Sainsbury Local just opened on our highstreet - friend or foe?

This is a controversial subject and I know that opinions will really vary.  I am not expecting everyone to agree with me. 

Sainsbury Local has just opened up on our high street, 100 metres from my house.  A few metres from my independent butcher and a few more metres from my independent greengrocer and independent health food shop.  A lot of people up in arms.  We live in a small town and already have two small Co-ops, a small Morrison (now 'MyLocal'), Iceland and Tesco Express not far away.  The large Tesco and Sainsbury are less than ten mins in the car.  Just writing this down it does seem a lot...  However, I am not convinced that this is necessarily a threat to the local independent shops.  There are people who will only buy prepackaged meat or their fruit and veg from the supermarket but there are so many of us that love the fresher, more local produce and the banter with owners or committed shop assistants whilst shopping locally.  

A few days ago I popped in to this Sainsbury Local with my 'Buy Local' bag and had a sudden crisis that I was going against my message, that I was being dishonest about my beliefs or just being a total hypocrite.  It took a while for me to work out what I was most concerned about and whether it was, in fact, ok to do some shopping in a chain mini supermarket with all my favourite independent shops surrounding me. 

For me the arrival of Sainsbury Local is great. I don't see it as a threat. There are certain products that we all generally only buy from a supermarket, for me it's  Weetabix, houmous (unless I make it), Milk, Yoghurt, frozen peas etc and when I run out I have to make a trip out of town in the car because I don't like the other mini supermarkets.  Once I am there it feels like I am in a vortex...my mind goes blank, I fill up a trolley and come out with a huge bill.  More often than not, all my good intentions of buying my meat from the butcher and my veg from the greengrocer go out of the window once I see a counter full of apples in bags and so forth.  The three year old is at nursery, this is my chance to shop. I don't have to struggle with him wanting to run around, steal a Lindt chocolate bunny or have a tantrum because I won't let him have a ride on Thomas.  My time is limited and I can shove it all in the trolley, pay and go and it's done for the week.   I get home, I have too much shopping to fit in my fridge and overflowing freezer and I haven't supported my local community.  So, for me the opening of this Sainsbury Local means that I can now pick up bits and bobs during the week that save me a trip out of town.  It will keep me local, keep me shopping in the greengrocer and the local butcher and the health food shop rather than take me away.  I wouldn't choose to get my meat from Sainsbury rather than the butcher.  It is a completely different quality.  I will still have to go out of town to shop once in a while, that's for sure but I say hooray for Sainsbury Local, you have made my life and community choices easier!

Think about how you shop.  Could you find a better solution to driving out of town to shop?  Make a list. How much shopping could you do on the high street?  Here  is a link to a menu planning website, which could help you to work out what you need for the week and then decide where you could buy the products. http://www.athriftymrs.com/2013/06/free-meal-plan-printables.html  I bet you can get more on the high street than you realise.  I don't find it more expensive as is commonly believed.  I buy less and waste less because I am not buying prepackaged goods. I buy what I need.  I don't think we should feel guilty about using a mix of independent shops and 'mini supermarkets'  I believe they could help the 'shop local' message rather than sabotage it. 

What do you think?

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