There is a funny episode of the radio show Claire in the community where the female lead played by Sally Phillips is campaigning against the opening of a new supermarket. Goes on thought the show and near the end she is arguing about how evil Tesco is and they say to her, Claire it is not going to be a Tesco, it is going to be a Waitrose. very amusingly in the show if not in this e-mail she then changes her mind about the opening of the new supermarket. This is not hugely related to the debate but it was funny.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
A Mini-Outbreak of Hipsters
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Posted 11 years ago #
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@gembo, indeed.
The Waitrose in Morningside used to be a Safeway in the 1990s, IIRC. Shows how the concept of 'supermarket' has evolved to suit particular locales. Also how Morningside has changed, even recently...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Yes both the waitroses in morningside and comely bank were safe ways with roof top car parks.
I have a recollection that Morrisons were in between safe ways and Waitrose in the premises?
Posted 11 years ago # -
It's possible, given that Morrisons took over Safeway. I left Morningside in 1992 and have only infrequently visited since...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Morrisons took over Safeway at Morningside, but their offerings of a mushy pea aisle and 12 types of tinned pie didn't seem to go down well with the local demographic, so they sold the store on to Somerfield (I reckoned that was the reason anyway, it's more likely that Morrisons just don't like smaller stores), who were then bought by Co-op, who were forced to sell stores for competition reasons and then Waitrose stepped in. When it was Somerfield the shelves always seemed to be half empty, I don't think they could be bothered trying to make the place pay as their end was nigh anyway.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"I have a recollection that Morrisons were in between safe ways and Waitrose in the premises?"
Indeed AND even (very briefly) Somerfield!
Now Morningside has M&S and Sainsbury's (also Tesco on the Bruntsfield border). There's still a fruit and veg shop.
It's hard to know what 'real' shops are these days. The fish shop shut and an upmarket frozen food shop opened - which clearly does more business than the one it replaced.
There are several bakers and chemists (mostly chains) and lots of charity shops, 'home stuff' shops, cafes and a selection of pubs.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Morrisons took over Safeway at Morningside, but their offerings of a mushy pea aisle and 12 types of tinned pie didn't seem to go down well with the local demographic
Aye, there's been a Morrisons on London Road/Portobello Road since
at least the late 1990searly 2000s (another ex-Safeway). I think I've been in it once when it was newly opened, never went back. I daresay it has changed since then but at the time it all felt a bit too "By 'eck" Yorkshire for my liking.Posted 11 years ago # -
Part of the problem touches on ARob's comment about blocking chain stores/supermarkets. People in this treat the big stores as they might the weather, they accept it as an unchangeable fact rather than just choosing to shop else where.
Personally I've no problem with the big supermarkets, stuff is cheaper your money does go further and if your a nasty unfeeling capitalist like me, it doesn't matter that the profits don't go directly back to the local community. Though given they employ local people... Back door protectionism/nimbyism is all well and good for well heeled middle classes but not every one can afford to shop at local artisan boutiques and I doubt these people would appreciate it if the principle were scaled up. Where would they get their coffee if the government were to start to block coffee import companies from doing business in the UK?
Posted 11 years ago # -
But do they employ local people at the level of hours etc they want? Or just a lot of half-time deskilling jobs? Not all jobs equal, and definitely not all opportunities for progression and job security.
Posted 11 years ago # -
manna house and Cornelius at the top of Easter road and Provenance at Tollcross - did they replace butchers and fishmongers?
Manna House used to be a florists; Cornelius was a fruit'n'veg shop I think, then a gift shop of some sort, now a wine shop.
I'm not bemoaning either of these additions. They occupy specific niches that don't suffer as much from supermarket competition.
Posted 11 years ago # -
But do they employ local people at the level of hours etc they want? Or just a lot of half-time deskilling jobs? Not all jobs equal, and definitely not all opportunities for progression and job security.
Do local shops? Owners work most of the hours in the day and the Saturday staff are disposable. I doubt there is a huge difference between the barrista at the local coffee shop and Starbucks equally the staff at the local boutique are just that, no different from being staff at Tesco. Except Tesco probably have a sick pay policy and more holidays. By the same token you've got more chance or career progression at a multinational employing 520,000 staff than you do working at the butcher as the thrid underling to the owner who has left the business to his son.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Steve0 totally agree there are problems with working in small shops too - those you describe and more. BUT that just proves my point. Saying 'they create jobs' so they must be good is meaningless. Sort of thing we get from the EEN and politicos PR machines.
Posted 11 years ago # -
No, I said they employ local people. The implication, that I wasn't clear on, is that local people will spend in the local economy. Which is less good than a small store who will likely spend their profits locally (not just wage bill) whilst the multinational will stick it in an off shore account and write it off as a loss for tax reasons. But even this is better than a web store who does everything but their distribution offshore so there isn't even the middle management wage bill in the economy.
I'm not saying the big supermarkets are good or bad, they, like most businesses, are indifferent at best completely disinterested at worst in the community they service. I agree they get too much lee-way, I agree there are far to many of them, there are 7 soon to be 8 within a 3 mile ride of here but this is consumer choice. The supermarkets aren't stupid if they did not believe the store would make profit they wouldn't build it, its not like its there solely. for the benefit of the local people.
Posted 11 years ago # -
The "High Street" constantly evolves. I remember (just) Safeway opening in Morningside - my mum was a fan as it was far better than the alternatives, these were the co-op (now M&S) and Templetons (now the Post Office) - which were expensive, kind of grotty, had a poor selection and seemed to be closed as often as they were open.
(There was a time where the Morningside Safeway was the world's most profitable supermarket per square foot of floor space).
It is also easy to forget that greengrocers and butchers etc. often sold stuff of fairly dubious quality and freshness. The ones that remain today are the exceptions and provide super service, produce etc.
The rise of the supermarket has many factors - although their total dominance of the grocery sector only came about through relaxation of planning controls introduced in the 1980's. Even the supermarkets are planning for the day when the big out-of-town shops are superceeded. At least one of the big supermarkets has opened an experimental "store" that isn't open to the public and is used for online orders only. The effect of the internet on the High Street isn't yet totally clear - although it would seem that real world shopping is slowly evolving into a leisure/lifestyle activity, hence all the coffee shops and artisan bakers, rather than simply being about purchasing goods.
Posted 11 years ago # -
The Co-op (and affiliated societies eg, Scotmid) is an interesting alternative to the 'big four'. Owned by the members (you can join for a pound) rather than just employee owned (eg. John Lewis/Waitrose). Also the largest farmer in the UK: they grow a fair bit of their own produce. Very good on Fairtrade, not bad on organic products too. No big stores in major cities though (at least in Scotland), tend to be smaller convenience stores/small supermarkets with some exceptions (mostly south of the border or in more rural locations).
May not have the choice of the bigger supermarkets, but the prices are little different. Then again, it may be my subjective perception but I think the choice of food products in big supermarkets has declined in recent years: instead they've diversified into clothes, electricals, toys, stationery, pharmacy, financial services, etc.
Posted 11 years ago # -
if you join Scotmid for a pound (fill out the form in the shop and hand it over with your pound at the counter) you will probably be sent a ten pound voucher to spend in the shop. You will also then get the magazine sent to you with further vouchers for Scotmid, semi-chem and the perfume house??? Scotmid have one big shop left at Uddingston, the rest are smaller. The own brand items they stock are co-operative but it looks to me like scotmid and co-operative are actually competing against each other.
you are also encouraged to be more active in the society by attending active member network out at ratho station. And if you like a committee you can become further involved.
on another string I mentioned the DVD I have aboutthehistory of st cuthbert's co-op (now Scotmid.). strangely no one seems to want it?
1859 in Ponton St was the first shop. Women allowed to join in 1870 (if married). Had Edinburgh stitched up for groceries until 1980 when the first big chain arrived .ASDA
Posted 11 years ago # -
The big Scotmid in Leith is now a Tabasco. There's a medium sized Scotmid supermarket in Portobello. Co-operative Food have opened a couple of convenience outlets recently in Edinburgh, I occasionally buy at the one on McDonald Road: prices often higher than Scotmid for the same goods...
I like the Co-op ethos though so I support both, and I'm a member of both. Co-op is a bit slicker, handy to have a member card if you visit down south and need shopping.
Posted 11 years ago # -
The Scotmid at Porty is bigger than the one at Leven Street, which is I think is probably one of the larger one somewhere central? It's dwarfed by ASDA or Tesco, but you can still get 99% of your shopping in it. Until recently it had big white letters on the delivery gate SCCS from its St. Cuthberts days.
There are two in Marchmont which are very small, but have an attempt at stocking a decent range. Both have been heavily refurbished recently, it is encouraging to see how much investment was put into them as it suggests they are profitable.
If we are going in for supermarket nostalgia then we best mention Presto which I can remember shops at Corstorphine and in St. James Centre. Bought out by Safeway I think, certainly the one in Corstorphine closed when the "big" Safeway (now PC World) at Drumbrae opened. Also William Low, which was later bought out by Tesco. It was my Mum's preferred shop. We would normally go to one in Corstorphine in early-90s they still typed all the price codes into the till by hand. It later became Blockbuster video which proudly advertised itself as the largest video shop in Scotland. No idea what (if anything) is in there now. On occasions we would go on a big shopping trip to the one at Canonmills, where they had new-fangled barcode scanners, but wouldn't use the multi-storey carpark out the back as my sister was afraid of lifts.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Not in Porty -
Posted 11 years ago # -
The small Scotmid in Polwarth -even smaller than the marchmont ones? - is amazing. We rely so much on it. It. A bit hit or miss though. No carrots one day recently. Also no really nice beer for some reason. What I really like is that the prices are the same at all scotmids, not higher for smaller shops as sainsbury's and tesco do.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@SRD the Polwarth one seems about twice the size of the one on Warrender Park Road!
Posted 11 years ago # -
"You'll be impressed at Presto". I think that was the slogan. The only one I can remember was one in Broxburn. I remember the blue and white, "Tesco-Value style" bags.
"At William Low the proce is always waaaaay down".
We used the one in D'Mains which my mum preferred to the 'large' Safeway round the corner (which is now a Tesco Express).On a supermarket nostalgia point, I'd love to be able to see inside a supermarket from the 80s.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I'd love to be able to see inside a supermarket from the 80s
Just visit your nearest Farmfoods!
Posted 11 years ago # -
Posted 11 years ago #
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@kaputnik - nice one!
@chdot - as I suspected : all in black and white.
Posted 11 years ago # -
as I suspected : all in black and white.
I distinctly remember Wm Lows being all in brown and beige!
Posted 11 years ago # -
Ah, Willie Low's. Did all my shopping there in the 1980s. Good Broth Mix and Porage Oats, I seem to recall. Their own brand cornflakes on the other hand.....a bit cardboardy.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I'd love to be able to see inside a supermarket from the 80s.
Lots of white. That's my lingering memory of them!
brown and beige!
And the LEGO-style typeface?
Also check out the creepily nostalgic Between Channels blog for commentary on 1960s, 70s and 80s places like Cumbernauld Town Centre and Waverley Shopping Centre.
I remember Presto at Wester Hailes. I think it was demolished and the predecessor to the Odeon built in its place. I think the colour scheme was white with red, but it was ever such a long time ago.
Posted 11 years ago # -
My mum worked at a Presto for a while, I think. It was on Gorgie road and they key to being good at the job was typing numbers in the machine as quickly as possible, or so it seemed.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Yes, typetypetypetypetype! Before lasers and <swipe><beep>.
:-)
Posted 11 years ago #
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