AshesFromStars

I found out yesterday that Asda, one of the most horrible companies in retail, are to open a store in my home town. They will be putting in an application to the council within the next few weeks - and I will be putting in my complaint against it.

Ok, so the area where they wish to build this 60,000 sq ft building is derelict. It’s covered in graffiti and there hasn’t been a company opened in the office buildings that currently stand there for at least five years. Yes it needs a new company to move in, but why not utilise the current office buildings that stand there? If South Lanarkshire Council lowered their rates, somebody probably would move in - Vodafone were the last inhabitants, I believe, and they didn’t last very long at all due to spiralling costs.

Why do I have such a problem against companies like ASDA? Probably because I work for an independent convenience retailer. Granted, we’re part of a symbol group but we’re still independent..

I know how hard it is to get customers through the door of a small shop with a large supermarket down the road. I know how badly sales are hit when a new shop opens, or said supermarket gets a re-fit. I see how much stock costs and the low markups on everything. I might not own the shop I work in, but I know how hard it is to keep it afloat and actually make a profit.

With monopolizing stores like ASDA and Tesco moving into every spare piece of land in the country it’s making life for the small, independents hard. In fact in East Kilbride town centre there are shop unit after shop unit lying completely empty, their To Let signs more of a common occurance than actual shops. The place is becoming a ghost town, and the council are going to sign it’s death warrant by allowing ASDA to open on a nearly-out of town piece of land.

Imagine the situation. Mrs Smith needs to go and buy her grocery shopping for the week. Plus she needs to buy a new pair of trousers for a birthday party she’s attending at the weekend. Oh and buy a present and card for the party…while she’s at it she’ll need to put on her Lottery ticket and top the car up with petrol while she’s out and about. Currently her only option for doing this is going to either a local, independent grocery shop then a card shop and then drive to a petrol garage which might or might not have National Lottery status - so she might need to go somewhere else to get her ticket. Plus going to a clothing shop somewhere to get her outfit. By doing this she’s giving at least four different retailers her custom.

If ASDA opens she’ll be giving her money to one, money-grabbing, world-polluting arsehole of a company.

I can’t wait for the letters page in next week’s East Kilbride News. I for one will be signing the petition against ASDA in East Kilbride…I know that somebody will start one. And if they don’t…well, I will.