Since the questionnaires were placed in the shop earlier in the year we have had many respondents to the feedback survey. The responses have been overwhelmingly positive, with some useful ideas put forward.
One point which has been raised on several occasions is that of our pricing of shop products and the mis-conception that we are too expensive. Many of our products are in fact cheaper than other local shops, mainly everyday items such as toilet rolls, teabags, biscuits, tinned goods and stationery to name a few. I decided to undertake a comparison exercise to look at the different prices between ourselves and our nearest rival in Findon Valley, I compared the prices of 6 everyday items (liquid soap, Andrex, baked beans, Bisto, Yorkshire tea and honey) and we were cheaper on all of these items – a great result! Our fresh daily bread, free-range eggs, fresh cakes, local ice-cream and milk are a little more expensive but we are proud to support those local businesses selling the best fresh produce.
Since we took over the shop we have had to contend with the closure of our biggest grocery supplier P & H, and this has inevitably caused wholesale prices to increase, this coupled with Tesco taking over Booker wholesale, giving the Tesco brand a huge market share of both the wholesale and retail market. As a community shop we aim to cover our costs and our pricing strategy reflects this, by making a small profit to ensure the future of our shop. The main reason we are able to keep our pricing down is due to the huge free workforce we have – our volunteers!
We appreciate the feedback received and we are still seeking practical assistance for our regular shopping trips. The shop is doing well and every item bought helps to keep the shop viable, so thank-you!
Jo O’Dell Volunteer/Vice-Chair
