Highbridge Chamber of Trade’s Chairman says he is not surprised that the town’s ‘struggling’ Co-op supermarket is closing down this autumn.
Burnham-On-Sea.com first reported here last week that the supermarket in Southwell Crescent will shut on October 27th.
Speaking to Burnham-On-Sea.com, Highbridge Chamber’s Mike Murphy, pictured, said it is a blow to staff, but he added: “This does not come as a surprise given the stated policy of the Co-op to reduce larger stores and expand nationwide with convenience stores open seven days a week trading until 11pm even on a Sunday.”
“This effectively places them firmly in the ‘convenience store niche’ and firmly away from the battleground of the larger stores. The arrival of the store at Berrow and the proposed one at Morlands shows the way.”
He added: “Obviously regular users living close by will miss the larger range the Co-op provides but it was obvious the store struggled and it could be useful to have a convenience anchor store in a shopping mall in the entrance to the Bank Street Car park, similar to the shopping carpark at Langport.”
“Highbridge remains a town in transition and with several housing projects about to add another 1,000 homes in the area and the new Aldi about to open on the edge of town, we need new ideas for Market Street to truly become a social and retail shopping centre. This is simply part of a bigger picture.”
Meanwhile, the Radstock Co-Operative Society, is still pushing ahead with its plans for a new convenience store in Highbridge’s Morland Road, as first reported here. The new store was due to open this summer but its opening was postponed.
