ASDA are owned by Wal*mart. Wal*mart are generally known to be unethical, there has even been a documentary film about them which is very eye opening.
It's not just Asda though.
Other Supermarkets including Asda have been the subject of campaigns by ActionAid and War on Want with regard to their supply chain conditions in places such as South Africa. Asda has been boycotted in Norway "on the grounds that it is engaged in serious human rights abuses". It's been petitioned , they were involved in the milk price fixing, War on want have accused Asda of exploiting child labour in Bangedesh.
Asda have been criticised by animal welfare groups also.
If you buy a childrens school uniform for £10 that has been shipped halfway across the planet, how do you think it got to be so cheap? The people making it get paid 5p per hour apparently (source bbc).
It's common sense. If something is so cheap its unbeliveable, them generally someone doen the supply chain (the people making it) have been exploited.
All supermarkets have someone going and checking their suppliers. How thorough these people are is another matter.
I think there should be an ethical index for goods and more transparency behind what we buy.
http://www.waronwant.org/?query=asda&lid=42&x=0&y=0
All supermarkets are made up of individuals like you and me doing jobs to the companies policies. Wal*mart help set Asdas standards, and their primary concern is to generate profit/ Wal*mart is generally regarded as being obsessed with getting products as cheaply as possible. When this happens, something has to give.
On a further note, at least Asda are signed up to the Ethical trade inititive (ETI). Somerfield pulled out of it a couple of years ago.
Somerfield up for sale
I used to work there 20 odd years ago, on the Deli section, each area was run by a manager who was in charge of the staff in his area, it was safeways then and i disagree that it wasnt very good at the time.
in the days before Savacentre it was the main supermarket around and had a good reputation. as far as i re-call the "other doors" although always used while i worked there, were eventually shut bacause of people
thieving and making a run for it when challenged.
shame certain elements of society have to act like that but there you go!
I find all this dicussion about what supemarket you all want in Sydenham
very intriguing, especially inthe light of the other threads debating about what you would like to see done to the Greyhound, Bank, and the selection of tatty pound shops in the High street and the state of the High street generally.
can anyone spot the connection?
very intriguing, especially inthe light of the other threads debating about what you would like to see done to the Greyhound, Bank, and the selection of tatty pound shops in the High street and the state of the High street generally.
can anyone spot the connection?
Simple
Supermarkets killed those varieties of shops which you complain are not there any more, and wish were.
My mum used to shop in Forest hill, 1950's and 60's as it was nearer to The top end of Kirkdale;
Between the Bird in Pub in Dartmouth Road and the shops opp the old cinema there was David Grieg, Home and Colonial, Mac fisheries, Woolworths;Sainsburys. by the lights had two shops, one selling general groceries the other was dairy, eggs cream, butter off a block, and I think cold meats.
Under the Dentist was a self service grocer and a green-grocer,WH Smiths was in a hut by the station where it had been since the station was bombed.
There such things as a little tobacco shop, loads of other small independant shops of all varieties, sweet shops,greengrocers baker, clothes shops, cafes, school outfitters, bespoke tailors, jeweller etc loads more.
Then we'd push it all home in the kids pushchair so no one got fat either.
have look for a old Kellys directory, it lists them all.
Sydenham would have been much the same;
The death knell for these shops was the end of retail price maintenance which opened the way for supermarkets to put an end to it all by undercutting them.
So now you all debate the merits of each supemarket, in effect shopping at the company store,as they are all in cahoots, despite the propaganda.
They get richer while you buy stale processed food: And debate which is the best burger/fried chicken/kebab chinese/indian bar.
I must admit I was stunned by the amount of shops selling such food in SE London last year.
Does no one cook at home any more?
Who here has drunk Gold Top milk? You can't get that in Waitrose, you get the watery muck left over after all the goodness has been taken out.
Nor are they cheap, in fact They are priced well over the odds,as the price takes in all the waste they generate from unsold food.
There, what a rant!!!!
Use the street markets, stuff the supermarkets, no such thing as an ethical one.
Heres a shock,
We never ever shop in them, and the last time I went into Tesco[spit spit] was in the 1960`s when the Penge Tesco was a grotty little cupboard near the Crooked Billet selling fluorescent Jam, never ate a Macdonald, Burger King, KFC, never been into ASDA, had an Indian meal once, but I was very very drunk.
I go into coffee bars tho,
but not the chain ones
Supermarkets killed those varieties of shops which you complain are not there any more, and wish were.
My mum used to shop in Forest hill, 1950's and 60's as it was nearer to The top end of Kirkdale;
Between the Bird in Pub in Dartmouth Road and the shops opp the old cinema there was David Grieg, Home and Colonial, Mac fisheries, Woolworths;Sainsburys. by the lights had two shops, one selling general groceries the other was dairy, eggs cream, butter off a block, and I think cold meats.
Under the Dentist was a self service grocer and a green-grocer,WH Smiths was in a hut by the station where it had been since the station was bombed.
There such things as a little tobacco shop, loads of other small independant shops of all varieties, sweet shops,greengrocers baker, clothes shops, cafes, school outfitters, bespoke tailors, jeweller etc loads more.
Then we'd push it all home in the kids pushchair so no one got fat either.
have look for a old Kellys directory, it lists them all.
Sydenham would have been much the same;
The death knell for these shops was the end of retail price maintenance which opened the way for supermarkets to put an end to it all by undercutting them.
So now you all debate the merits of each supemarket, in effect shopping at the company store,as they are all in cahoots, despite the propaganda.
They get richer while you buy stale processed food: And debate which is the best burger/fried chicken/kebab chinese/indian bar.
I must admit I was stunned by the amount of shops selling such food in SE London last year.
Does no one cook at home any more?
Who here has drunk Gold Top milk? You can't get that in Waitrose, you get the watery muck left over after all the goodness has been taken out.
Nor are they cheap, in fact They are priced well over the odds,as the price takes in all the waste they generate from unsold food.
There, what a rant!!!!
Use the street markets, stuff the supermarkets, no such thing as an ethical one.
Heres a shock,
We never ever shop in them, and the last time I went into Tesco[spit spit] was in the 1960`s when the Penge Tesco was a grotty little cupboard near the Crooked Billet selling fluorescent Jam, never ate a Macdonald, Burger King, KFC, never been into ASDA, had an Indian meal once, but I was very very drunk. I go into coffee bars tho,
but not the chain onesSeveral of the local shops around sydenham sell veg that's practically rotting, and either don't sell meat at all or only sell the hghly-processed stuff.
Because of this, the decision of where to shop is normally a no-brainer: go to Sainsburys. It may not be perfect, but it's a hell of a lot better than the alternatives.
Because of this, the decision of where to shop is normally a no-brainer: go to Sainsburys. It may not be perfect, but it's a hell of a lot better than the alternatives.
Actually you can get gold top milk in waitrose.
The watery milk is better for you as it has more vitamins, calcium and less fat.
The chains of shops, coffee stores etc started as independent shops. Sainsbury's did, Tesco did, Morrisons, Burtons did etc etc etc.
I agree that street markets can be good for food and that it's often cheaper. I disagree that supermarket food is all processed. It isn't unless you are talking about ready meals, but these have seen a decline in sales recently.
Most of these 'ready meals' are made by only a few suppliers and they supply ALL the supermarkets (including M&W, Asda, Waitrose etc) along with the likes of your chain pubs, although they are to different recipes.
The watery milk is better for you as it has more vitamins, calcium and less fat.
The chains of shops, coffee stores etc started as independent shops. Sainsbury's did, Tesco did, Morrisons, Burtons did etc etc etc.
I agree that street markets can be good for food and that it's often cheaper. I disagree that supermarket food is all processed. It isn't unless you are talking about ready meals, but these have seen a decline in sales recently.
Most of these 'ready meals' are made by only a few suppliers and they supply ALL the supermarkets (including M&W, Asda, Waitrose etc) along with the likes of your chain pubs, although they are to different recipes.
If it has to be another chain supermarket then I would prefer either Waitrose or the Co-op. I would be against M&S simply because of the amount of pre-packaged, processed food they sell. Co-op own-brands are good - alot of fairtrade and organic, and they don't test anything on animals. Unfortunately, the days of a high street like Sydenham without a big supermarket are gone and small shops which are to survive need to adapt to the changing demand.
Of course, in an ideal world I would love something like this: http://www.unicorn-grocery.co.uk/ - quite simply the best grocery store I have ever been to in my life.
Of course, in an ideal world I would love something like this: http://www.unicorn-grocery.co.uk/ - quite simply the best grocery store I have ever been to in my life.
I used to buy fruit and veg in the high street shops until it all changed hands, and i wouldn't bother now as i prefer my fruit without the fruit flies and bad spots,
as for gold top milk ........far to creamy for me and other half we prefer skimmed and it's healthier for us.
good for you that you live your way, but thats the way you prefer not me,
i love going to gurkas for a curry or the golden city for a chinese meal.
i also prefer shopping at a supermarket as the fresh food has a faster turnover than the smaller independant shops, i was more than happy to shop at what was then safeways, did all my shop there on a weekly basis but would not be happy to shop at whatever its newer identity is now, i went in a couple of times and was put off by the old stuff on sale in the veg section.
so to sum up!
i would prefer a Tesco or Asda i personally don't like the other ones ,but then like you thats my personal opinion.
Unicorn look great - it would be fantastic if they could be tempted out of Manchester. Just to return to the Gold Top Milk question - Somerfield have some wonderful Gold Top made from the milk of Jersey and Guernsey cows, produced by a small West Country supplier. In fact one of the positive things about Somerfield is the many ranges they do have from small UK producers - the main problem is that they appear on the shelves rather erratically! However along with the Gold Top milk (for special occasions and the top of porridge now and again) they can be relied upon for their Yeo Valley Organic Milk (full, skimmed and semi-skimmed). I agree with one of the other posters - whoever takes over the store should do a full refurb and relocate the main door to the Girton Rd corner, as that would make access to the car park easier.
Somerfield
The big supermarkets can not be counted on for fresh food either. I bought strawberries at Sainsburys Sava Centre last week (I know they are out of season but my daughter does not eat other soft fruits) and they were mouldy within two days before their sell by date!! They were kept in a fairly new fridge too, with a digital temp gauge, which means we can eat most things well past their sell by date.
Surely
Waitrose have as many lorries thundering through the streets as the other supermarkets. Surely they have as much unnecessary wrapping on their produce? They might have a few fairtrade lines but so do other stores. They just don't carry enough lines and I've always felt they just keep to the same old brands.
I'm just about to have a Sainsbury's and Aldi built near me and only have a Waitrose there at the moment who really have a monopoly where they are situated - a lot of people can't walk or get to the nearest giant Tesco at Purley. The competition should be interesting. Espcially if ainsburys do clothes - now that would be a bonus then I don't have to drive to Croydon or Sutton. It is now cheaper for me to drive to Croydon and pay to park in Centrale than paying £2 each way on the bus. I have arthritis and can't carry much for long. I have a small Tescoin Caterham bt it's not very well stocked (in my humble opinion the Barracks could have stayed there as the fantastic place it once was - not a metal cube spoiling the green space it's on.)
I'm just about to have a Sainsbury's and Aldi built near me and only have a Waitrose there at the moment who really have a monopoly where they are situated - a lot of people can't walk or get to the nearest giant Tesco at Purley. The competition should be interesting. Espcially if ainsburys do clothes - now that would be a bonus then I don't have to drive to Croydon or Sutton. It is now cheaper for me to drive to Croydon and pay to park in Centrale than paying £2 each way on the bus. I have arthritis and can't carry much for long. I have a small Tescoin Caterham bt it's not very well stocked (in my humble opinion the Barracks could have stayed there as the fantastic place it once was - not a metal cube spoiling the green space it's on.)
Waitrose:
* Buy from farmers within a 48km range of the store
* The company offers financial incentives to farmers to go organic
* The company promotes “Bag for Life” shopping bags
* It refuses to put sweets and chocolate at checkouts
* Products on the shelf are fully traceable
* When it buys from overseas (e.g. citrus) it has a charitable fund for education in those countries
* It supports Fairtrade e.g. bananas from Windward Islands
* Staff have a say of what is put on the shelf
* Directors and managers are elected via a democratic process by employees
2% of pre-tax profit is given away to selected charities.
Aside from that they were the first to stop selling battery eggs way before Jamies campaign. They have less lorries because they have a smaller share (although they have a huge share of the total organic produce market).
They have lots of own brand lines.
They are a VERY similar price to Somerfield but they are more expensive than Asda.
Yes, I like Waitrose. I used to like working for them. They are different.
* Buy from farmers within a 48km range of the store
* The company offers financial incentives to farmers to go organic
* The company promotes “Bag for Life” shopping bags
* It refuses to put sweets and chocolate at checkouts
* Products on the shelf are fully traceable
* When it buys from overseas (e.g. citrus) it has a charitable fund for education in those countries
* It supports Fairtrade e.g. bananas from Windward Islands
* Staff have a say of what is put on the shelf
* Directors and managers are elected via a democratic process by employees
2% of pre-tax profit is given away to selected charities.
Aside from that they were the first to stop selling battery eggs way before Jamies campaign. They have less lorries because they have a smaller share (although they have a huge share of the total organic produce market).
They have lots of own brand lines.
They are a VERY similar price to Somerfield but they are more expensive than Asda.
Yes, I like Waitrose. I used to like working for them. They are different.
What about !! why has no-one else thought of this !!
What about if the Sydenham Hypermarket took it over !!!
FAB !!!
Loads & loads more tat for sale !!
YEAHHHHHHHH !!!!
FAB !!!
Loads & loads more tat for sale !!
YEAHHHHHHHH !!!!