West Street Area Developments

[Stab.]

Originally Posted by RichJay

I'm also surprised that no one has taken the unit up. Given how long it has been empty I would rather see Tesco expand into it than it remain empty.

It surprised me too that it has been empty for so long, maybe Tesco were interested in it from the outset?. That Tesco is always busy and is quite cramped.

[Steely_Blade]

Be good for that unit to be filled again.
Quite surprised nothing cafe/bar wanted to open there.

There isn't a shortage of space available for this though on West St, still units available where Rileys was set to be next to CoOp.

[FirthParker]

Walked past the 'Space Pad' today and heard some clanging on the inside, couldn't see in on site though. Maybe there about to start construction again

[Nathowl]

Originally Posted by Stab.

It surprised me too that it has been empty for so long, maybe Tesco were interested in it from the outset?. That Tesco is always busy and is quite cramped.

Very good news about the new Tesco Metro

[RichJay]

There was work going on in the old Wokmania unit when I went past this afternoon.

[Stab.]

Originally Posted by RichJay

There was work going on in the old Wokmania unit when I went past this afternoon.

And again today.

[RichJay]

The front is now boarded up and painted in Tesco colours.

[Mr Brightside]

Why is everyone getting excited about fucking Tesco!it's a very sad state of affairs when people are getting excited about this.

[RichJay]

Who's getting excited? I'd rather see the unit in use than standing empty but I'm certainly not getting excited.

[LINCS OWL]

Originally Posted by Mr Brightside

Why is everyone getting excited about fucking Tesco!it's a very sad state of affairs when people are getting excited about this.

Why shouldn't we get excited? Everyone seems to shop there. I hate the place but I appear to be in a minority.

[PaulP]

Originally Posted by LINCS OWL

Why shouldn't we get excited? Everyone seems to shop there. I hate the place but I appear to be in a minority.

I never understand the Tesco hating thing. I suppose it's the British mentallity to knock success. A turnover of £52Bn (equivalent to the total GDP of Luxembourg or Oman) and profit of £3.8Bn in 2010, big expansion in emerging Asian markets and Eastern Europe is still not enough. People still hate it. Anyway, I'm glad they're opening in the old Wok place and down the Wicker. I love it.

[Mr Brightside]

Originally Posted by LINCS OWL

Why shouldn't we get excited? Everyone seems to shop there. I hate the place but I appear to be in a minority.

Because there is a Tesco everywhere, nothing special about the place. If Waitrose opened a high street express store in Sheff though I would be excited, it has a bit of class about it.

[Bladerunner]

Tesco cynically destroys the competition, is reluctant to recognise unions, and is renowned for doing anything to prevent its profits being taxed. It is the Wal Mart of the UK,

[larven]

Originally Posted by PaulP

I never understand the Tesco hating thing. I suppose it's the British mentallity to knock success. A turnover of £52Bn (equivalent to the total GDP of Luxembourg or Oman) and profit of £3.8Bn in 2010, big expansion in emerging Asian markets and Eastern Europe is still not enough. People still hate it. Anyway, I'm glad they're opening in the old Wok place and down the Wicker. I love it.

+1

People vote with their £ and the success of Tesco is testament to this. If you want to keep your local shops then use them, if not don't complain if and when Tesco forces the local shop out of business.

[AndrewC]

Originally Posted by larven

+1

People vote with their £ and the success of Tesco is testament to this. If you want to keep your local shops then use them, if not don't complain if and when Tesco forces the local shop out of business.

I wouldn't claim Tesco, Starbucks, etc. don't provide good service or that people don't have a choice to choose between them or a local independant rival, but your comment seems to completely ignore all the various underhand tactics that the likes of Tesco employ in order to undermine the financial viability of rival local stores before reaping the rewards once those rivals close down. Sometimes it doesn't matter how loyal some of your customers are or how good the service is that you provide - the likes of Tesco and Starbucks etc have several tactics afforded to them by their gigantic size that means they can find a way to damage your business and force you in to closure.

They can run at a loss for months on end so even if you do retain custom its often not enough to out-survive the chain store;
They get round planning laws - Tesco propose a store as large as local planning policy will allow - policy designed to make sure no one shop in the area is too big. And then, "oops, sorry guys - we accidently built our store 20% larger than planned! What a mix-up! Oh well, whats the fine? Not much point demolishing it now, is there?" And boom, massive superstore.
They have the financial clout to charge far less than independant stores and yes, it is 'voting with your £££s' but its hardly a price-war that smaller shops can compete in so whilst my local bakers may be brilliant and I do as much as I can to support it, if I only earn £X a year, I just might not be able to give up the offer of a loaf of bread that's half the price of my local bakers.


I don't bemoan the success of Tesco but your comment seems to completely disregard the existence of several well-known naughty tactics which give them an unfair advantage over local stores and which they now almost always use to squeeze local economies and maximise their profits. It is beyond 'fair competition'.

[larven]

I don't disagree with any of that but then your post completely ignores the benefits that Tesco can bring.

For example with regard to the new superstore near the Wicker they have joined forces with regeneration agencies Burngreave New Deal for Communities and Sheffield First, Job Centre Plus, youth organisation Sheffield Futures and Burngreave Children’s Centre to create the Spital Hill Partnership. This aims to help long-term unemployed back to work by overcoming barriers such as lack of training, transport, language problems and unavailability of childcare. Anyone who completes a Tesco training course will be guaranteed a job.

There's also the substantial regeneration boost that this store will bring to one of the most deprived areas of Sheffield. Tesco is often presented as some evil corporation intent destroying everything in its path to take over the world, but that's not strictly true.

[FirthParker]

Originally Posted by Bladerunner

Tesco cynically destroys the competition, is reluctant to recognise unions, and is renowned for doing anything to prevent its profits being taxed. It is the Wal Mart of the UK,

What evidence do you have to substantiate that claim, which is highlighted in bold?

I work for Tesco's and one of the first things I was advised to do, as an employee, is join the union USDAW.

There is far to many misconceptions about Tesco. From a employees perspective its probably one of the best supermarket chains to work for. Since I started working for the company back in 2006, there has never been a pay freeze. On average the pay rise has been around the 2% mark.

There is also many other 'perks' which are available with regards to working for Tesco which I wont go into but are advantageous to its employees.

For what its worth I think having a Tesco of this size, in this location, is probably a good thing. It will lead to more activity in the area and hopefully due to the increased hustle and bustle in the vicinity, Saville House may become a more attractive proposition to a potential tenant.

Edit- with regards to my final comment, I forgot for a second this wasn't the Wicker thread. However I still don't disagree with the expansion of the current Tesco's on West Street. It will bring benefits to local residents who want a bigger range in products, which aren't currently available in or around West Street, as there isn't any big stores within the immediate area.

[AndrewC]

Originally Posted by larven

I don't disagree with any of that but then your post completely ignores the benefits that Tesco can bring.

Well there's the thing larven, no I don't :

Originally Posted by AndrewC

"I wouldn't claim Tesco, Starbucks, etc. don't provide good service or that people don't have a choice to choose between them or a local independant rival"

"I don't bemoan the success of Tesco"

There's also the substantial regeneration boost that this store will bring to one of the most deprived areas of Sheffield. Tesco is often presented as some evil corporation intent destroying everything in its path to take over the world, but that's not strictly true.

Unfortunately, much of the benefits you claim exist are open to debate. For example, I hope the new Wicker Tesco is the start of a bright new era for Burngreave but I suspect the reverse will be true. Really hope I'm wrong and you're right - I mean that. Just not sure that will be the case though.

[Stab.]

Originally Posted by RichJay

The front is now boarded up and painted in Tesco colours.

Oooh exciting!

Seriously though, putting aside peoples views on the Tesco empire, this place is crying out for expansion, its a madhouse at peak times.

[iheartthenew]

Originally Posted by AndrewC

...
They get round planning laws - Tesco propose a store as large as local planning policy will allow - policy designed to make sure no one shop in the area is too big. And then, "oops, sorry guys - we accidently built our store 20% larger than planned! What a mix-up! Oh well, whats the fine? Not much point demolishing it now, is there?" And boom, massive superstore.
....

Ummm that happened once, at the Tesco Extra in Stockport, out of over 2,000+ stores. Unless you know of others?

And as FirthParker said, Tesco have a well-cemented relationship with USDAW.

Its easy to blame Tesco and their ilk for the demise of the local high street. They're easy targets. Who we should be blaming just as readily are the greedy landlords (and their upwards-only rent reviews). Local councils for making car parking near local shops either impossible or very expensive( and don't forget higher and higher business rates). Lastly our changing lifestyles and many small shops inability to adapt to them, i.e we like to do our shopping outside 9-5.

The local shops that succeed are the ones that differentiate - not the ones that sell the same stuff more expensively...