Forum Topic

The Spinning Wheel closed?

I just heard from a friend that The Sinning Wheel on Northfields Ave has closed down soon to be reopened as an express mini market. Is this true? Is this the sort of shop that is needed or help full for the cafe society image that Northfields Avenue is so desperate to portray? Or is this a gateway store for the creation of a pound shop highway? Waitrose maybe but Lidl NO!?

Frankie Power ● 5497d9 Comments

FrankieI don't think I advocated the use of Sainsburys but I admit that the arrival had caused the independents to 'raise their game'. I will still use the local shops in preference to the multiples for I, and I guess you, am no fan of the cloned high street where nothing but multiples exists. I made the point about the 'never open' cafe for good reason. if you want to attract local trade and beat off (or at least sell as much coffee as) the big boys you at least have to open your doors to passing trade on a regular basis rather than keep potential customers guessing if you are going to open or not. Equally when you do open don't treat your customers like you are doing them a favour.I hope I didn't give another impression and that this post offers the clarity that I didn't express in my original post.

Nigel Brooks ● 5494d

Frankie,You are too romantic. Harsh as it may sound, we do not owe local stores a living. They have to entice us with something that we actually want to buy.  Do you think the excellent independent shops – Richardson’s, Parkers, etc - further up Northfield Avenue are quaking in their boots about the arrival of Sainsbury’s? Of course not, because they offer choice and quality that the supermarkets cannot match, and for that they are rightly rewarded with a loyal customer base.  The same cannot be said for the dreary minimarts at the southern end of Northfield Avenue, and yes I agree that the new branch sounds the death knell for these guys.I do not want to see Northfield Avenue become a chain-dominated parade any more than the next man, but let’s dispense with the apocalyptic talk and realise that the arrival of one, physically small chain store (which will make two in total on NA) will not mean the ruination of the many fine independent stores we have.

Alex Weel ● 5494d

Very true. My experience of Londis was selling tea bags at over a £1 cheaper than the supermarkets. In new zealand food retailing is dominated by a few chains who control the supply chains (therefore screwing suppliers) and also the prices (therefore screwing customers) these chains should be resisted as they will kill many local shops.

Peter Chadburn ● 5494d

So as far as Nigel,Alex and Nick are concerned it a good day when one of the supermarket giants lands on your doorstep may be a McDonalds drive through would be a welcome addition also if they don't like the taste of the burgers from the local independant take aways. The fact of the matter is that people do use the small indpendant grocers along Northfields Avenue otherwise they would not still be in businessthe occasional can of soup is what these places are all about but without the unpredictable length of queue.My eperiance of the small retiler is that if you enquire after a product then very often the next time you go there they will have obtained some from the cash and carry for stock hence the reason that many of these shops sell everything from button batteries to playing cards, sewing kit to childrens dummies. The case is an old one of if you don't use it you lose it and you don't appreciate what you have till it's gone.In the 80s and 90s we were all up about the cancer of out of town sell all supermarkets destroying the British high street,which is exactly what has happened to a large extent but now these goliaths of retail are returning to deliver the final fatel blows to this proud nation of shop keepers stiking right at the heart of our communities.Have no doubt that this will lead to the closuer of not just grocery stores but other retailer to as no buisness person wishes to have empty premises as a neighbour so as buisnesses close the likely hood of another opening in it's place is slim.I say support you local shop keeper and they will continue to support you, so lets send a message to sainsburys and there like by boycotting this new store and all other cynical commercial ventures that seem to have become such  acceptable practice these days.

Frankie Power ● 5494d

Agree with Alex. We buy the odd can of soup/pint of milk, in these minimarts, but in reality, in their present format they can't/will not compete with the new Sainsburys. We do use the bakers daily during the week...but treat ourselves with a trip to Parkers on a Saturday ;-)

Nick Jenkins ● 5496d

How often do we all frequent the independent stores at the southern end of Northfield Avenue (where I live). The honest answer is, I suspect, not very often at all. And the reason for that is that they're not very good - a downmarket off-license, a so-so bakers, numerous minimarts selling the same tired goods, etc, etc. As far as I am concerned, the new Sainsbury's is a positive.

Alex Weel ● 5496d

Firstly, welcome to Northfields.Another Sainsbury's local opened in January in Boston Manor and it has had a positive effect. The 'local shops' are now open longer and service is better obliging rather than grudging.Admittedly three provisions stores on one short parade of shops is overkill but the fittest two should survive.The 'never open' cafe, I predict will close for good soon but that's probably no bad thing.

Nigel Brooks ● 5496d

Simple facts are that we assume that Tesco is cheaper than our local shops but in reality Tesco Express is more expensive than a lot of local shops. But our mindset and assumptions mean that we do not check the prices. So take a good look and compare the prices in these tougher times. you will be surprised!!!

Peter Chadburn ● 5496d

I have recently moved to Northfields from Birmingham and was happy to see a thriving high street with a popular butcher and bakers. However within 3 months we have another Express Supermarket opening in on the high street, with Sainsbury's arrving in place of the Spinning wheel and with Tesco express at the other end. So it looks like it will probably mean a decline in the small shops on the high street. I hope that they wont be replaced with more cafe/bakery type shops as there is going to be too many for one little high street for all of them to survive. Support your local shops as if you dont use them, you lose them sadly.

Mary Horesh ● 5497d