Morrisons leads to a boom...for some retailers (From Echo)

Morrisons leads to a boom...for some retailers

1:00pm Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Castle Point By Paul Offord

Dividing opinion – Hadleigh’s new Morrisons

THE new Morrisons superstore in Hadleigh is helping boost trade for some small shops in the town – while others say it is killing their business.

Morrisons opened its 26,000sq ft store, in London Road, two weeks ago.

Castle Point’s regeneration delivery manager Mark Evershed was speaking to residents at a public meeting about £60million plans to regenerate the heart of the town centre. He said he was told up to five times more shoppers had visited other Hadleigh shops since it opened. Mr Evershed believed large numbers of shoppers had been parking for free in the Morrisons car park, using the supermarket, then visiting other nearby stores.

Lisa Parker, 41, who runs Tickled Pink women’s clothing and accessories’ store, in London Road, Hadleigh, reported a big increase in trade, particularly at weekends.

She credited the new Morrisons for attracting extra shoppers to the town. She said: “Fridays and Saturdays have definitely improved.

“It’s a good thing Morrisons opening, I’m all for it.”

However, Peter Metaal, 61, who runs Meat and Two Veg butchers, also in London Road, insisted it had been a different story for shops selling groceries also stocked by Morrisons.

He said: “It has been terrible. Shops which provide fresh food have probably been hurt the most.

“You can’t compete against them.

“I would say our trade has fallen about 20 per cent.”

Castle Point Council admitted yesterday Mr Evershed’s comments had not been based on any kind of official poll of shopkeepers, but it is understood a more detailed survey will be carried out in the coming months.

Jason Pawley, general manager of the new Morrisons store, said: “As a fellow retailer, one of our key aims was to try to bring the bustle back to Hadleigh town centre by making it more of a destination for shoppers.

“Our car park is free with no maximum stay, meaning people can park there whether they shop in Morrisons or not.”