Recently we saw the opening, with
much hullabaloo (though nothing compared to US style openings!), of the 100th1
Morrisons Supermarket close to Nelson
center.
What a great opportunity for our community to have such facilities
close to the town center. Perhaps Morrisons would be able to correct
some of the glaring disadvantages of shopping at ASDA, our closest large
supermarket lying between Nelson & Colne. The disadvantages I
speak of are the appalling parking problems caused by Boundary Mill
traffic and the dreadful smell of rotting meat that emanates from Woodhead
Brothers slaughterhouse next door.
We, as a family (2 adults, 4 children) have shopped at ASDA for a
number of years now, sometimes varying farther a field to Tesco's
(Blackburn), Sainsbury's (Burnley) and Morrisons (Skipton) and more often
these days to Costco (Trafford Park). We were open to a change to
shop at a closer facility: Morrisons at Nelson.
Since the opening day (which we attended en masse) we have shopped at Morrisons
a handful of times. We hardly ever go back there.
The problem with Morrisons is that it gives the impression of being more
like a prison than a supermarket. It starts with the entrance to
the site - a barrier with a guard house. Not only does this tell us
something about Morrisons approach but it's a damned pain on traffic
flow. After you get past the entrance (even though it's often
unmanned/inactive during the week it still creates a bad first impression)
and have maneuvered the sharp right turn into the parent parking it's time
to find a trolley. Hmm, now I have to run inside and get a £1 coin
(change from my tenner) to
feed the trolley - yet another sign that Morrisons just don't trust their
customers2. Next you are
greeted at the revolving door (which you've struggled through with the trolley) not by
the ever smiling Ted, as we are at ASDA, but an unsmiling, uniformed security
guard (or two).
OK, we've passed security clearance and entered the store - let's get a
bite to eat before filling the trolley. Cough, cough, wheeze - I
can't believe that they still allow smoking in restaurants in this
country! Most other supermarkets have banned smoking throughout
their stores including (especially!) the restaurants: not Morrisons.
OK, so we don't eat there - off we go shopping. Something's not
quite right here. Here I am pushing the trolley around, kids
bouncing off the walls and ceiling, and it's depressing: not the
screaming kids, but the ambience of the store. There's something
not quite right and I think it's the level (and/or color temperature) of the
lighting. In ASDA the lights are bright and inviting; it's like
daylight and sun in the store. Morrisons looks like it's lit by
candles!
As we proceed around the store we check the prices of goods, as one
does. Well, some things are cheaper than the other stores, but
others are more expensive, or the same price. No surprises there I
guess. On the whole our
shopping trolley comes to about the same as it does at ASDA, if
anything it's slightly more expensive. One day we'll conduct a
proper study, at the moment this is based on "feel" rather than
hard facts. One thing that Morrisons does win out over ASDA is
in their bakery department; a much more varied and interesting
selection.
The shopping is done. Out we go, past security, to fight with the revolving door again, into
the car park. Goods packed, trolley returned, ransom refunded, we venture off to the
exit. Oh dear, who put that guard house in the way? It's
impossible to get a people carrier out past the guard house without doing
a 3-point (at least) turn in the exit lane - a nightmare on a Saturday
lunchtime!
It was quickly back to ASDA for us. The parking is getting a
little better there as Boundary Mill have bought the land across
Corporation St. The smell of the abattoir is still disturbing and
off-putting at times. Still, who can prefer the
passage through security control as opposed to being greeted by Ted and
his friends? ASDA invite you in like welcome friends. Morrisons
are doing you a favor letting you in.
Pause for thought: Morrisons is not alone in this overt approach to "shrinkage
reduction" (stopping shop lifting) - Costco is even worse, they
check your trolley on the way out! I wonder just how cost-effective
these measures are in the long term. As online shopping becomes
embedded in society, bricks & mortar stores are going to have to try
really hard to make the shopping experience rewarding - heavy security
doesn't achieve this. (BTW, obviously Morrisons aren't quite up to
speed on web sites yet judging from their
offering - very basic site, some graphics not working, no contact
email addresses, etc..)
Final note: Watch out Morrisons... Wal-Mart is a comin'!
-------
1 - Why is it store #104, when it's advertised as the 100th store?
2 - Costco used to have a £1 trolley ransom in the UK (however, not in
any US stores that I've been to), but after much customer complaint they
have removed these devices, or are gradually retiring them.
-------
Andrew Stringer,
November 1999 (who has no connection with any of the companies listed
here, except as a shopper.)
