> > Yes, and no. On balance I think the large supermarkets do more harm > > than good, but they don't always obliterate the small competition. > > Look at your neighbourhood, Chiswick, for example. There is a big, > > busy Sainsbury right off the High Road, but an enormous number of > > small specialist & niche shops around it and on Turnham Green Terrace > > which appear to be thriving. Near me there are several 'retail parks' > > sucking people in from all over, but we also have small specialist > > delis, organic butchers, a farmer's, even specialist electrical > > retailers which you wouldn't think would stand a chance, and an > > independent (but crap) camera shop. And the good burgers of Blackheath > > have resisted for years allowing a McDonalds to sully their lovely > > village street... At the risk of sounding elitist, where the middle > > classes have established a toehold you will often find chi-chi little > > shops sprouting like mung beans. > > > > Regards > > Bob > > Quite so. Recently a second fish-monger opened in Turnham Green > Terrace. Most places saw their last one close years ago. These > two compete to see who can charge the highest prices. > > We also have the best chocolate shop in London..........., and a > coffee shop every thirty paces. > > It's hard to keep obesity at bay in Chiswick.
Sounds like a different world down there. Recently I was driving a hire van for a friend and noticed the fuel guage was on the blink just before I entered the Mersey tunnel. Not wanting to run out of fuel in the tunnel I went in search of a petrol station, not many left now, supermarkets have put nearly all but the "big four" out of business. There is a niche for specialist suppliers and services but they seem to be fewer and farther between up here in the North (UK). On a brighter note one of my local camera shops (there's two within 1/4 mile of each other) will have the K10D first week of December, just one, but said if I wanted the body only option he would sort something with the rep. The K100D has been selling really well apparently, outsold Nikon and Canon in the last month at his shop, one of the owners is thinking of selling his Canon 350D and going for the K10D! John ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information transmitted is intended only for the person to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. If you have received an email in error please notify Carmel College on [EMAIL PROTECTED] then delete all copies of it from your systems. Although Carmel College scans incoming and outgoing emails and email attachments for viruses we cannot guarantee a communication to be free of all viruses nor accept any responsibility for viruses. Although Carmel College monitors incoming and outgoing emails for inappropriate content, the college cannot be held responsible for the views or expressions of the author. The views expressed may not necessarily be those of Carmel College and Carmel College cannot be held responsible for any loss or injury resulting from the contents of a message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
