Safeways/Somerfields

[annabel mclaren]

Happy New Year to Jim in Aberdeenshire - I've just returned from Nairn in Nairnshire where their Safeways, which is a similar size to ours, is looking equally dismal. Roll on Somerfields - but in the meantime I think we need to keep up the pressure - as Matt_G suggests - so that we get the Market Fresh store that Sydenham deserves!

[danny1973]

Yep I agree !!

Come on ......... Everybody get involved and show some people power by telling Somerfield we would love a 'market fresh' style supermarket.
The East Dulwich one looks great.

All log on to link and tell them !!

We want to be proud of Sydenham.

[Pat Trembath]

I've left my plea for a "Market Fresh" style supermarket on the on the Somerfield web site.

Let's keep the Somerfield web-site address on all our posts so that it is easily available to users of this Forum to follow suit.

The website is to be found at:

http://www.somerfield.co.uk/site/contac ... /index.asp

[GLOBAL THINKER]

I've just posted my comments on the Somerfield website. Good idea to get everyone putting their opinion forward. I've also asked them what their plans are for the shop front. Although closing on Sat and opening the following Thursday doesn't give them much time to put a market fresh store front up does it ( or am I being cynical!!)

[GLOBAL THINKER]

I've had a reply from Somerfield, sounds a bit vague considering the work starts in 5 days but its a start

Good Morning,

Thank you for your email.

I'm afraid I am unaware on the exact refurb details. Most new stores are in the usual Somerfield format. Some however have fresh Deli, Fruit and Veg, and Fish counters.

If I receive any information on this particular store, I will contact you again,

Kind Regards,
Ginni Fox
Customer service Advisor

[nasaroc]

Whatever may replace Morrison's management of the Sydenham store has got to be better than at present. Their food in particular is so limited and unappealing.

Being brought up in Yorkshire is hardly likely to make you a food gourmet. Yorkshire pudding, gravy like crude oil, potatoes like coal, bullet peas and the tough shoe-leather meat of a Yorkshire cow is standard fare north of Chesterfield. If you think I'm kidding, visit south Yorkshire where instead of fish and chip shops or chinese take-aways, they specialise in cafes where you can have anything with Yorkshire pudding - and I mean anything!

Despite the origins of the store, what could possibly explain some of the food on offer in Morrisons? The 99p ready-made range really does hit a new low and I advise all our readers to rush along to the store before it closes so you can examine this in its natural environment. Yes, it's cheaper than a bus fare but I challenge anyone to eat it and honestly say that they enjoyed the experience. In sheer desperation one day since there was so little else on offer I decide to risk one of these. Initially, I was torn between the corned beef hash and the spaghetti bolognese but settled in the end for meat balls with spaghetti. On the cover was a picture of the said spaghetti with meat balls on a plate. Next to this was written "serving suggestion". I could only take it that the "serving suggestion" i.e. "put it on a plate" was aimed at customers from England's largest county but I could be wrong.

This meal was totally inedible. Roll-on Somerfields!

[annabel mclaren]

In reply to Global Thinker (above) the new Somerfields actually opens on Wednesday rather than Thursday. Let's hope that it's an improvement on Morrisons/Safeways - and that it will help to cheer up the high street!

[danny1973]

Well now we have it and what a farce !

I walked past the supermarket last night to see what had been done ........ Not much !!

What a joke ... all they have done is swap the produce and put up a few posters and change the baskets ?!

All that hope of a new facade and layout down the drain.

[annabel mclaren]

In reply to Danny, I've just shopped in the new Somerfields and am really encouraged - the shelves are laden with interesting fresh food (quite a bit of organic stuff), everything is well presented and looks enticing, and the shop seems to have been given a really good spring clean - long overdue! The lobbying for a new layout and shopfront still needs to go on - Somerfields have made clear to the Sydenham Society that this is a quick re-branding exercise, and a decision about the eventual format will be taken after sales figures etc have been analysed. So please don't spurn the store - but support it and in the long run we might get a Lordship Lane-style Market Fresh store.

[Steve Grindlay]

I've just spotted an article in the online Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/stor ... ker-103704 that says that Somerfield has now recieved a takeover bid from an Icelandic retailer (as in the country, not the even more dismal chain than Morrisons).

If the above link doesn't work, there is a link from the Guardian's homepage.

[stuart]

I've just spotted an article that says that Somerfield has now recieved a takeover bid from an Icelandic retailer (as in the country, not the even more dismal chain than Morrisons).

Weird - the Iclelandic firm Baugur Group is also taking over the dismal (English) Iceland. The objective is to put Iceland, Somerfield & KwikSave together to compete against the big three.

They should use Velcro for the signage......

[nasaroc]

I visited yon new-fangled Somerfield store this morning. What the heck is cracking off?? Out go family-size mushy peas and giant-sized Maltby mutton pies and in comes fire-roasted peppers and goats cheese pizza. Organic this, organic that! If God had meant food to be healthy he wouldn't have invented lard.

I'm off back to Yorkshire to get some proper grub.

[Muddy Waters]

Busy, busy, busy this morning in the new Somerfield. Slightly chaotic as some of the remainder lines were not being accepted by the Somerfield computer. Teething troubles should be expected.

However, general impression is a cleaner, brighter store with loads more lines. Perhaps slightly more expensive but the quality certainly appears to have improved. I think when it "beds down" the new Somerfield will be an asset to our high street.

[Weeble]

Sounds good! Haven't been yet, did my last big shop at Bell Green....

Just as an aside, I went down to Safeways/Somerfield, armed with a shopping list, only to find it was closed for the restock. So, partly as an experiment, partly out of desperation, I tried to find everything on my list in the high street. There were a few 'fancy' items as I was cooking dinner for friends. However, I eventually managed everything on the list (with one minor substitution) but had to try every shop on the high street to get there, it took forever!

So much as I like to support the local shops, I doubt I'll be trying it again in a hurry!

[Double Spot]

Oh dear, what a disapointment. Wed 9 Feb did not quite reach IKEA proportions, although I felt like giving someone a Glasgow Kiss when I waited for ages for someone to solve the mystery of the tills but packed with shoppers on the look-out for bargain offers.

Sadly it seemed little better than Safeways at it's best. Staff seemed to be poorly briefed and unsure of their new identity although much smarter in the new livery.

As the novelty wore off bargain lines were unstocked at ten in the morning
and on Friday morning at 9.45 only one check-out was staffed to deal with 10 customers.

I think our hopes of a Waitrose style revolution in Sydenham are on hold and the degradable bags are a joke.

I feel a 'touch of Persia' coming on!

[admin]

Due to the length of this thread - I am now closing it. Please use the new thread for further discussion.