It's
a great one-liner - "They are going to turn QVM into a supermarket",
but what does that really mean, and isn't it more correct to say that
supermarkets are trying to turn themselves into markets like QVM?
Here's
how Wikipedia describes a supermarket - "A supermarket, a large form of
the traditional grocery store, is a self-service shop offering a wide variety
of food and household products, organised into aisles. It is larger and has a
wider selection than a traditional grocery store ......."
So,
in many respects (scale and variety) QVM is a supermarket. Where we fall short
is in categories like canned goods, and household supplies. Also, we adhere to
shop service rather than self service in most of our food categories, perhaps
with the exception of fruit & vegetables. But when it comes to fresh food
variety, scale, and knowledge, we are at the top.
Supermarkets
have spent a lot of money trying to look like us as the photo shows. In most
supermarket fruit and vegetable departments you simply add a friendly face
behind each counter, lower the prices, and you have a remarkably similar copy
of QVM. Who is copying who?
Opponents
to QVM renewal plans list the provision of cool stores as "supermarket
like" but aren't cool rooms just giving our traders more flexibility and
less likelihood of wastage (and therefore lower prices). Supermarkets also have
running water and electricity so maybe we should think twice about providing
those facilities in the renewal. (Sorry, that was a cheap shot.)
QVM
is a super market. We have nothing to apologise for and as long as we maintain
those ingredients of personal service, quality, low prices, and freshness, we
will stay true to our uniqueness. If renewal can make it easier to excel in
those areas, then bring it on.