Aldi

[syd]

So I contacted Aldi to suggest the old budgens. What does everyone else think?

[angela53]

Worth a try and better than the shop lying empty also offers slightly different to Lidl

[stuart]

Two issues - its considerably smaller than their standard store format plus they have a planning application for a new build at Bell Green.

Stuart

[rustya]

Aldi and Lidl, are cheap and not what the high street needs.
Why strive for bottom of the barrel, when we can aim for much higher.

[Pally]

Aldi and Lidl, are cheap and not what the high street needs.
Why strive for bottom of the barrel, when we can aim for much higher.

What is wrong with cheap? On what basis is it not what the high street needs? I'm not actually advocating it particularly , would just like to understand your thinking on this one!

[stuart]

Right on Pally - I've bought a lot of great kit there. Kit not available elsewhere on our High Street. Why is this a problem for other people? Would they prefer I paid more for the same or similar in East Dulwich?

Stuart

[Pally]

One person's "bottom of the barrel" is another persons "Pigs in clover"

More seriously, I think that if stating that something is not what the high st needs it is helpful to say why that is ones view!

[syd]

Aldi and Lidl, are cheap and not what the high street needs.
Why strive for bottom of the barrel, when we can aim for much higher.

So when are you going to contact Waitrose or are you just going to post here and criticise me and my preferences?

Lidl isn't cheap it's good value, life is great when you know the difference!

[rustya]

Aldi and Lidl, are cheap and not what the high street needs.
Why strive for bottom of the barrel, when we can aim for much higher.

So when are you going to contact Waitrose or are you just going to post here and criticise me and my preferences?

Lidl isn't cheap it's good value, life is great when you know the difference!

Waitrose would not open here due to our socio economic demographic in this area.
Would be a waste of my efforts.
Previously I have been successful elsewhere securing numerous council decisions in favour of one cause or another.
Unfortunately the real reason why that site will not prosper as a supermarket is because it is surrounded by large more established sites.
What is needed is a return to former glory.
A cinema was touted recently, and a return to its former state would be much better and spread footfall across the high street, and not remain concentrated in isolated pockets/shops that people bang on about consistently on this forum.

[Likelife]

Whilst it would be better than being empty, we don't exactly need an Aldi almost next door to Lidl. It's just more of the same.

[syd]

Whilst it would be better than being empty, we don't exactly need an Aldi almost next door to Lidl. It's just more of the same.

Have you even been to Lidl? The olive oil is one of the best you can buy. The gravadlax is delicious too!

https://www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk/inst ... -olive-oil

This is pure snobbery

[syd]

FYI

Thank you for contacting Aldi Customer Services regarding a request for a new store to be built in Sydenham.

We welcome all suggestions for potential new store locations and would like to advise, I have passed on your feedback to the relevant department so that they can review the information you have provided and take your request into consideration.

Once again, thank you for contacting Aldi Customer Services and thank you for your interest in our stores.

The snobs are going to have the vapours

[stuart]

Waitrose would not open here due to our socio economic demographic in this area..

This is pure snobbery

Downham has one! Ahem - some of us enjoy shopping at both. Nice to have a choice.

The real problem is Sydenham doesn't have one demographic. Going back to the Church Urban Fund they found that SE26 was a mix of very poor and well off. The average means nothing. Hence it has the capability of serving both ends of the market. Actually that's one reason I like Sydenham. It is not homogeneous like so many other areas around us.

People who assess the market by looking at the shops already here are missing a trick. Or unwilling to make their market.

Losing the Co-op was key for us. We used it and Lidl. They complemented each other. Now we shop in Penge. Its got Lidl and an alternative supermarket - even if it is only Sainsbury. Sydenham Road has regrettably lost our footfall. So, for instance, we don't just drop in at the Bookshop or Sugahill. We only go when we have to.

Hence a Waitrose or a return of the Co-op there would bring us back. But Waitrose are contracting rather than expanding at this time. The Co-op are probably thinking more about their proposed takeover of Nisa and what that might mean to their network. Aldi will be opening at Bell Green if they overcome the wrath of SydSoc.

Stuart

[Pally]

Waitrose would not open here due to our socio economic demographic in this area.
Would be a waste of my efforts.
Previously I have been successful elsewhere securing numerous council decisions in favour of one cause or another.
Unfortunately the real reason why that site will not prosper as a supermarket is because it is surrounded by large more established sites.
What is needed is a return to former glory.
A cinema was touted recently, and a return to its former state would be much better and spread footfall across the high street, and not remain concentrated in isolated pockets/shops that people bang on about consistently on this forum.

I understand the thinking behind your original statement now Rustya ...but don't think a cinema will be forthcoming ...nice if we had a picture house like in east Dulwich! Stuart is right re the very varied demographic ...one of the nice things about Sydenham!

[Sydenham]

Aldi will be focussed on getting their plans for demolishing the Bell Green gas holders in Lower Sydenham next to Savacentre and building a store there approved. Doubt they would want another store so close in Sydenham.

[syd]

Aldi will be focussed on getting their plans for demolishing the Bell Green gas holders in Lower Sydenham next to Savacentre and building a store there approved. Doubt they would want another store so close in Sydenham.

Or maybe they'll chang their mind

[Likelife]

Whilst it would be better than being empty, we don't exactly need an Aldi almost next door to Lidl. It's just more of the same.

Have you even been to Lidl? The olive oil is one of the best you can buy. The gravadlax is delicious too!

https://www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk/inst ... -olive-oil

This is pure snobbery

Snobbery? Because I said I'd rather not have two similar supermarkets 1 min away from each other? Are you having a laugh? I go in Lidl reasonably often actually. I just don't see why we need both Aldi and Lidl on the high street.

If you want to hear snobbery, I go Waitrose often, oh and I just came back from Italy with even better Olive Oil.

[sophie]

Right now I think I am at the stage of anything is better than nothing. I wouldn't mind an Aldi or a Waitrose or M&S simy food for that matter. I've had it in my head they'll be building flats on the site but not sure where I got the thought from; probably because flats are springing up everywhere.

[leenewham]

Aldi and Lidl are very similar. Some Lidl and Aldi products are impossibly cheap, some of their products are pretty good, some are terrible. They are comparable with most own brand products and savers ranges (nearly every product is Lidl and Aldi are own 'fake' brands made to look like brands, often made to look like major brands).

I'd much rather have an Aldi than a Lidl (much of what they sell is very, very similar, but Aldi have some morals in comparison to Lidl and their supply chain).

But I'd rather it be a co-operative again, or something different to treat ourselves. There is little to entice us to Sydenham these days.

[mosy]

It was in the news today that Aldi annual sales are well up but they've experienced a 17% fall in operating profit (which is a lot), although Aldi say it is happy to remain confident for the future including pursuing its significant expansion plans. Article here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/201 ... akes-toll/.

I wouldn't complain if Aldi wants the site. One question though is whether an Aldi would merely split the Lidl customer base so that one or other might give up, leaving Sydenham back at Square One with an empty medium-sized shop again.

Mind you, I don't know how attractive an old store is that presumably has been or has to be retro-fitted with all the zillions of ducts and cables and telephony etc needed "today" versus looking out for a new "clean" freehold custom build somewhere for e.g. Aldi who are prepared to make capital investments at the moment.