Sainsbury's Local opening on the 18th December near the plough

[Jamma]

I don't want Val's to close. But hopefully having Sainsburys as competition will nudge them to charge sensible prices and sell veg that is better quality.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I know - it really hacks me off when Nisha is only in the shop for 2 hours a day and spends the rest of the time driving around SE22 in her open top convertable. Minted she is...

[jim_the_chin]

Anyone been in? I'm a big fan of Sainsburys and went in tonight, only to walk out and go back to my local post office guys next door. It felt good to be in there for some reason, and their beer was 21p cheaper than sainsbos!

I was keenly awaiting the opening, and am now confused. Answers on a postcard please.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

I think its too small, it seems pretty pointless to me...

[ludoscotts]

hi I went in today( was about to trudge down to dulwich in the snow with toddler in buggy when I was relieved to see it had opened!) its the same as any sains local. Nothing startling about it but then why should there be. They seemed to have a couple of problems that the workmen were still trying to fix but had lots of staff around to assist. Its just going to be a great stopping off point for anyone without a car and who cant carry much meaning going down into dulwich or up to forest hill is a very slow and horrible journey or a trip on the bus. I will still use costcutters and val's for some items and I will still use the deli, fishmongers and butchers in dulwich ( I do like to use local independent shops) but the relief of not having to carry squash, nappies, formula and tins etc up the hill will be fantastic. I know someone is about to jump on my back and start having a go to say you can get those from vals, costcutters etc but they are way more expensive, for example robinsons squash in costcutters was ?1.29 a litre the other day and you can get 2 litres for ?1.98 in sains, little things like this really do add up when you are on a very tight budget and I can never get the formula or nappies size that I need in the other shops I always have the hike up or down the hill in one direction or the other to find all of the things I need. I know people can be against chains as they kill of the locals but hopefully enough people will be like me and still support the locals but im so pleased its here.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

I just thought for a local it was rather small. I actually went in for nappies and the choices were very very limited. Just one wipes by Huggies and nappies by Huggies, that was it, no pampers, no nappies by sainsbury's etc, and not many sizes either. Costcutters actually had more choices of nappies and wipes funny enough and they are smaller! But I guess I could pop into all of the shops and get whatever I need from each shop. I felt such a traitor walking pass Nisha(who bidded me good afternoon and asked after my little one) and Costcutter's whilst I went off to Sainsbury ( can you believe no normal cabbages such as red, white or savoy, there was only one choice and that was sweetheart cabbage...come on, that cannot be the cabbage of choice from us consumers?!)

Oh well, after the whole initial excitement, I was rather disappointed and I probably will mostly be sticking to Val's and Costcutters, it is nearer to me anyway.

[savvygirl]

Sainsbury's Local is equivalent to Tesco Express, like a supermarket cornershop. For those that saw "Rip Off Britain" on morning TV, it said that the stock is limited and a lot of things will cost more than in their main stores, but I guess this is the price of convenience. So long as the quality is good is what matters - I have seen some dumb behaviour in the main Sainsbury store where they come along with a tray of fresh veg, such as broccolli, and then dump the yellowing remnants of the previous tray on top! So watch the veg as it could have stuff past it's sell by date bunged in with fresh stuff. Give it a squeeze or a prod before you buy!

[ruffers]

I went in this morning and while I was parked outside I went to Badger Bakers for chocolate croissants, no plain croissants in there so went to Sainsburys for those, the cafe opposite for a panettone and as Sainsburys had no Guardians I went next door for that.

Two of those shops I've never been in before so well done Sainsburys for boosting the whole area..

[Bic Basher]

Yes, I'd like to thank Sainsburys to introducing me to the post office shop 2 doors down who had single cream while they sold out!

The advantage for Val's and Costcutter is the footfall of bus passengers who get off from the 12 and 40 and use those shops.

[Beej]

Maybe it's just me, but did anyone notice how cold it is in there, absolutely baltic I tell you - for goodness sake put some damn heating on!

[bagpuss78]

I think you'll find most supermarkets are cold, it helps keep the food fresh

[Beej]

Ahh ha, let the sarcy comments begin.... Perhaps if you're hanging out in the frozen meat section - maybe that's what you do bagpuss, you sound like a cold sorta person, but come on, doesn't feel like that in the big sainsbury's or even in Somerfields....so 'I think you'll find' - oh give it a rest..just put the heat on and love.

[bagpuss78]

wow, i didn't make a personal remark about you, just an observation about supermarkets in general. The one reason i stopped posting on the forum was because of the nit picking whenever some writes something completely innocent you seemed to have done exactly what you are wrongly accusing me of, well done.

[bagpuss78]

p.s i don't really eat that much meat so the frozen meat section, not my bag :))

[Louisa]

Louisa is torn.

Yes another addition to the area, and it is clearly popular as I went in for a smoked salmon and cream cheese sarny on sunday and it was mobbed with excited looking pensioners and posh broadsheet reading cosmo types stocking up on brown rice and ready served mixed leaf salad.

My gripe with it is that one, it isnt M&S simply food, and two, it isnt the co-operative. I absolutely HATE Sainsbury's and would have rather seen anything in it's place. As for the old one liner nugget on 'indy' stores, well I couldnt give a toss. If they dont up the anti, supermarkets will come in and take trade off of them, but from the sounds of it this could be the best possible outcome for them. Now bring on the the simply food so I can treat myself to some chocolate corn flake bites!

Louisa.

[ruffers]

In my quest to encourage Sainsburys' regeneration of the area I today bought a bottle of vodka from the Polish shop (never been in there before) and a nice lunch in the Plough, reading a paper bought in Sainsburys.

Thanks Sainsburys!

[Bony Fido]

The Polish shop is brill for lager,vodka etc. and I reckon its business should be helped by the extra punters brought to the area by Sainsburys (they are useless for lager in common with all the big chains except Lidl)

[Jeremy]

Louisa Wrote:

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

> so I can treat myself to some chocolate corn flake bites!

I can give you a recipe if you want.

[James]

Where's our bloody Waitrose? If we don't get one soon I will scream and scream and scream!

[ayresc]

here here! banish the scroteville that is Iceland!

[Nero]

I think that the arrival of Sainsbury's is a good thing. It can't be worse than a seemingly never-ending building site that that address once was. Perhaps it will mean that the other business will up their game. The dry cleaner's, for example, is a bit tatty looking on the outside (though it is a good place overall), and could do with a new sign and a spruce up. And the much-loved/lamented Le Moulin could do with, at the very least, a quick lick of paint and a poke around its hanging baskets with a trowel every now and then. In the past 18 months the framing place, the coffee shop, Sainsbury's, the Polish place and the butcher's have set up shop there as well as the Bombay Bicycle takeaway. True, the Chinese medicine shop and the electrician's have closed down, but on the whole, that strip is looking more healthy than it has for a long time.

[Sanne Panne]

I believe the post office shop next door is going to go all organic in order to compete.

[damzel]

Actually the electician just moved in with the chaps in the cornershop opposite. And the Chinese medicine shop - well, they left an acupuncture needle in my boyfriend which he found an hour after coming home!

I live just round the corner from the Sainsbos and although I hated the idea, I'm not unduly unhappy about it now. It hasn't caused a problem with parking which was my main issue and I find I'm actually using the other shops there more than I did before and no more shopping at horrible Somerfields. The range isn't great but it's good for fresh fruit, veg and bread which is what I find lacking in the other shops.

[ClareC]

Im really liking the new Sainsbury's, its really convenient and much needed this end of LL.

I still use the other shops, just don't have to drive to DKH to get Sainsbury's type bits, and am so pleased not to have to use Somerfield any longer :-)