Matt ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) wrote in Message: 8 at Tue, 25 Feb 2003
17:58:01 GMT:
>Subject: [Bikies] Madison Kohl's Grocery Stores Sold To Copps
[snip]
>otherwise I have been using Sentry's Web-Delivery service, it still is sad
to
>see "my backup store" being closed.
>
> One interesting item on the page cited above is a survey of what the
>most important factor is for consumers in a grocery store. Not
>surprisingly, "Low Price" is winning over "Location" by a margin of nearly 5
>to 1. Yet more proof that consumers are failing to add in the cost of
travel
>into their grocery cost calculations.
What didn't appear in that Channel 3 webpage but did appear in the _Capital
Times_ story is that the almost brand new Northside store in Sherman Plaza
is being sold to Copps but Copps will be closing it, ostensibly to avoid
"duplication" with its East Side store on Aberg/Route 30. Nah, it wouldn't
be to avoid the competition that would likely result had someone else
bought it, would it?
Kohl's isn't necessarily my favourite area supermarket chain (none of the
area chains are really all that great), but I must be more satisfied than
dissatisfied with it because I shop there so often. Did I happen to
mention that it's only a mile walk from my house, or a really, really quick
bike ride if I'm in a hurry? (And if I'm driving my car home from
something else, it's easy to combine a grocery stop with the rest of the
trip.)
If I'm not mistaken, the Sherman Plaza Kohl's is the ONLY supermarket on
the Northside. Copps may be sort-of *near* the Northside (I believe it's
outside the official boundaries of the Northside, and perhaps Jim Powell
can confirm that for us), but considering its desolate location on Route
30/Aberg and separated for walkability purposes from the heart of the
Northside by Packers Highway, the two locations are not substitutes for
each other. About the only people who might consider walking to Copps
would be those in the neighbourhoods between Aberg and Commercial that are
somewhat connected by the pathway that leads to the traffic light by Shopko.
The Northside near Warner Park is a diverse collection of neighbourhoods
with a high density of rental housing in the immediate area of the store
(very much within easy walking distance, and with many residents who
probably don't have cars), modest affordable owner-occupied housing such as
in my immediate neighbourhood, and a fair number of upper middle income
homes. There's clearly demand in the immediate area for a supermarket.
Northport and North Sherman may not be the most-bike friendly or
pedestrian-friendly streets in the city, but it's still a far more walkable
shopping location (also featuring a fairly decent hardware store, a branch
library, and a great new restaurant) than Aberg to Shopko and Copps. It's
also somewhat better served by buses than Aberg/Rte30, at least if you go
at the right time of day for it. (It gets a little iffy if you try it
outside of rush hours.)
Let's be blunt. Copps is committing an act of economic violence against
the Northside community, and their blatant irresponsibility is worthy of
the strongest condemnation.
To be honest, I wouldn't want the Sherman Plaza store turned into a Copps,
but if no other supermarket steps in to take advantage of a great
opportunity to establish itself there (it's probably too much to hope that
a full-service coop could be established anytime soon in such a big space)
and I'm left driving to do all my grocery shopping, you can be sure that I
won't be going to the existing Copps store. If I have to get on Route 30
to go to the store, I'll go a couple extra miles and continue to Woodman's
or Cub (where I sometimes shop now anyway when I happen to be in the
vicinity). (Short of a company completely new to the area moving into that
spot, perhaps Sentry should be approached, considering that they don't yet
have any stores anywhere near this part of the city, although their having
pulled out of their old Verona Road store doesn't give them the greatest
track record either.)
Ald. Dorothy Borchardt was quoted in the story that she was outraged
because so many of the seniors in the surrounding neighbourhoods don't
drive any more and walk to the store. She's absolutely right, but doesn't
go nearly far enough. Good neighbourhoods need good local shopping that is
walkable (and bike-able) for EVERYONE.
Bob Paolino
"Something like this makes you think, 'Oh yeah.
This _IS_ rocket science.' "
--Kristen Fortson, NASA payload specialist
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