...that CiF is a haven for the sort of people who babble about the first thing that comes into their empty heads, here's
Zoe Williams on those dastardly supermarkets:
One of the absurdities of the whole process is that the council invited local comment, put out chairs for the residents in the licensing committee meeting, and seemed well-disposed towards the locals, admiring their pluck (I'm extemporising now) – but it could only refuse to grant a licence within the law. And the law has no provision for people who just want their local shops to survive.
How shocking it must have been for you to find that out, at your age, Ms Williams...
I'm afraid we disagree on this one, Julia.
ReplyDeleteThe old argument of 'the market will decide' whether another giant corporation gets to ruin the livelihoods of numerous others, whilst simultaneously creating hundreds of wage-slaves, only rings true if that said market does not include multi-million pound bribes to Gov/Local 'Authorities', or vast reserves of cash that allow goods to be sold at a loss. They have skewed the market, so grossly distorting it that that argument no longer rings true.
Once this kind of 'market' has ruined the competition, and all the locals have no choice, the Corp will say 'See, people must like us, else they wouldn't come'.
Shopping is democracy in action. No one has to use a supermarket rather than their local shops. But they will. A clear demonstration of why we should slash the state. When people spend their own money they what the best return. When they spend my money, via taxes, they don't give a damn.
ReplyDelete"No one has to use a supermarket rather than their local shops... "
ReplyDeleteYou're quite right of course, we all have the option of boycott ..
But by the time the "Big Boys" have their Superstore up & running, all the small, local, independent shops will have withered and died ..
Their empty shells being resurrected as Tanning Parlours, Nail Bars or "Pound" Shops ..
And then there's no choice for anyone, ever again ..
The fact is, supermarkets still give good value, even when the local shops have closed. Explain that.
ReplyDeletePeople just want the lowest prices really. Fair or not.
ReplyDelete"I'm afraid we disagree on this one, Julia."
ReplyDeleteWe can't agree on everything... ;)
As far as the myth goes that Tesco 'crowds out others', I'll just point to this comment.
So maybe it's the case elsewhere, but it doesn't seem to be so in this case.
"People just want the lowest prices really. Fair or not."
And that's going to become more and more true. Already I can see how the price of basics has risen since last year.
Big supermarkets that offer 'buy one, get one free' and have regular price wars with each other help a lot.
Jeez.
ReplyDeleteIf you want your local shops to survive, patronise them.
If enough people don't use the supermarket, the local shops will be fine. If not, why should YOUR view prevail, Ms. Leftie? What give YOU the right to decide what sort of shops exist in your town, other than your decisions as a customer just like all the other customers?
Why do you, suddenly have a veto?
How hard can this be to understand?
The Left hates anything that is successful and popular, and that includes supermarkets.
ReplyDeleteMarket forces does (very) occasionally win.
ReplyDeleteThere were no rioting hippies in Tavistock causing McDonalds to close down in 2006: people just didn't eat there enough.
Took a few years, but they eventually left. So just don't use the Tesco, and it will eventually go (but they will use it, won't they?).
Julian
Yes quite right with you link there Julia, as Ben quite rightly says, what fuckin local shops???
ReplyDeleteThere is an Italian Deli in Picton street, a few Halal Supermarkets in Ashley road, and then fuck all till you go all the way up to the Gloucester road where there's a Sainsbury's and a Coop.
The Tesco is fuckin tiny anyway. It used to be a pub before it was a comedy club, I used to drink in there, there isn't room to swing a cat!
My parents owned a local shop in Cardiff. We made a good living against the rising tide of Supermarkets by being innovative and responsive to local needs.
Anyway we had another spot of bother in Stokes Croft last night, which had fuck all to do with peaceful protest and everything to do with Anarchist assholes intent on causing trouble.
As Max Boyce said, I was there!
http://www.countingcats.com/?p=9726#comments
"How hard can this be to understand?"
ReplyDeleteVery hard, it seems. As RAB points out, they were at it again the other night (though I suspect he's correct in that the presence of the Tesco is merely an excuse).
"There were no rioting hippies in Tavistock causing McDonalds to close down in 2006: people just didn't eat there enough. "
Indeed!
"We made a good living against the rising tide of Supermarkets by being innovative and responsive to local needs."
Something that large organisations are particularly slow to do.