I was walking down Southbourne Grove last night, on a very cold frosty evening and was passing by the new Sainsbury supermarket. Aside from the multi-coloured windows above and the bright white light below, what caught my attention was a member of staff, or maybe even the owner, of Londis just further down standing outside.
It was a freezing cold night and not one for enjoying the night air. It felt like he was there just wondering what the future brings and when his next customer will come along.
Some might say this is just plain competition and good for the customer. This isn’t about whether Sainsbury or any other large supermarket is a good employer or not. It is about having the right balance for the Grove.
Time will tell but I fear that the owners of Londis don’t have a huge amount of time. By the supermarket opening 7am till 11pm, it doesn’t even give the smaller outlet a sliver of an opportunity. This David and Goliath story doesn’t look like ending the same way.
(I hope I am wrong)
I’m also crossing my fingers for Tuckton to keep its micro-economy going.