The State of Somerfield

Very shocked today to see a notice on the door regarding a "system upgrade" to the store at the end of October which means it will be closed for a few days. Is this the refit we have all been waiting for?

I noticed that poster yesterday, it would be so good for it to have a complete face lift the shop is very embarassing! I noticed some new staff when I was in yesterday and one guy who I think is maybe the manager or assistant manager was being particularly helpful to the customers - not something I have seen in there for a while.

hello again, not sure if this is public knowledge or not yet, but the co-op have passed on its lease to BM (or B and M) stores. Somerfield/co-op will be shutting in may.

That is likely to provide some competition for the factory shop. Will that mean Sommerfield staff will be made redundant?

rubbereye wrote:

I've always found the staff there very helpfull....... especially the younger ones....... and more especially the ones with "difficulties".

The above post of mine was misunderstood by some when I first posted it.

I share Admin's worries about staff redundancies......... for some of the staff even more than others. As part of the Co-operative movement, Somerfield's at least had enough balls/humanity/savvy/awareness/basic human decency to operate an inclusive employment policy.

Britain's Co-operative Movement actually started in Scotland along with the Labour Party. In fact, just as the Tories' full name is really Conservative and Unionist Party, Labour is really the Labour and Co-operative Party (or was pre-Tony.)

I actually once worked for the Co-operative Wholesale Society for a while in England.

I know of several small businesses - mostly composed of "redundant" skilled working people - that owe their success to the Co-operative movement.

Sorry, this is a rather rambling pot. I'm just hoping that the whole idea isn't starting to fade away.

well apparently we will all have jobs with this new business, but they have a reputation taking over a store and making half the staff redundant after a year, so im not too hopeful. other than the fact it a job, my job, i feel its a bit of a loss to the centre of penicuik. papers, lottery, paypoint, bread and milk for the older residents, probably not gonna be available with this new place, i dont think anyway. shame

If anyone is concerned about their job presumably Asda will be recruiting in the near future, so they could possibly apply there. You're right about the loss of papers etc. It's ridiculous that it is not possible for someone to be able to run an newsagents right in the centre of a town

Ben's old shop might get back into service yet, and there is always Farmfoods for the bread & milk. I have a feeling the developer knew of all this a while ago which is why he has put in for planning permission for a new (hot food) unit nearby. This may be a newsagents. Why not use the old McColls unit though!

The former manager at McColls was keen to open a newsagency when his shop disappeared from under him. He wasn't prepared to pay Gilmour's asking price for the premises though (and I don't blame him).
Unfortunately by the time he had got anywhere near agreeing a lease of one of the empty premises on the other side of the precinct, Somerfield had nicked the daily paper business and the Paypoint. He reckoned that without Paypoint it would have been a struggle to make the shop viable in the current (even three years ago) business climate.
So another potential business doesn't happen because the private property owners in Penicuik would rather see one of their shops sitting empty than get a rent for it. Or at least try to pretend they're some property tycoon that can demand extortionate rents as well. Have they never heard of competition?
I doubt there's much point in trying to re-open McColls as a newsagents. If they couldn't make it pay then I doubt a private individual would. Adding an off-licence and a lottery terminal might make a difference, assuming you can get an application past the "usual suspect(s)"!

So is this the reason for Somerfield not being rebranded as a Coop? Not sure I can see there being enough requirement for both the Factory outlet and a B&M, though I'd shop in Factory Outlet anyday compared with experience of B&M.. Can only hope that they are true to their words about jobs. Be interesing to see who takes on paypoint, Lottery etc? Surely there is demand within the town centre area for this...

An article about the sale of the Somerfield store is in this week's Advertiser. Many people will be very glad to hear that they are keeping the tobacco and lottery sales!!!
May 16th is the big day folks!
Now seems that May 7th is the closing day!

Does anyone know if there is any truth in a rumour about M&Co looking to shut up shop in Penicuik?

So Somerfield has departed with no time being wasted in removing all traces from the store. I hope that the new owners are going to get the building fixed up properly before they install new fittings etc and I wonder how long until they open.
Now we just have two empty units in the precinct area at present with the former newsagents and Ingmans shops with a bit of luck something will start to happen in the High Street.