A CRUNCH decision on whether the People’s Supermarket will finally close is being taken tomorrow.

The future of the Cowley Road supermarket has been uncertain for several months, but volunteers yesterday accepted they had almost lost the battle to keep it open.

At best it might have to relocate.

Acting manager Anton Saberimuttu said they owed £7,000 in rent by December 1 that they didn’t have.

But he said his main disappointment was the lack of commitment shown by its 600 members.

He said: “We don’t have enough money to pay the landlord by December 1 but it is more disappointing that the majority of members have not been able to do their four-hour shift.”

The not-for-profit business is run by volunteers who pay £12 a year to have their say in its development.

If members volunteer for a four shift every four weeks, they receive a 10 per cent discount on food.

Mr Saberimuttu, 54, who lives in Cowley, who has been acting managing for the past six months, said: “It was set up without enough planning and without enough money and so the model was flawed.

“We gave members a 20 per cent discount on meat when we had a 25 per cent margin.

“We changed the discount to 10 per cent but we never recovered from that.”

Hannah Hoechner, a director at the People’s Supermarket, said: “It is very likely we will have to move out of the property in Cowley Road.

“It is a disappointment for everyone but the rent is just too high for this kind of business.”

The volunteer-led shop said it saw a decline in footfall after the fire in Cycle King two doors up in March as a result of scaffolding and repair work.

It failed to pay its August and September business rates on time and was ordered by Oxford City Council to pay the rest for the full financial year – a total of £5,024 – by September 3, or possibly face going to court.

The city council let the supermarket keep its right to monthly payments after it paid off the two £628 instalments, but it looks like it will not recover from this latest setback.

Volunteer Nena Parkes said: “Everyone wants to keep it open and everyone is upset but people don’t have the time to put in to it.”

Oxford City Councillor for St Clements Graham Jones said: “I’m very sad to learn from the People’s Supermarket that they have to close.

“It is desperately sad that this is coming to light only days after councillors united in turning down the loss of another local business, Professional Music Technology.

“We all said how vital it is to the character of the Cowley Road to keep the balance between retail and non-retail businesses.

“At Tyndale House, PMT was to make way for yet another chain. I’m very worried that the same thing will happen with the People’s Supermarket.”

A meeting of volunteers will be held tomorrow at 8pm in the Old Music Hall, Cowley Road, to finalise the decision.