The irony of this headlong rush towards all embracing technology is that the usage of cash has increased considerably in recent months, as acknowledged by the Royal Mint this week when it unveiled the new designs for coinage for King Charles. People prefer cash if they are budgeting because they don’t spend what they don’t have.Morrison’s is relying on the footfall from the new flats in Brentford to make up the loss from customers going elsewhere because of the changes with the new store. It is basically a Metro store, considering its size, price point and product range.Of course, the new residents might prefer deliveries from Waitrose or Ocado rather than the more basic fare available from the shop closest to them, in which case the business model won’t work. A lot of people are already shopping elsewhere, including Tesco at Osterley which has improved its performance markedly in recent weeks.People are inherently lazy and will invariably choose the easiest option. The principle of least effort always applies.It’s interesting to see such an experiment in action, but it’s a big risk for a business to undertake, and a risk that will be all the riskier should Aldi or Lidl find their way into the local area.
Simon Hayes ● 217d