Comments on: Report on Town Council Special Meeting

By: Tony Knight

Tony Knight — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:36:29 +0000

Tesco’s or other large multinational chain have enough power to undercut all competitors until they fold. Tescos say they are cheap- but comparitively speaking we are able to buy cheaper/better quality meat at the local butchers and fish at the fishmongers. Things are only ‘cheap’ if you buy in bulk- then throw 50% of it away unused anyway! So, in actual fact it is more expensive than going to the local shop and buying what you actually need!

TESCOs squeeze the producer to the point of poverty- whilst THEY rake in the profits. When the credit crunch originallly began to bite it wasn’t TESCO that dipped into its profit margin- the producer had to do bear the cost of this.

As Dairy farmers fold at an alarming rate because they are paid less than it costs to produce the milk in the first place- consumers BEWARE. When we, in the UK cannot produce our own food we will be subject to market forces- well above the rate of inflation. Each year we become more reliant on Overseas producers.

If we need to buy in food from abroad, these Countries will only sell us excess produce. NO Excess, no food. We could all reduce the impact of global warming if we only bought seasonal food.

Let us support the local economy and shop local. There will be more jobs as it currently stands with shops in the Town Centre. That way, more money ends up in the local economy.

If TESCO do want extra trade- why not supply a free bus service as mentioned by another commenter.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:38:23 +0000

Glad to see that some people can see the benefits of having ‘a supermarket’ within walking distance of the town and local shops along the high street.
Holly Cross I think if you are shoppng for a large family you would struggle to do it all in Newcastle Emlyn without going to any supermarket! The cost, the carrying of bags would be some issues causing problems. If you are just shopping for yourself then yes maybe you could.
I go to Cardigan shopping and always see a lot of people from NCE area there shopping in Tesco’s. I remember when Tesco’s first came to Cardigan there were a lot of people against the store but now I see them all shopping there!

A store on the ‘Lidl site’ would be disaster for the town as then people would just shop there and go home!

We will have to wait and see what supermarket will be interested in coming to NewCastle Emlyn, if planning was to be given. Think that will be up to the Land owner who he sells to.

Remember ‘Cawdor’ will still have a business in town to think of and they will want it to be a thriving market town for their benefit as well.

By: Holly Cross

Holly Cross — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:23:59 +0000

Of course it seems more convenient to have a supermarket in town, and of course we all want to pay less for our groceries, but I’d hope we can see through the blinding propoganda to the truth about how supermarkets are destroying towns, global farming, human rights, as Grace points out above. We need, as Richard Vale has said above, to be prepared to fight for improved public transport to the supemarkets that already exist… that is, if we HAVE to shop in supermarkets at all. It is absolutely possible to do all your grocery shopping in Newcastle Emlyn at present, and not have to go to ANY of the big chains, or CKs.

If we all just changed our habits, educated and helped our neighbours, and were prepared to spare a little extra money (perhaps what we’d normally be prepared to pay for transport and the crap you eventually end up buying when tempted in the supermarket) we would keep Emlyn thriving as it is, and encourage further small businesses and even more competitive prices. We all have the power, as consumes, to change the norm!

By: yasmin

yasmin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:37:04 +0000

Some interesting comments. It is fair comment that quite a few people in the area without cars end up paying more and have less choice than those who can shop in Carmarthen and Cardigan. Personally I feel that a Lidl on the proposed Castle Cars site would be good – they do stock all the basics (including meat and bakery products) and would force CK’s to be more competitive. Although some of the independent traders might feel some pressure from Lidl, I think it would be nothing like as damaging as a very large new store bang in the heart of the town.

Or how about a decent, affordable hopper bus service to Cardigan or Carmarthen? One which ran on time and didn’t stop so it got you there in the same time as a car but at a fraction of the cost and with less pollution? Tesco’s might even subsidise it!

By: Grace

Grace — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 18:32:17 +0000

Chris & Lynn, I wish it would happen the way you think it would in a small town like ours. Look at what they say about Tesco’s. Just a snippet here:

Who now controls over 30% of the grocery market in the UK. In 2009, the supermarket chain announced profits of over £3bn. Growing evidence indicates that Tesco’s success is partly based on trading practices that are having serious consequences for suppliers, farmers and workers worldwide, local shops and the environment.

It does make you think about these large supermarkets and how they treat their workers in the shops and suppliers.