at the type of people that frequent Jimmy Street? Hardly the M&S food store target group now is it? |
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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Control Panel
Discworld
1224 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2007 : 15:12:11
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Didn't Somerfields get an honourable mention in the very first Greggs posting?
Clearly its standards have slipped. This does not bode well for Greggs... |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2007 : 15:13:33
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M&S Food Stores
now do bargain deals.
They have changed much of their style doing far more
small amounts.
And at least if they had that Floor space the Fridge Units would all be working. |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
5856 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2007 : 15:22:31
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quote:
Originally posted by long time no see
And at least if they had that Floor space the Fridge Units would all be working.
M&S fridges never break down? |
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2007 : 15:24:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Control Panel
Didn't Somerfields get an honourable mention in the very first Greggs posting?
Clearly its standards have slipped. This does not bode well for Greggs...
London Road Somerfield did.
But not this St.James St
one.
Stop changing Facts. |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2007 : 15:27:30
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quote:
Originally posted by Miriam Binder
quote:
Originally posted by long time no see
And at least if they had that Floor space the Fridge Units would all be working.
M&S fridges never break down?
They May do
but their Staff care.
That St. James St Somerfield
has a few kids at the tills
and a fast changing staff.
They may know they are due to close. |
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Control Panel
Discworld
1224 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2007 : 15:28:33
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quote:
Originally posted by long time no see
quote:
Originally posted by Control Panel
Didn't Somerfields get an honourable mention in the very first Greggs posting?
Clearly its standards have slipped. This does not bode well for Greggs...
London Road Somerfield did.
But not this St.James St
one.
Stop changing Facts.
So why can't the London Road fridge engineer wlk over to St James's Street for a look, get out a spanner and fix things? |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2007 : 15:59:12
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Simple
London Road Somerfield
know the other branch is to close.
Somerfield have massive debts
selling the St.James St store
brings back some cash. |
Edited by - long time no see on 11/11/2007 16:00:23 |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
5856 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2007 : 16:10:47
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quote:
Originally posted by long time no see
Simple
London Road Somerfield
know the other branch is to close.
Fact or supposition again? Hmmmmmm ... |
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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Infinite Poppadum
Discworld
1292 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2007 : 17:16:13
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Will St James's Street, let alone Brighton, not to mention the world, be any the worse for the demise of Somerfield?
After all, hasn't LTNS been boosting Taj further along that street? |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
5856 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2007 : 17:17:57
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| I prefer the Taj opposite Waitrose .... far more variety there and that 'hot food' LTNS spoke about ages ago ... did that ever materialise? |
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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Fluffy Sheep
Discworld
1186 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2007 : 22:13:40
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Our local Somerfield leaves much to be desired at times. Queues even at peak times while only a couple of tills are open, we`ve also had the leaky fridges, and the down-sized deli (that eventually disappeared altogether) AND the ever less adventurous greengrocery section. AND the cakes or melons etc. on offer piled at the entrance.. Maybe worst of all, the dratted mind-of-their-own square-wheeled trolleys, inherited, like most of the staff, from Kwik Save, with the logo changed on handles/uniforms respectively.
But the STAFF there, they`re mostly local folks who are stressed and thinly spread, trying to keep that store viable and keep their jobs, and very few of them would ever stand a chance of being employed at M&S or Sainsbury`s. They are a bit half-soaked at times, but they are a decent bunch, and in their own way, in a `rough diamond` way, caring, and kind. There`s many older folks and young mums who shop there as it`s within walking distance for them(or walking there then short taxi ride home)and I`ve seen many instances of the staff going that extra bit to be helpful. Shop-workers are just people, after all, and they`ve not had a rapid turnover of staff, it`s mostly the same folks, young `uns and a handful of middle-aged ladies. No airs and graces, it`s a bit like the `corner shop on a much larger scale. And they1`ve seen a few managerial types come ...and go! |
Row faster, slaves! Caesar wants to waterski! |
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Hambag
Barsoom
140 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2007 : 12:20:01
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As a relatively new Kemp Town local, I concur. Somerfield is shit. The shelves are often bare. You hear out of uniform employees arguing with their supervisors by the tills. The "cash only" sign on the fast tills looks like it's been written by a child on crack. Half the employees look like they have escaped care homes and have the attention span to match. I'm fine with rough diamond but I don't like being made to wait after queuing for 15 minutes as the guy on the checkout scans one item every 20 seconds as he gawps at some none event in the distance.
Somerfield HQ need to get a trouble shooter in there ..or maybe just a shooter.
I tend to go to Sainsbury's on Lewes Road instead to get some decent grub. |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2007 : 13:19:32
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Very true
it is like a Doomed store. |
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Fluffy Sheep
Discworld
1186 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2007 : 18:18:38
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| Hambag, you may be right, some of them might have grown up in care homes. Surely some of them, at least, could respond to appropriate training and management? If their work is consistently half-hearted, and they`re still there... that says a lot about store management to me. |
Row faster, slaves! Caesar wants to waterski! |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
5856 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2007 : 18:56:58
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I have been to that Somerfield in Jimmy Street and I must admit that since Safeway left and was taken over by Morrison's who then left and were taken over by Somerfield, it has deteriorated quite a bit. At first many changes were introduced but ... and I think that is the main problem for any supermarket in that particular location, they have a very small local and a much larger passing trade customer base. It must be as disheartening for the people that work there as for people that pop in there on a regular basis.
Okay, I'm going to stick my neck out here but ... There are a couple of supermarkets I am a regular at. One is large(ish) (Asda at the Marina), the other one is a wee bit smaller then the Somerfield in Jimmy Street. In both of them I have a banter, a laugh or a joke and ... in some instances having to remember that it was her/his mother/little boy that was ill last week. I take the trouble to remember faces. Now admittedly, not all the staff are equally friendly but ... in the main shopping is a much pleasanter experience because I take the trouble and believe me, it is appreciated and reciprocated. Oh, and I will go doubly out of my way to let a manager know when a shop assistant has been helpful above and beyond the call of duty.
I think the point I am trying to make is that a pleasant shopping experience is the responsibility not just of the store, its management and the staff. It is also the responsibility of the shopper. If you have particular issues to address, surely the best way would be to write a note to the store manager. But aside from that, shop assistants are people who for the most part are doing a job. Some may well be of limited capacity but for the most part each and everyone responds better to being treated like a fellow human traveller. |
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2007 : 19:15:39
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Sure Miriam, the Manager,
you could try
and you may even get a standard posted thank you reply.
They print them in advance
and just add your name, of course.
But something "the last few weeks" has changed in that St.James St store
it does feel like it is a matter of time before it could close.
Life In The City. |
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Control Panel
Discworld
1224 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2007 : 19:42:40
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I think that Miriam is right that in even the most ghastly shop there are staff who welcome a joke - and can make even better ones in their turn.
What does Councillor Gill Mitchell have to say about Somerfield? Is she seen there? Perhaps Lidl is more convenient for her. Have the Greens made any comments on Somerfield?
If Somerfield is going, what will take its place? Is there something going on behind the scenes? |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
5856 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2007 : 19:48:56
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quote:
Originally posted by long time no see
Sure Miriam, the Manager,
you could try
and you may even get a standard posted thank you reply.
They print them in advance
and just add your name, of course.
But something "the last few weeks" has changed in that St.James St store
it does feel like it is a matter of time before it could close.
Life In The City.
I take it then you haven't even bothered ... preferring instead to come on here and rant about their inefficiency. |
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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Fluffy Sheep
Discworld
1186 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2007 : 20:07:48
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| I do agree with Miriam, shoppers should try and do their bit in the human interaction with shop staff. Also I agree that praise should be passed on when it`s due, and I take any opportunity to do so. The trouble with our local Somerfield, is that over the last 5 years, as Kwiks then as Somerfield, there have been so many different managers that this doesn`t do HALF as much for the individual being praised as a few words to that individual, spoken audibly in the hearing of other shoppers and of his/her colleagues. |
Row faster, slaves! Caesar wants to waterski! |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
5856 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2007 : 20:11:40
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| That goes without saying Fluffy. |
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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Fluffy Sheep
Discworld
1186 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2007 : 20:16:59
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| But it`d be so much better if there was a Manager who stayed there long enough to actually MANAGE! |
Row faster, slaves! Caesar wants to waterski! |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2007 : 20:23:08
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quote:
Originally posted by Miriam Binder
I take it then you haven't even bothered ... preferring instead to come on here and rant about their inefficiency.
Miriam you are Very Wrong.
This is Not a Rant thread.
I go to Head Office - Direct. |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
5856 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2007 : 20:27:57
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quote:
Originally posted by long time no see
Miriam you are Very Wrong.
This is Not a Rant thread.
I go to Head Office - Direct.
Well, we have your word for that. |
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin |
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Control Panel
Discworld
1224 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2007 : 20:31:57
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posted by long time no see
quote:
I go to Head Office - Direct.
This might sound terrifying, the stuff of the Desert War - but what is the result, on the ground, in Kemp Town, after General Long Time has sent these missiles/missives in the direction of Herr Rommel at Head Office?
Has General Long Time simply received a standard reply about "thank you for your interest"? |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
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Fluffy Sheep
Discworld
1186 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2007 : 20:44:33
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Head office feedback isn`t immediate, and I`m sure it`s more in the line of serious complaint, or outstanding praise.
I DID actually write to a store head office - Wilkinsons, a couple of years ago. I was really impressed by the contrast in attitude between their staff and that of other stores at the time - I was Christmas shopping, all the shops in town were heaving, and yet the staff in Wilkinsons were as `out-of their-way` helpful as ever. I did a letter to the head office, and a copy to the local store manager, handed both in at the customer services counter and told the assistant what they were about. Well worth the effort. |
Row faster, slaves! Caesar wants to waterski! |
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Fluffy Sheep
Discworld
1186 Posts |
Posted - 12/11/2007 : 20:54:41
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| And thanks for that link, LTNS...I have the time this week, and I`ll do it, I`ll tell the head office what I told you folks here about our local Somerfield store. |
Row faster, slaves! Caesar wants to waterski! |
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Topic |
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Somerfield to move into Fopp Store