INDEPENDENT traders on a busy shopping street are divided over the prospect of Tesco opening an express store near their businesses.
The supermarket giant on Tuesday confirmed that it will be moving into the site on Station Road, Chingford, previously occupied by home furnishings shop Uglows, which recently closed after trading in the area for 100 years.
Owner Peter Uglow handed over the keys to Tesco yesterday (August 4), but the company has not set an opening date.
The news has prompted a mixed reaction from shopkeepers in the area, with some hoping the new store will stimulate trade and others fearing profits will be hit.
Butcher, Brian Fells, 57, of Shaw’s Quality Butchers, accepts that the demise of many independent retailers has been caused by the expansion of large supermarket chains across the country.
But he is confident that loyal customers will not be drawn away and continue to buy freshly cut meat from his shop.
He said: “The aim is to get people back to using traditional traders like ourselves, but we've got our own customers who we know never shop at supermarkets.
“More people do shop at supermarkets because they have everything under one roof, but we've built our own clientele over 20 years in Chingford and a Tesco will hopefully draw more people to the area.”
However Arulnayagam Jayendran, 40, of Newsbox newsagent, is less optimistic.
He fears the new Tesco Express will not boost trade, but only keep shoppers away from smaller businesses.
He said: “The larger chains can produce more cheaply.
I fear our profits will fall as our sales go down.
“All these shops along here will be affected by this one shop opening.
“There's already a Budgens and the Co-Op, where people already go to do their shopping. A Tesco is not going to do any good.”
Opinion was also divided among Station Road shoppers and traders who spoke to the Guardian, with some welcoming Tesco to the area and others wary of the effect it may have on smaller businesses.
What do you think about Tesco opening in Station Road? Leave a comment below or call Steven Impey on 07768507739
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