‘Bland brand…clone towns’…the supermarket wars.

It seems we are at last having a conversation about the anti-supermarket feeling. Radio National ran hour interview/talkback segment and I see online comments about the ‘supermarket wars’ in the UK and US…AND regional Oz is doing something about fighting back!

Clearly there’s a place for supermarkets, but at what price?

• Do we want to shop in a place where 80% of goods are ‘bland brand/store brand’?
• Do we want country towns and suburban shopping strips stripped of their
  independent traders and the area’s character ie become ‘clone towns’?
• Research shows the big chains Ten good reasons to shop at locally owned businesses:employ fewer people and profits leave the community – is this what we want?
• Coles/Woolies are into groceries, liquor and fuel. They are looking at chemist lines. Overseas Wal-Mart plans to launch a pre-paid Visa card to low income customers which include low-cost cheque cashing and money transfer services!
• Have we reached the point where if we want to pass on a non-clone world to our kids and grandkids we have to spend a bit more to support small business – as with investment in solar panels/water tanks to help combat climate change – so we can balance people, planet and profit?

Current situation

• The supermarkets win on their long opening hours
• Current thinking is weekly shopping is around $20 dearer at an IGA
• In some cases small business needs to lift its game – why would they win support otherwise?
• I hear that in France, the big stores such as Bunnings and supermarket giants are positioned outside provincial towns
• there is strong opposition to supermarket giants in the UK.

Check for yourself:

Ghost Town Britain
Clone Town Britain
Plugging the leaks

AND in the US

10 good reasons to shop at locally owned businesses
Local merchants reinvest in San Francisco
Local First – new approach to Bay Area economic development

In Shepparton (Vic) Geoff Allemand is passionate about supporting small business and is doing something with his ‘Scratch me Back’ campaign…’Your customers will love you for it!’

Geoff on what makes a business local:

“Independent retailers who are fully involved in the community. These are the retailers whose sons and daughters go to the local school with customer’s kids, who share the ups and downs of life in the community, who ‘look out’ for the old and vulnerable in the neighbourhood and who provide conversation with the groceries.”

He continues:

All over the world there is an initiative to remind people of the value of the local independent shops. Successful local traders are a sign of a vibrant and thriving community.

In Australia we are slow to fightback. Unlike the USA and Britain where the war is on for all to see.

Scratch-me-Back is your Buy Local warrior, helping you fight the battle against big non-local guys and the growing might of online shopping such as eBay. We are looking for like-minded people – shops, shoppers, media, trades and services.

We have developed a number of initiatives, products and promotions to help give you an edge over your competitiors.

These include:

• Fuel Discount Cards
• Peeler Cards
• poKr cards – unique mini calling cards
• Buy Local Shopping Sprees
• NEW – Scratch me Local

Geoff invites you to send an email if you would like to discuss unique customer incentives and promotions to suit your business.

In Griffith (NSW) local businessman, Paul Pirotti is also passionate about supporting locally owned businesses. He invited Scratch-me-Back to Griffith and now there is a Griffith Fightback.

Paul’s frustration started with the local council giving the go ahead for a multi million dollar development that brings another supermarket and 40+ specialty shops most of which are company owned chain stores. “Not what the community needs in the grip of its worst ever drought and severe downturn in business,” says Paul.

The Griffith Fightback committee will be launching the Scratch-me-Back fuel discount cards early July in partnership with Belford Petroleum.

“Because we have been able to sign a fuel provider, that will mean we’ll be able to provide petrol discount deals from the Mobil Depot, Central Service Centre and Top Town Mobil…it’s certainly significant for us to be able to get these people on board, because as you can imagine, it’s quite onerous to be able to administer such a discount scheme…Under the program, customers of participating local outlets receive scratch cards with their purchases revealing fuel discounts ranging from 5c to $1 per litre…It’s a much more significant discount than Coles and Woolworths are offering,” says Paul.

The fuel discount offer is due to start on July 1.