The Death Of The High Street

[RiseAgainst]

Originally Posted by Keerin

The problem that Martin is raising (I assume) is that you could get the same shops and the same stock in Dundee as you can in Glasgow as you can in Arbroath as you can in Fort William and soon every piece of individuality a town centre had will be replaced by the dull monotony of everywhere else.

Surely it would be more fun if shops in all towns were different? The variety on offer would surely be greater and I imagine brands and styles would differ from town to town?

yup thats what i mean, i just tend to raise it in a much more roundabout way hehe

[Keerin]

Originally Posted by RiseAgainst

i
Kieran, i dont understand why local's want a big multi-store to open, if the majoruty of what people need can be bought locally why change? ..if there is exisiting amineties in place, why change?

The argument for it is that it offers more choice, will be better for the local economy, will drive prices down in morrisons and somerfields, will provide more jobs and will provide convenience and hopefully a 24 hour shopping solution.

Everything the councillors and the local business association is actually untrue and be easily refuted and proven to be wrong. It's not like anyone here actually cares though. They all have the "I want to be like everywhere else" small town syndrome.

1: More choice - big supermarkets cause small and independant stores to close down but do not provide the variety of stock that the smaller shop may have sold, thus actually providing less choice! Also, how can having only one or two leading food suppliers in a town be classed as choice?

2: Better for the local economy - This argument is complete shit. people are claiming that an Asda or a Tesco in the town will help the local economy because a lot of people leave town to do their shopping in Dundee, Montrose or Forfar (where there are Tesco stores) and they believe that weakens Arbroath's economy. Bullshit. How much of supermarket money is put back into the local economy? Fuck all! They pay their staff and that's about it, even then the staff will most probably shop in their own store! Around 5% of Tesco's money is spent on pay anyway so it's a very small chunk from a very large pot. Also, people will just go to Asda or Tesco instead of wherever they were going before, which is most probably Morrisons, so little to no change ion the local economy will be taking place!

3: Force other supermarkets to lower prices - I can understand this one, as everyone wants champagne products at lemonade prices but things whioch are cheap are usually cheap for a reason. In the case of groceries, the consumers saving is most often passed onto the supplier, distributor, in fact, anyone who is not the supermarket! In addition to this; yes, the supermarkets in town will have to lower their prices but so will everywhere else. Not just grocery stores and vegetable stalls (like the one on the high street in Arbroath) but stores that sell electrical equipment, toys, books, dvd's, cd's, games and clothing. If Tesco and Asda get their way they will also be the local pharmacy too! So yes, they will lower the price, but they will lower it everywhere, not just in the overprices stores.

4: Will provide more jobs - Encouraging more local people to start businesses will create more jobs than a supermarket. Like I said in my first post here, the figures show that supermarkets have to have a larger turnover before they employ someone. Also, people in Arbroath moan about poles and the like taking all the factory work etc but what's the guarantee that a supermarket will take on soloely local people born and bred in Arbroath (this isn't my view, just a basic argument against their predicted thought pattern).

5: Conveniece - Give me convenience or give me death. Our over-reliance on convenience ensures others suffer and make us fat, lazy and pretty much useless (NOT FACT! just my opinion). I can understand why people want big supermarkets for convenience but I think it's just bad habits and laziness.

6: 24 hour opening time - OK, I agree here. I hate not having even a garage open 24 hours. Morrisons shuts at 2030 most night and the other shops close at 2200. Sometimes this is useless. Like if you have to make sandwiches for work the next day but you've only just realised that the bread you have is mouldy! I'm sure this has happened to more people than just me! Thing is, morrisons garage stopped 24 hour opening time because it wasn't financially viable.

[Lynnie]

Originally Posted by RiseAgainst

how does the New Look in the wellgate stay open? there is never anyone in there!!
The unique, well-positioned and quality for your money type shops will always be able to generate business, its just how much do they need to use something like the internet to perhaps keep them as a player in the marketplace?

Is that new look not the discount one? Yea, well i know quite a few people who make clothes, jewellery etc and they are stocked in some shops but the majority of their custom comes from their online shops (probably because of postage charges tbh)

I shop in charity shops more than anywhere else i think, one charity shop in arbraoth is fabtastic, its a cancer research one but its a discount one so everything is like £1-£3

[Keerin]

Originally Posted by Lynnie

Is that new look not the discount one? Yea, well i know quite a few people who make clothes, jewellery etc and they are stocked in some shops but the majority of their custom comes from their online shops (probably because of postage charges tbh)

I shop in charity shops more than anywhere else i think, one charity shop in arbraoth is fabtastic, its a cancer research one but its a discount one so everything is like £1-£3

Please take a picture of that shirt...! (The one your probably sitting on)

[ArchFlameTera]

Originally Posted by Keerin

6: 24 hour opening time - OK, I agree here. I hate not having even a garage open 24 hours.

Is Arbroath in a time warp? when 24 hours purchases were but a dream>?

[Keerin]

Yeah, Arbroath pretty much shuts down at 10 unless you want fast food or alcohol. in which case it shuts between 12 and 1.

[ArchFlameTera]

lockdown!

[Lynnie]

what, this one?!
incidently, my new shoes are at the bottom of that picture

[Keerin]

Originally Posted by Lynnie

what, this one?!
incidently, my new shoes are at the bottom of that picture

Aye! where are you gonna find that on the high street! hahaha

[ArchFlameTera]

Originally Posted by Keerin

Aye! where are you gonna find that on the high street! hahaha

maybe in the stock room of Tickety boos? under a pile of boxes from years ago!

haha, i cant picture either of you wearing that, take it that its for comedy value?

[Keerin]

Dude, I'm gonna wear that to our next gig.

but lets get back on topic!

[RiseAgainst]

i can imagine not having 24hour services would be pretty annoying, i think the idea is based on small towns wanting to be bigger towns like you said, its a case of "they have one, so if we have one we look more like them"

basically i think Kieran you hit all six points pretty perfectly, we have become dependant on convinience when we want it, although surely the convienience of having something open late at night for your bread does kinda contradict this point...

Most of Tesco's profit goes into shareholders pockets, where as Mr Joe's Vegetable store would allow him to expand, employ more people in his local store and create a sense of community.