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riesler
offlineMember
Very sad...apparently Oddbins have gone into administration today.
The supemarket domination of the local offfie is nearly complete following the demise of Threshers and Unwins in recent years, just leaving Majestic and all you plucky independents out there (take a bow Mr Jolly).,
Getting hard to find a decent butcher / greengrocer / baker etc these days, and we are told by Tesco that "this is what the customer demands".
I bloody didn't!!!
Sad rant over, thank you for listening.
rikkor
offlineMember
In California, there are wine stores the size of football fields with excellent prices. Since I've moved back (unwillingly) to Massachusetts, Bev & More is one of the things I miss the most.
Here, they try as hard as possible to make things crappy. It's been going on since 1620.
riesler
offlineMember
Is a government monopoly worse than a private one? Sounds like it isn't in some states.
I suppose both beat prohibition, but I fear that is the way we are heading over here anyway, and what better way to cut drinking? It certainly worked for you, apart from all the illicit drinking it was a great success.
As for 'every little helps' apparently not if you are the customer and nibble away at their profits...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8406590/Tesco-cuts-double-the-difference-deal-as-shoppers-cash-in.html
beau-jolly
offlineMember
Thank you for the plug Riesler. Everyday some tosser asks me how I can complete with Tesco up the road. Every day I answer that I do not bloody complete with them. Different products, different market. Unfortunately that was not the case with Threshers.
Sadly, Oddbins just never got the finance right and had already been ruined by Castel.
If you are interested you could take a look at my rant section: http://www.shaftesburywines.co.uk/Rage-against-the-Machine/
Scroat
offlineMember
Very sad. I can only hope that people will maybe make an effort to use their local butcher/baker etc a little bit more, and find out that the food is much better. Especially products such as sausages.
I get really pissed off with the fact that I can jump in my car, drive 100 miles in any direction, and find I'm five minutes away from a bloody Tesco supermarket just like the one I've got at home. As a country, we seem to have become homogenised, with the same supermarkets, coffee shops, building societies etc. in all our High Streets. Waitrose have a more ethical approach in that they try to promote local food and drink, and they are fair to their suppliers.
The trouble is, I can't see Tesco being toppled, because so many customers have to try and make savings where they can. Can you really see a national boycott working? Wish it could.
The All New Jeni B
offlineMember
I'm very lucky, in that my local High Street has two butchers, 3 bakers, a Greengrocer, an independent offie, 2 deli's, about 7/8 independent clothes shops, 2 fishmongers etc etc.
We do still have a Tesco Metro, and a M&S Simply Food, all in a small town in the suburbs, but the local Traders Association fight hard to maintain all the wee local shops, which all goes to make our little town a popular spot for visitors, boosting the coffers for all of the traders. Long may it last.
beau-jolly
offlineMember
Tesco's size is also it's achilles heel. It can only sell mass-produced shite. The problem comes when we can only buy mass-produced shite.
rikkor
offlineMember
Just submit to the wills of Costco and Amazon and you will begin to feel better. Resistance is futile.
Oh, and I strongly doubt that most of you whiners are waiting in line to have your local butcher french your standing rib roast. Such a pose.
On a lighter note, the IT department at my work has blocked Facebook. Smart for them, except they aren't bright to block any dot-UK suffixes. Too funny.
beau-jolly
offlineMember
According to the Beeb today it was British Gas that sent them a winding up order on Tuesday. They (The Beeb) go on to explain that its a tough time for High Street Wine Merchants. No shit! Its tough for all of the High Street.
Anonymous
offlineUnregistered
Good, that oughta keep the Gas Bill down:-
"....British Gas, which is owed £57.65, is known to have issued a winding up order. It is not known if they are the only creditor to issue a winding up order..." (but surely a petition may not issue for less than £750?)
Never really 'got' oddbins. Asda's own brand Belgian Lager worth a punt, and don't sneer, but Aldi's IPA is well regarded in the trade. Cheers.
beau-jolly
offlineMember
Not quite gone but definitely circling the plughole.
riesler
offlineMember
It must have been lovely for them in the old days as part of Seagrams when they didn't have to worry about trifling things like making a profit - made them bloody difficult to compete against though because they had some lovely weird stuff which got all the journos salivating, so they got all the good publicity even though they couldn't sell it (remember all the Greek stuff?).
Sinnick
offlineMember
@rikkor: What was the name of your employer again ... a phone number would be useful (just kidding ... or am I)
It might be useful to remember that the British beer industry went steeply downhill in the '70s, and was saved by CAMRA when we thought all that remained were Watneys & Whitbread. Maybe, when shop owners get too fed up, they might start similar campaigns
beau-jolly
offlineMember
@Sinnick:
My company is called Campaign for Real Wine Ltd. http://www.campaignforrealwine.com/
I registered the company in a previous life when I had a business consultancy. I spent a lot of time lobbying the EU to differenciate factory-made branded wine. After a lot of hard thinking I still could not find a way of not spending a shit load of money on the campaign as it is all about education. (CAMRA was started by journalists and its the seperate merchandising company that makes the money.)
I decided instead to put my money where my mouth is, move back to Dorset and run a wine shop selling real wine. I'll never be rich but I live in a beautiful area and drink real wine.
If you think the supermarkets sell wine then please read this: http://www.shaftesburywines.co.uk/Rage-against-the-Machine/why-are-the-supermarket-wines-so-cheap.html
Mary Evans
offlineMember
A girl could get paranoid, but each of these large offie chains to go bust has done so very shortly after I moved from an area where they were my nearest Sauvignon source, Oddbins being the latest example since I moved away from one at Christmas. I really am doing my bit, but I cannot sustain the entire high-street alcohol industry single-handed. So I'll put one in each hand.
And Beau-Jolly, Shaftesbury, eh? I was born and bred in Blandford - back in the day I would almost certainly have tried to procure booze from your shop as an underage drunk. I have recently returned to Dorset - should I find myself Shaaaaaaftesbury way, I shall pop in for a tipple.
beau-jolly
offlineMember
@ Mary
Depends how old you are. The shop has been here for about 15 years and I've owned it for the last 2. When I were a lad of 14 we used to shop in Eldridge Pope. One good thing now is that I don't get bothered by kiddies as they can't afford the good stuff.
oh and: "Offie = Fail, "Wine Shop" = Not fail (unless you have 100 branches)
No one gives a shit about candle-stick makers, I see. Butchers and bakers getting plenty of support in this thread, plenty of shout-outs from the sausage brigade, but no fucker wants to fight for for the candle-stick maker. The bloke who makes sticks to put candles on? Remember him? Eh? Well do you? Hmm? Well?
Pushed out by the big out of town candle stick hypermarts.
The sticks they expect you to put candles on in Ikea are shit compared to the proper ones. But who can blame hard-working families for cutting corners veezervee their candle-sticks.
It's time we made a stand...Put candles on it.
The All New Jeni B
offlineMember
Oi!! But what about the Tinkers?
Forgotten about again. Left unwanted and unloved in a corner, just tinkering away.
I blame the Pound shops...
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