The tipping point perhaps…(Mary Portas take note)

Yesterday I went to my ‘local’ national supermarket. This said supermarket is owned by a well known Tory Funder ( not that his political persuasion matters). Anyhow, this ‘local’ supermarket that I shop in, is placed on a prime piece of land, next to a river, that leads into the town centre. The ‘local’ council have done a load of regeneration work recently, updating the walkways along the river – and it is a popular walkway for workers, walkers, and families at the weekend.

For a number of years, said workers, walkers and families have parked in this car park and walked into town. Workers, who would leave their cars in the morning, would be able to walk back to the car park (15 minute walk) after work. Not any more. Seems like said Supermarket needs to earn a little more cash – perhaps to pay for its’ expensive and often celeb based TV adverts. They have decided to put a time limit (3 hours) on how long someone can park in ‘their’ car park – not so ‘local’ now hey?!

I would completely understand this move if there is any issue of car parking space – but there isn’t. Even at Christmas, you can still get a space! Fact. After this 3 hour period, you can be fined £60 if you car is still parked in their car park. The only conclusion that can be made is that this is a money-making exercise, and certainly not in any way promoting the exercising rights of their ‘local’ and ‘paying’ customers.

What has this to do with TheEmployable you may ask? Well, seeing as most of us are struggling through an ongoing recession, be it job loss, unemployment, or a general tightening of the financial belt, this move can only be seen as a direct attack on us, the local paying public. I can imagine the said supermarket’s board meeting – and a rubbing of hands ‘glee’ as they make carparking fines a money-making exercise, just because their profits have flatlined.

It might not seem like a massive issue to all of us – after all it is their car park and they can do what they like, but as all national supermarkets sell themselves as being ‘local’ how ‘un-local’ can you possibly be? Perhaps Mary Portas can get on the case with this one too! 

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