Supermarket planning decision put back (From Oxford Mail)

There are 2 sides to this controversy. I can sympathise with the smaller shops in Chipping Norton who fear that an out-of-town superstore will kill then off. But I have little sympathy with the Chipping Norton Co-op bosses, who are particularly vocal and are now threatening to abandon expansion plans. This month Which? magazine readers voted the Co-op joint bottom of 9 national supermarkets overall (well below Aldo and Lidl) and right at the bottom when it comes to value for money. The Co-op has a place in small towns and villages where nobody else wants to open up. But not as the main supermarket in town, with high-priced merchandise and a poor range and availability of food and drink. They also seem more into Fairtrade products than in support for local producers.

The hidden but certain effect of any national supermarket like Sainsbury's is very damaging to any local economy. Local stores spend there takings localy. Sainsbury's by its very nature, will suck up local cash and spend it away from the locality. Net result is that the local economy will contract. The few low paid part time jobs will not make up for the losses. The part time jobs will not even pay NI contributions, so even the goverment will lose out. Sainsbury's will also pay lower taxes that local businesses would.