Re: Result!

[Humbug]

I wonder if you know where "Spar" came from.

[Steve Firth]

No but I can see that you fondly imagine that you do. Pete is an habitual liar. He patches together a combination of real quotes and shit he makes up. Only a fool takes it at face value. It's not that long ago that Pete was accusing other usenet users of arranging the firebombing of his house. Oh and he's still accusing a farmer in the Lake District of being the secret masonic mastermind of an enormous financial, political and economic scam which will result in the UK being flooded with contaminated food.

He's a netkook.

[:Jerry:]

You really are a clueless fucktard, it doesn't matter what the product is, it's how you sell it and to who - a successful business person can sell sand to an Arab.

[Timo Geusch]

*Southern* California is a desert. Last time I looked, they did have a few trees up in Northern California.

[Tony Bryer]

According to

"Until the mid-1990s, when it was overtaken by Tesco, Sainsbury's was Britain's largest supermarket chain.". In market share it's now got not much more than half of Tesco. So their failure to take on Tesco is IMO much more recent than you suggest.

Of course market share does not totally reflect consumer preference in that supermarket chains allegedly engage in anti-competitive behaviour like land hoarding and the planning system tries to dictate to people where they shop rather than giving them a choice.

[:Jerry:]

You really are clueless, yes they have been selling food alongside clothing for some time, but they have only recently ripped out some of their clothing space and turned it over to food products ONLY, it's only recently that they have been buying up and opening food ONLY locations.

[Fran]

Argos, I think?

[Fran]

He's no clue how they operate, who owns them or owt else, has he. Hint: google A F Blakemore in Willenhall.

[Fran]

Tesco were cheap tat in the 70s and 80s. (Oh... wait....)

Check out Tesco in Slough. Very illuminating.

[:Jerry:]

Send me a post card and tell me what it's like as you will be there a long time before I even start digging...

[:Jerry:]

...but/by selling up all their prime locations!

[:Jerry:]

WWWWHHHHHOOOSSSHHHH....

[Andy Hall]

Well.... work it out.

Spar. A failing entity. That was already agreed

Discount supermarkets who have had flat market share for ten years following them into the market.

Not really a recipe for success is it?

[Andy Hall]

Why do you think it's abusive to use a word that (you think) implies gender?

Why would you imagine that I could be bothered?

[:Jerry:]

No, they stock the right product for the right locations, just like Tesco does, just like JS does, just like M&S does, just like Waitrose does, do I need to go on? One size will never fit all.

[:Jerry:]

IIRC the problem in the mid 1990's was from their old distribution system, basically they could not deliver the goods to the stores so the customer was greeted by half empty shelves, in fact the problem was so dire that some (short shelf life) produce was arriving at the stores after the display by date had expired! This was the cause of the real down-turn in JS market share, up to that point they mostly held their own against Tesco.

[Humbug]

Yes. you're right. It is indeed Argos that doesn't have an eBay seller's pacakage.

Tesco do sell "postal boxes", though.

[Humbug]

I don't think that it's worth the effort.

Ohne fleiss kein preiss.

Innit.

[Fran]

Quite. But Oxnard ain't North.

Well, actually there's some debate on whether they want to be, but that's another matter. Bit like Berwick.

[Fran]

Spar is not a single entity.