M&S coming to Marple?

[Duke Fame]

I'm in Glossop two or three times a week at different times of the day and the M&S food store is never very busy. Could be an intentional "loss leader"?

A lot of the whining about the old Co-operative concerned the perceived expensiveness of the goods. What fun we'll have watching the complaints about M&S's prices if the rumour actually turns into a store.

Exactly my thoughts, I went to the M&S at Hazel Grove last week, it's just pre-packed ready meals, OK it's another choice post 6pm but still pre-packed rubbish.

The Co-op petrol station offers that.

[marpleexile]

The council will of course find a suitable new site and ensure that a new sorting office is completed and ready before the present office is vacated. 

Yes.

Assuming of course the deal the council did with the Post Office includes a relocation. It could of course just be a big pile o' cash.

Just because a councillor says something, doesn't mean it isn't nonsense!

The more cynical among us (myself included) might even go so far as to say that just because a politician said it, it almost certainly is nonsense :-)

[Dave]

It is upto the council to relocate us and don`t forget we can`t just close down for 8 weeks like the co-op, we would have to vacant Chadwick street on a saturday and be up and running on the Monday morning at a new facility.

The council will of course find a suitable new site and ensure that a new sorting office is completed and ready before the present office is vacated. 

No room for Marple sorting office at Stockport, where would you suggest? Goyt Mill?

Yes.

The 2 million pound figure as i have posted on here before was quoted to me by Cllr Candler

Just because a councillor says something, doesn't mean it isn't nonsense! 

[Barbara]

Ah Dave, but which is which?

[Dave]

A lot of the whining about the old Co-operative concerned the perceived expensiveness of the goods. What fun we'll have watching the complaints about M&S's prices if the rumour actually turns into a store.

There's a big difference between the pricy Co-op and the pricy M&S. At one you usually get what you pay for, whilst at the other you generally don't.

[marpleexile]

A lot of the whining about the old Co-operative concerned the perceived expensiveness of the goods. What fun we'll have watching the complaints about M&S's prices if the rumour actually turns into a store.

Hardly. Should an M&S (or Waitrose, Booths, etc) every actually open in Marple, they will be the alternative to the existing supermarket, so high prices won't be an issue. The Co-Op had a monopoly, which is why it's high prices were so divisive.

[My login is Henrietta]

THE ONE IN Glossop is ok as well not to big but ideal size for Marple    heres hoping .

I'm in Glossop two or three times a week at different times of the day and the M&S food store is never very busy. Could be an intentional "loss leader"?

A lot of the whining about the old Co-operative concerned the perceived expensiveness of the goods. What fun we'll have watching the complaints about M&S's prices if the rumour actually turns into a store.

[amazon]

Redbear you do realise that non of what you say "has" to happen. Most people involved - posties and Marple residents - would like it to happen, but it does not "have" to.

All that "has" to happen is that the council come to an agreement the Post Office. The actual terms of that agreement are all negotiable.

It's all hearsay at the moment like Asda was when they were refused the college site great victory for some we've stoped ASDA . So hear they are they OPEN next week ...

Time wil tell it doesn't have to go on the post office site .it would be awkward if the post office moved from there .

[marpleexile]

Dave, here is a comment you posted on 18 January 2012, yes over 3 years ago.

"It's no fantasy - the council's sale document makes it clear that the sorting office will definitely be relocated, 'subject to an alternative site being found.'  Which should not be too difficult.  If the Royal Mail have a long lease then the council must have reached an agreement with them."

The sorting office will DEFINITELY be relocated, well Dave we are still here providing a superb service to the residents of Marple. Do you wish to travel to Green Lane, Stockport to collect an item if you are not in like the residents of Hazel Grove now have to after losing their sorting office on Commercial Road?

I told you all in 2012 that Royal Mail had a 99 year lease, obviously this is now down to 96 years tick, tick........

It is upto the council to relocate us and don`t forget we can`t just close down for 8 weeks like the co-op, we would have to vacant Chadwick street on a saturday and be up and running on the Monday morning at a new facility.

No room for Marple sorting office at Stockport, where would you suggest? Goyt Mill? Chadwick industrial estate?

The 2 million pound figure as i have posted on here before was quoted to me by Cllr Candler and i can assure you the inner core of a sorting office is akin to a bank. Items must be secure especially overnight.

Redbear you do realise that non of what you say "has" to happen. Most people involved - posties and Marple residents - would like it to happen, but it does not "have" to.

All that "has" to happen is that the council come to an agreement the Post Office. The actual terms of that agreement are all negotiable.

[marpleexile]

Presumably the sorting office would not have to move as there is plenty of room on the bottom bit of car park for a food store.  But without a high street frontage why would any bother?

The M&S in glossop is located in a very similar position, off an existing car park, down a side road, just round the corner from the main shopping area. Assuming a reasonable number of car parking spaces were left, it would work there as people shopping in the rest of Marple's would be parking outside it.

Also, an M&S food store is a destination store for snobs,so much like the one down a side street in hazel grove that my mum makes the effort to go to, it will get customers irregardless of having a less than ideal location.

[mikes]

Presumably the sorting office would not have to move as there is plenty of room on the bottom bit of car park for a food store.  But without a high street frontage why would any bother?

[red666bear]

Dave, here is a comment you posted on 18 January 2012, yes over 3 years ago.

"It's no fantasy - the council's sale document makes it clear that the sorting office will definitely be relocated, 'subject to an alternative site being found.'  Which should not be too difficult.  If the Royal Mail have a long lease then the council must have reached an agreement with them."

The sorting office will DEFINITELY be relocated, well Dave we are still here providing a superb service to the residents of Marple. Do you wish to travel to Green Lane, Stockport to collect an item if you are not in like the residents of Hazel Grove now have to after losing their sorting office on Commercial Road?

I told you all in 2012 that Royal Mail had a 99 year lease, obviously this is now down to 96 years tick, tick........

It is upto the council to relocate us and don`t forget we can`t just close down for 8 weeks like the co-op, we would have to vacant Chadwick street on a saturday and be up and running on the Monday morning at a new facility.

No room for Marple sorting office at Stockport, where would you suggest? Goyt Mill? Chadwick industrial estate?

The 2 million pound figure as i have posted on here before was quoted to me by Cllr Candler and i can assure you the inner core of a sorting office is akin to a bank. Items must be secure especially overnight.

[Dave]

And would red666bear like to explain how relocating the sorting office could cost 2 million quid!  For a start, the new sorting office site will probably come free - the council owns plenty of spare land., and it should not be difficult to find somewhere suitable.

And the building, well at a guess the present sorting office will be no more than about 500 sq.m.  If it would cost £2 million to replace, that's £4K per sq.m!   You could build one of those footballer's mansions in Alderley Edge for that! A sorting office should  cost no more than £500 per sq.m to build, which works out at about 250K, which is a fraction of what the council will get if they are successful in selling the Chadwick Street site for a supermarket. 

[red666bear]

Would Susan Ingham like to explain where the £2 million pounds it would take to relocate the Royal mail sorting office is going to come from?

[red666bear]

Interesting snippet from recent Marple Civic Society meeting: "SI drew attention to Kirklands Developments proposal  for Chadwick Street which was taken in-house by the council and subsequently put on indefinite hold. She referred to her work to interest M&S in the site. A positive response was received by M&S, and council officers are now working up a project to offer to M&S".

M&S food store on Chadwick Street really would revitalise Marple's shopping centre, I believe.

And so another round of Chinese whispers begins.