Tag Archives: Waitrose

Aug 11 2010

Where is Nottingham?

I am reading a great book at the moment – Pies and Prejudice : In search of the north by Stuart Maconie. From the title you get the idea! It really is an amusing look at the chasm between north and south – and debunks some myths.

Did you know that there are more swimming pools in gardens in the north; or that Geordies drink more champagne than Londoners?

Then an advert arrived this week in my office from Waitrose (surely a posh shop from the south) who are looking to open 10 new stores this year. The announcements are loud and proud in the various trade press. And there is a map of the UK and a list of relevant surveyors to talk to.

As you can see the map contains some interesting geographical splits. My firm has three offices and although we are all within 30 miles of each other in the east midlands we are in different parts of the UK. It looks like Leicester have been labelled ‘east’, Derby the ‘west’ and Nottingham firmly (well just) in the north.

I am not sure that Stuart Maconie would agree as I think he is of the view that the north starts at Sheffield.

I have never really thought of myself as a northerner. We are certainly tougher than the softies from London. But we aren’t really like the pretend toughies from Manchester of Liverpool? And the topless (male) footie fans from Leeds parading around in the bleak mid-winter are just plain daft – what would their mums say?

Perhaps we are the Home Counties of the North…

Jun 13 2010

Fairtrade – no longer a fad?

I am not sure that the Fairtrade movement was ever a fad – and if it was perceived as such the principles behind it are certainly not!

Their website proclaims:

Our vision is of a world in which justice and sustainable development are at the heart of trade structures and practices so that everyone, through their work, can maintain a decent and dignified livelihood and develop their full potential.

I had not realsied that the organisation had been around for quite so long. You can read the history on their website here. I have a couple of clients who are completely wedded to the principles – one a retailer in the North-West and the other a University. Green & Blacks chocolate was the first branded goods in the UK – and it still tastes good.

I heard Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Foundation, on Radio 4 at the weekend – and her aim plan was to remind people that behind our cup of coffee are people who have picked the beans. She also suggested that the Fairtrade brand has been quite resilient to the recession – once you know about something you can’t un-know it! People haven’t gone back to the cheap food in general terms.

Mark Price, Head of Waitrose has suggested that Fairtrade will one day be as common as expecting a clean supermarket.

It was good to hear of the success of some villages in Rwanda where they now have a Bank! And hairdressers – I smiled, but it is serious, these are things we take for granted.

I do my bit for Fairtrade – Starbucks coffee is all Fairtrade! And I contribute a lot – I am guessing I have bought that Bank… and well on my way to another!

Mar 3 2010

Nottingham – the place to go in 2010

Whilst I was doing some research at the weekend I was reminded that Nottingham had been named in a Dorling Kinderley article as the 3rd most important places to visit in 2010.


We were pipped into Bronze medal position by Reykjavik and Istanbul. But we still came in the top three – and that’s some accolade. When you consider all of the Cities in the world! Apparently there are 2,469,501 cities in the World.

The reasons given were threefold – The new Robin Hood film, The Nottingham Contemporary and our Shopping!

I have blogged before about the first two, but have tended to overlook the third. I rather take our shopping for granted – but we have some great brands. Of course Paul Smith is probably the biggest name – and it all started here! But then we have latterley attracted Vivienne Westwood. We also have the very cool One True Saxon – if Carl Froch shops there it must be ok! And that’s just fashion!

Although Broad marsh Shopping Centre is now showing signs of its age – and needs the upgrade we have been looking forward to for the last few years, Victoria Centre still draws the crowds (estimated at 23m each year!). And the connecting Bridlesmith Gate has one of the highest footfall figures in Europe. The City’s average weekly footfall is between 800,000 – 1,200,000.

Waitrose have opened a convenience store at the £70m Trinity Square development.

In 2009, the City slipped slightly to 7th place in the Experian Retail Survey. The order is:

1 London (2008, 1)
2 Glasgow (2)
3 Birmingham (3)
4 Manchester (4)
5 Liverpool (5)
6 Cardiff (10)
7 Nottingham (6)
8 Leeds (7)
9 Edinburgh (8)
10 Bluewater (9)

As we will always find it difficult to compete with some of the larger conurbation’s, we need to hold onto and promote the specialist shops and make sure the overall offer remains good.

Dorling Kindersley obviously thought it added to the attraction of visiting!