Co-Op on Forest Hill Rd soon to get a refit

[fl0wer]

Hurrah!

and with acknowledgements to the incredibly good-tempered staff who, along with us, endured cramped aisles and awful noisy smelly old freezers for so long....

....In the refitted shop, what grocery products would you like to see? Do you end up having to go elsewhere to find your everyday favourites?

Looseleaf Earl Grey tea,

organic butter

organic medium cheddar cheese (appreciating already the organic milk, and yoghourt),

Crank's WW Bread, and

organically grown carrots could become available in this branch and I believe plenty of us would appreciate them, also it would be great to see the Co-Op extend its ethical policy re: free range eggs, to take up a zero tolerance attitude to intensively reared meat.

[*Bob*]

Judging by the last few 'makeovers' that shop has had, you'll most likely be seeing..

(drum roll..)

..... exactly the same bog standard identikit product range as before.

[fl0wer]

You going to write a positive post for us on the EDF, *Bob*, any time soon? What foods would you prefer?

[*Bob*]

I ran-out of positive posts back in 2008, unfortunately.

They could just take a wander up the road to the Forest Hill S'Market and see what weird and wacky foodstuffs people regularly buy there.

CRAZY things like fresh herbs. WEIRD fruit such as limes. EXOTIC produce such as chillies.

[neilson99]

I have it agree with Bob - the best thing they could do is give over the site to the Turkish (?) supermarket near the Rose pub. It even has a deli if that's your thing!

Failing that, they should aim for regular deliveries of well priced fresh food. Given they often have empty shelves and if full then fruit is overpriced and out of date I think organic anything is way beyond them.

Oh and obviously always maintain a ridiculous amount of stock of ?3 for 12 toilet tissues on the shop floor!

[PeckhamRose]

The Co-op is now part owned by American Hedge funds.

So expect a welcome on the door?

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-2475851/Co-op-facing-battle-ceding-control-hedge-funds.html

[Louisa]

Maybe the co-op will hand over to fortnum & mason local if this new refit doesn't work out.

Louisa.

[HTED]

I think an improved layout, increased variety of products and more regular deliveries would make a big difference. More organic and ethically produced stuff would be very welcome too (yes to Crank's bread :-)! ) - in addition to the everyday essentials.

It feels like the Co-op's been neglected for ages, and I'm not surprised at people's scepticism regarding an improvement.

But it's in such a useful, central position (near bus stops, park, PO etc); many of us use it several times a week on the way home from work, school etc. Re-fitting it and improving the stock would surely be in everyone's interest. I'm hoping...

[DulwichFox]

The refit to the Co-op on Lordship Lane did nothing to improve food choice or quality.

Empty shelves. High prices. Freezer cubicle failures. Food close to/on Best Before date.(Old stock Reduced)

I thought the Co-op was supposed to be The Peoples Store. Long time ago.

DulwichFox

[PeckhamRose]

Cranks bread? It's the Co-op, it hasn't the room for the basics! I think they should sell LESS stuff and stop trying to make out like it's a Tesco Metro or something.

[*Bob*]

It's like a well-stocked nuclear bunker. There will always be tinned soup and something to wipe your bum on, but..

Sometimes we like to re-enact our own version of the 'Can't Cook, Won't Cook' challenge, when someone returns from the shop in question with a carton of button mushrooms, a bottle of Fairy liquid and a tin of Chopped tomatoes - and the other person has to make the best of it.

[*Bob*]

Is is it Ready, Steady, Cook?

One of those two.

[*Bob*]

The staff in there are nice though. I agree on that one.

[tallulah71]

Agree with *Bob*; Partly because I find his posts really funny and partly, in this case at least, I think he and Peckham Rose are right. Just sayin'

[The Minkey]

Co-op's more expensive than my local corner shop for a lot of basics. Emergency supplies only.

[alice]

get the refit to include moving that junkpile of trolleys and storage crap inside from outside

[fl0wer]

It would be interesting to know who is in overall charge of redesigning the titchy space, wouldn't it? The cardboard is kept outside to reduce fire hazard.

Using customer loyalty cards is presently the way Big Supermarket computer-tracks its highest profit goods and then orders branch store managers what to stock and how much space to devote to luxury goods.

This is how your corner store is manipulated into an outlet for posh ready-meals, pre-washed salad flown in from Florida, and 6 kinds of Chardonnay.

Many of us resist the card system which aims blatantly to record those shoppers with the deepest wallets. All modestly priced, wholesome, local or minority things inevitably get sidelined, once the loyalty card data is collected the shelves will be restocked with what earns the most.

FWIW I think decent bread is a really worthwhile 'basic' - the staff of life.

Looseleaf tea is healthier than anything in a dioxin-bleached teabag. (Research 'dioxin' if you need convincing.)

I think organically grown carrots taste light years better than agrichemically grown ones. If places like the Co-Op wanted to sponsor this sort of crop it would make a big difference, not just to the growers, but to public taste. Soon everyone would prefer better veg.

Co-Op began well with fair trade and compassion in farming but consolidating, furthering this, our money has the most power - loyalty cards or not.

[daveybigpotatoes]

It has always carried too many lines for the footprint. Let's not get carried away about loose leaf tea and magic bread when they often run out of real world basics.

[fl0wer]

What are your

'real world basics', then?

Let's use this thread to collect up everyone's requests....go on, GET carried away!

Listed mine to get people started - live very modestly too, labelling them neither magic nor deluxe.

[*Bob*]

If you're keen on the Co-Op but a resisting that membership card, then 'the point' of the Co-Op has passed you by.

As for who gets to redesign the interior, I nominate Dr Who.

[fl0wer]

*Bob* Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> If you're keen on the Co-Op but a resisting that

> membership card, then 'the point' of the Co-Op has

> passed you by.

No *Bob* once again:

It's what computers enable markets to do with all our amassed data that is of present concern.

Plenty of folk would willingly accept a return to the old-style dividend.

[*Bob*]

There's still an old-style Co-Op dividend, the principle is unchanged.

The problem is that - for some reason - some Co-Op members truly believe that buying carrots every week in their local store ought to reap untold riches.

If you believe in the Co-Op, you buy your food with the Co-Op, you insure your house with the Co-Op and - most importantly - you get your mortgage with the Co-Op.

[fl0wer]

And a special troll's funeral is available.....

http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/co-operative-funeralcare-apologises-after-dispatches-investigation

[*Bob*]

So, to recap:

In this thread, you want to have a say in how your local Co-Op is reorganised. The supermarket in question is the only major supermarket that allows its members a say in how their organisation is run - and a share in the profits. But you don't want to be a member because you don't want them to know whether you buy Napolina or shops-own?

[fl0wer]

*Bob* Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

"The supermarket in

> question is the only major supermarket that allows

> its members a say in how their organisation is run

> - and a share in the profits. But you don't want

> to be a member because you don't want them to know

> whether you buy Napolina or shops-own?"

The Co-Operative as an organisation is in dire financial trouble and we are only just getting the background story, so there isn't much point in cluttering up this thread off topic.

Loyalty cards across the whole system do not serve the customers, however cleverly they pretend by offering you pointlets, etc. They were invented to help track all purchasing by computer so that only the most *profitable* products, aimed at richer clientele, get store space devoted to them.

To repeat the question,

....In the refitted shop, what grocery products would we like to see more of?

Do you end up having to go elsewhere to find your everyday favourites?

The little hard-working local Forest Hill grocery store is getting repaired and here's wishing them the best of luck.