Sainsbury's Coming to Haverfordwest? Part 2 (From Western Telegraph)

Sainsbury's Coming to Haverfordwest? Part 2

10:43am Thursday 17th November 2011 in Andrew Lye By Andrew Lye

The Western Telegraph kindly published my letter last week, about the proposed Sainsbury's store for Haverfordwest.

Tomorrow is the day (and Saturday, 10am - 2pm) when Sainsbury's will be holding their proposed consultation of their plans at the Mariner's Hotel, from 10am - 6pm.

I will be going along tomorrow, to see the plans for myself.

I am not BLINDLY in favour of the application, but am certainly in favour of Sainsbury's coming to Haverfordwest.

I see today that Sainsbury's are also hoping to open a store in Aberystwyth. So it looks as if other stores have realised that there are parts of the UK where they lack a presence.

MP Stephen Crabb has questioned the need for another supermarket for Haverfordwest. My answer to that is as follows.

1. Why should Tesco have a near monopoly over the town?

2. I dont like Tesco's for the reason that it has such a huge market share in the UK that its not healthy for competition.

3. The current store in Haverfordwest is far too big that I lose the will to shop there and to have to go to the other end of the store if you forget something, puts me off.

4. I, personally consider Tesco's to be expensive.

5. Sainsbury's has good quality products and special offers and generally, is competitively priced.

and 6. I believe in the consumer having choice. Choice is a word that the Conservative Party uses a lot and so I am therefore somewhat surprised that Stephen Crabb infers its OK to deprive the consumer of choice of supermarket. There's not much choice if you dont like the market leader.

There will be many arguments over the months (and possibly years?) to come of the planning issues, including the effect on the town centre of Haverfordwest. But unfortunately, a lot of the damage has already been done as other shops have closed recently.

So I am looking forward to seeing and hearing all the arguments, for and against the proposal and seeing the plans tomorrow will help me to get to know more of what Sainsbury's are proposing for Haverfordwest.

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