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Anubis
Barsoom
279 Posts |
 Posted - 12/11/2007 : 22:49:12
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This site has become a VERY INTERESTING read! It made me conscious of how the food-shopping business has changed over the years. I remember the 1950s, when Sainsbury's was a shop where customers were individually served .. then Tesco arrived: "Stack 'em high and sell 'em cheap" was Cohen's slogan -- cheap it was but almost always of VERY inferior quality (I remember buying some Tesco tea that proved quite undrinkable!). Arriving in Brighton in the 60s, the supermarkets were becoming established. In the mid 1960s, when we arrived here, Churchill Square was beginning to be create, Soon, both Sainsburys AND Tescos competed in the Square, the latter on the lower level. Sainsburys soon lost out and withdrew -- Tesco was a larger store and lasted longer (all this prior to the putting on of the "roof") The two Asdas came later. The situation now? I'm sure we are all different in the money we spend and the commodities we seek to buy -- but we find, even with the latest new store, Sainsburys, once the really superior store, is now just expensive and disappointing in what it offers, Tescos (we mostly use the Hove store) is probably the best for variety/quantity of items (but the meat section is a worry -- note the amount of blood everywhere -- but if it's alcohol you want, probably Asda every time, price wise. Otherwise it varies according to the item you want -- if you like cheap beer, Asda's Own "best bitter" is really good value for money (compared to the equally priced Tesco which is rather horrid) ... but NEVER buy a pie from Asda -- their pastries are really nasty. Brighton has changed so much -- as I've said, when we came in 1965, Churchill Square didn't yet exist! Western Road was a really first class shopping street ...... Johnsons for furniture and a cinema where Waitrose is now.
Apologies for this insert. I know it's irrelevant to the discussion! (But it's late ...and I've been drinking Tesco's "value" brandy! |
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Infinite Poppadum
Discworld
1292 Posts |
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Control Panel
Discworld
1213 Posts |
Posted - 24/11/2007 : 17:29:56
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I am shocked that the continually patrolling LTNS has not alerted Forum members to the fact that the QS shop in St James's Street currently has this offer: buy any two items and you can get two more items - of any sort - free.
There is some useful stuff among the tat.
This weather, you certainly need gloves to hold any pasties in the London Road, and QS could be the place for this. |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 24/11/2007 : 18:16:09
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That QS store is in the Red
so maybe they are trying to pay the Electric Bills.
Life In the City. |
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timytimy
Alagaësía
5 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2008 : 21:19:12
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Hello,
Just came across this page and would like to say something. I have worked in the St James street branch for quite sometime in fact i was there when it was originally Safeway and i would like to comment on such.
The conditions at the store are deplorable, we have a management team that simply put don't care and if they don't care why should 'we' the staff care. Most of us including myself always try putting the customer first though that isn't easy in a situation that has increasingly become more and more dreadful.
Currently we have a new manager in store he has been with us a few months now and to be honest he's lack of respect for staff and customers is quite appalling. I have seen this manager discipline a member of staff because when asked to phone a help line for more information on orders they didn't know how, so he disciplined that member of staff for not doing their job, stupidity at its greatest.
Recently members of staff are walking out or being pushed out by the management team for no real reason, in the past 2 months i have seen more staff walk out then in my entire time at the branch.
The members of staff that we do have are mostly assigned to the checkout operations and not to the shopfloor so in turn it takes us twice as long to reload shelves and it is the customer that suffers from insufficient stock. The staff that we do have on the shopfloor are 9 times out of 10 more likely to be called on checkouts because of too many customers waiting, which again increases the amount of time that you the customer has to wait for the shelves to be restocked.
As for the leaking fridges and water all over the floor, if someone trips and hurts themselves it will be a miracle if there is a wet floor sign in sight, considering we only have about 2. The conditions are becoming increasingly worse and to be perfectly honest i doubt many people will stay i myself am looking for other job prospects as we speak. |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2008 : 21:22:46
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Hi TimyTimy
are they going to close it down soon,
you get that kind of feeling as you walk around,
it is most sad.
I would also like to say a nice mature lady
who works on the far till
she is a great lady - very nice to everyone.
I have not seen her last week?
Thank you for your post. |
Edited by - long time no see on 11/01/2008 21:27:34 |
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timytimy
Alagaësía
5 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2008 : 21:25:28
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| No idea if they are closing it down, they had said about a refit but not sure if they will. Since the new manager came in, we have lost about 20 staff members and wastage levels have become a increasing worry so not sure if they will waste their money on it to be honest, i doubt i will be around for much longer to see what happens but there are worse things that could happen if they do close us down, certainly won't be missed. |
Edited by - timytimy on 11/01/2008 21:27:26 |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2008 : 21:28:28
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| Very Nice of you to post. |
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timytimy
Alagaësía
5 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2008 : 21:29:35
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| Don't mention it, i have read the previous post and felt that someone should speak up, you certainly won't get any response from any letters and if you do it will only be something stupid like, "we are looking into it" |
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Control Panel
Discworld
1213 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2008 : 21:30:05
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Thanks! All very interesting.
Sounds as if they are deliberately running it down.
I wonder what they have in mind for the place? |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2008 : 21:30:38
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Yes it sure is a tough time
at some supermarkets. |
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timytimy
Alagaësía
5 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2008 : 21:32:11
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| As i say not sure what they have in mind, but taking a wrecking ball to it and actually producing something better and more up-to-date without the leaking ceiling and such what would be a good idea. |
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Fluffy Sheep
Discworld
1178 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2008 : 22:18:29
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| It also sounds as if they`re actively trying to lose staff rather than have to lay them off. Not nice - I wish you well in your quest for another job Timytimy, from the sound of it that`s the best plan! |
Row faster, slaves! Caesar wants to waterski! |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2008 : 22:22:34
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That is real sad Fluffy.
It was such a great store. |
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rswb
Alagaësía
3 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2008 : 00:42:48
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I think I may have an explanation.
I have looked at the local planning applications on the council website and it seems Somerfield have applied to open up on north street where the old fopp store used to be - a considerably smaller unit than their St James street store.
Also Somerfield have put in an application to open up yet another small outlet in what used to be the choices video rental store on church road in Hove. |
Edited by - rswb on 12/01/2008 00:46:09 |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2008 : 08:36:08
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Downsize
bit of a gamble.
But they have small store's in London
so it may work. |
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Fluffy Sheep
Discworld
1178 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2008 : 11:05:47
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| Only if the stores are going to be better managed! |
Row faster, slaves! Caesar wants to waterski! |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2008 : 14:13:39
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Being Smaller
it will be better managed. |
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thedelboy
Discworld
United Kingdom
1402 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2008 : 19:53:32
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| the only bread in sommerfields tonight was warburtons extra thick,or out of date best of both(reduced to 60pence shiite |
keep on smiling |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2008 : 20:07:23
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| That may be due to them moving soon. |
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Miriam Binder
Earthsea
United Kingdom
5821 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2008 : 20:46:22
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quote:
Originally posted by long time no see
That may be due to them moving soon.
Tomorrow? |
"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 - 13/02/2008 : 20:58:05
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| Who knows? |
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Control Panel
Discworld
1213 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2008 : 12:18:03
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| It was much better as a Fopp than a Somerfield. |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2008 : 12:22:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Control Panel
It was much better as a Fopp than a Somerfield.
No Fopp closed down other small record shops
a great record shop in the sq.,
so they destroyed the area.
They Priced matched all CD's to a fiver.
And then the whole group of stores closed.
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Edited by - long time no see on 14/02/2008 12:22:46 |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2008 : 12:23:35
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| A better Compact Somerfield will do well. |
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nightowl
Barsoom
259 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2008 : 17:40:02
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Stack em high sell them cheap, modern day retailing but closes down our choice of shops to go to.
It also puts enormous pressers on farmers and growers to work to even tighter budgets with all the risks.
Good local shops and businesses are disappearing fast being unable to compete.
The future looks like being a Tesco or Asda town only, what a thought... |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2008 : 18:38:46
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Nightowl
if you have been in the St.James St Somerfield
then you would be happy for a better smaller store.
On this Occasion
everyone is for this.
They could have said sod it
and moved out of that area.
This is Good News. |
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caeos
Barsoom
148 Posts |
Posted - 25/02/2008 : 15:01:12
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| Somerfield are also planning to open at the old video shop near hove town hall. |
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long time no see
Earthsea
United Kingdom
6771 Posts |
Posted - 25/02/2008 : 15:05:28
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So 2 small stores from One big store
clever move. |
Edited by - long time no see on 25/02/2008 15:06:04 |
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Infinite Poppadum
Discworld
1292 Posts |
Posted - 25/04/2008 : 11:36:44
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The Somerfield in Church Road is hideous. How did it get permission? All the windows blocked up with bright-blue paint and slogans over them. Makes the Palmeira Square Tesco almost look a thing of beauty.
A mockery of the building. |
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Topic |
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Somerfield to move into Fopp Store