Forum Topic

Merry Christmas Morrisons

Make sure to take advantage of your last Christmas shop at Morrisons. If the powers that be have their way, it'll be your last. Sad to think that Brentford's only full-service supermarket and community hub, serving over 20,000 customers a week, will not be with us in the future.We all recognise the need for more homes to be built but, in the context of all the other development that's going on locally, it's somewhat perverse that our elected regime works in the interests of property developers rather than those of the community.So, thank you to the 158 staff at Morrisons, and we wish you a very Merry Christmas. Sadly, the New Year is unlikely to be as happy or prosperous as it will be for the directors of Essential Living.

Nick Kilby ● 2794d10 Comments

What's also interesting in the context of the awful, overbearing Essential Living block that will replace Morrisons, is that the Ballymore development south of the High Street is also supposed to have a 'Waitrose-sized' supermarket in it. So we will potentially end up with three stores, all within a stone's throw of each other. Possibly. Or... nothing at all.

Jo Francis ● 2787d

Yes very well said. Morrisons will be sadly missed

Janet Gracey ● 2791d

If the new bigger store space is not commercially viable for Morrisons then it follows that the two new supermarkets can only profit by overcharging for produce.

Reg Ghosh ● 2792d

It will be inferior in every way.A real shame as Morrisons has massively improved in the last  few years and this year has become cheaper than Lidl and quality and range improved hugely.M&S food lines are 30% - 50% higher than Morrisons for basics alone.  Lidl, novel that it is, have very limited range and variable quality. Sometimes outstanding and sometimes pretty grim.Either way, the loss of Morrisons is going to really damage the commerce and fabric of  Brentford and like other losses to this town will probably not recover.Shame on those West End Councillors who sat silent and voted for such a poor damaging development.  Shows how this oversized borough is incapable of looking after itself properly.

Raymond Havelock ● 2793d

The planning permission is for a food store with an area of 3506 square metres (plus other retail space of 764 Sq M). This compares to the existing Morrisons store which is 2787 sq M.So the total food store area will be about 25% bigger than Morrisons.My understanding is that the two retailers are planning to share a single store, but I don't know how that works.

Guy Lambert ● 2793d

Yeah..I'll bet what we end up with are two 'express' style mini supermarkets that only sell the higher profit margin  ranges from their products and very few own brand items. This will result in less choice and higher prices.If you have ever shopped in ine of those type of mini super markets, you will know exactly what I mean.Thank you very much LBH.

Keith Iddon ● 2793d

However several other supermarket operators did bid, and the preferred bidder was a joint bid between Lidl and Marks and Spencer.At present, I am unable to get any useful updates and as far as I know the proposed development still awaits approval from the Mayor of London.Assuming the development goes ahead as planned the most pressing issue from my point of view is seeking a temporary provision within Brentford. I am told that the prospective supermarket operators will be eager to make this happen to preserve the customer base. It is also obviously a priority for local people and, not least, the Morrisons staff.

Guy Lambert ● 2793d

The store is due to close in June. Morrisons were offered the chance to reopen in the new development but said that not only was the proposed layout unworkable for them but that the rent had increased to a point where commercial viability was questionable.

Nick Kilby ● 2793d

Very well expressed Nick and the shared thoughts of much of the community.

Martin Case ● 2793d

When is the store earmarked to close?  Its unbelievable that the only decent sized supermarket servicing a large community is about to close, especially when all the new build apartments will have very little car parking.  So its encouraging an isolated society that shops on line??

Emma Renton ● 2793d