Recession Era Supplies

[gothwalk]

I've just posted a long-ish article to politicaledu about Recession Era Supplies. This is something I'd appreciate more thinking on, so even if you don't normally read my political/economic stuff (such as it is), please scoot on over, read, and leave comments if you think of something.

Comments

[ulaire-daidoji.livejournal.com]

Nice article. As mentioned over there I think you've missed the economies of scale issue. Back in the last recession Supermarkets had only been in Ireland 20-25 years and it was Superquinn Vs Dunnes stores. A lot of people went to their local baker, grocer, greengrocer etc. While the service was probably better it was horribbly inneficient.

Since then, we've had the likes of Tesco move in.

[giftederic.livejournal.com]

In the 80's it was Dunnes, H Williams, and Powers Supermarkets (Quinnsworth). Quinnsworth had big box discounts stores called Crazy Prices. There was also a british firm called 3Guys... (Or gubays as they were referred to). Superquinn at the time was only in Dundalk, Blackrock and Sutton as far as I recall. Perhaps Kimmage and Finglas too? Hell they only have 20 stores now and they have been "aggressively" expanding.

Quinnsworth bought Williams, and then sold out to Tesco...

[ulaire-daidoji.livejournal.com]

I'd forgotten about H Williams and Quinnsworth. H Williams had three aisles, it was about half the size of the Tesco in Rathmines. Superquinn Finglas is the first Superquinn (something they bang on about a lot)

Wasn't Quinnsworth/crazy prices bought out by Tesco? I'm basing this on the fact they had branches in Finglas and Phibsboro that are now Tescos.

[giftederic.livejournal.com]

As mentioned above, yes Quinnsworth was bought by Tesco... :)

Their Dundalk store was the first Superquinn store (then called Quinns Supermarkets). The Sutton store was where their headoffice was moved to. Perhaps Finglas was their first store in Dublin?

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

There was Pettits in the south-east as well. I don't know if they still exist.

[metalrabbit.livejournal.com]

They do - lots of them are Petits- supervalues

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

And L&N, too, not sure if they were local to the south-east, or what...

[metalrabbit.livejournal.com]

All now supervalu

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

I may be talking complete nonsense, but I think economies of scale only work if the bulk/distance option actually is cheaper. The whole supermarket chain thing requires bulk buying, transport, and storage. If bulk transport - any transport - becomes too expensive, then something has to give.

And it's not just oil prices; it's income, insurance, vehicle maintenance, and so on, as well as 95%+ of vehicles being bought with borrowed money. There are a lot of inputs to that economy, and I THINK it only takes changes in one or two to do damage all the way along.