Asda wants Shirley but Shirley thinks not!

When Wal-Mart wants something it usually gets its way. On Wednesday night the planning sub-committee of Solihull MBC gave the go ahead to a huge (and I mean huge) store to be plonked in our midst. A lot of suspect stuff has been going on! But hey, that's democracy for you.

My attention has landed upon this -

"ASDA has launched a charm offensive after a confidential survey revealed increasing hostility to the American-owned supermarket group. As the company faces losing its position as Britain's number two supermarket to Sainsbury, the research - seen by Financial Mail - revealed that a range of groups, from suppliers to council planners, found Asda too aggressive. Many believed it had taken on too closely the mantle of its US-owned parent, Wal-Mart.

In America, the giant has long been the target of action groups that accuse it of squashing competition and driving small town stores out of business through its pricing tactics. At home, Asda's sales growth has fallen behind rivals in the past year. Chief executive Andy Bond and two-thirds of his 120,000 staff will miss out on bonuses because the group is not expected to meet profits and sales forecasts. Local authority officials said that Tesco was far more likely to listen to the needs of a community. Asda simply went for the biggest store possible."

Biggest store possible! This is exactly what they want to do in Shirley! And the fruitcake councillors couldn't get this? Erm?? Standby for the Price War and the casualties from the local shopkeepers!

http://keepshirleyalive.org.uk/index.asp
http://lorelyburt.org.uk/pages/shirleyadvance.html?PHPSESSID=6144fb8d71ea106af0c1caf541b0a76c

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