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Shrewsbury Tesco wants longer opening hours
Thursday 10th February 2011, 12:48PM GMT.
Shrewsbury’s Tesco Extra store could soon be allowed to trade for an additional two hours – until midnight on a Saturday night – if a new licensing bid is approved by council planners.
It has applied to Shropshire Council to increase its opening hours, with permission to sell alcohol.
Tony Fletcher, spokesman for Tesco, today said the bid would give the store more flexibility and allow shift workers and others who wanted to buy alcohol later on weekends to do so.
He said: “We try to listen to customers and reflect their shopping habits and there have been concerns raised that they can’t buy alcohol at certain times.”
But Mr Fletcher said he wanted to re-assure people that the change would not result in any problems with under-age drinking.
He said: “We sell alcohol responsibly and we have a Think 25 scheme so that if a person looks under 25 they may be asked for ID.”
Simon Airey, chairman of Shropshire Business Chamber, said the plans would have detrimental impact for town centre trade.
He said: “This is just a case of the big boys flexing their muscles again. If Tesco is legally allowed to extend their licensing hours there is probably little which can be done to stop it.
“As we have seen before with other applications they have the ability to steamroller most small business,” he continued.
“Anywhere extending its licence to sell alcohol outside the town centre will have a negative impact for off-licences and evening trade in the town centre.”
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Applied? applied? This is Tesco! Tesco don’t..’apply’…good heavens that’s for the plebs like you and me…
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Tesco should concided more about Submitting The Plans for a 1st floor lever to be created. instead of going on about extanding Alcohol Hours of selling.
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“We try to listen to customers and reflect their shopping habits and there have been concerns raised that they can’t buy alcohol at certain times”
do they listen to all the people who don’t want tesco opening later at night?
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Foregoing the arguments about Supermarkets cut price alcohol promotions and the effect on our binge drinking culture which may (or indeed may not) be affected by extended opening hours, I’m not sure I get who is actually affected by the store opening between 10.00pm and midnight on a Saturday.
Off Licences ??? Well if someone is prerpared to travel the distance out of town to Tesco to save a few pence a can, then I would doubt their loyalty to a local convenient store anyway.
Last time I checked the store was in an inherently industrial area with only minimal residential housing nearby – and I cant see constant streams of additional traffic outside their homes every Saturday evening because of it.
Given that this is essentially a ’24 hour’ store anyway and the reason for closing at 10.00pm is due to somewhat arcahic Sunday Trading legislation based old Olde Worlde control of our lives by the Church, is it really relevant in the 21st Century ??
If you don’t like the shop open at these times don’t go in – if you do, then do go in.
I’m sure Tesco bosses are astute enough to quickly work out if it’s worth the cost of the extra staff … and if not …. they’ll be damn quick to lock those doors
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Tesco is a modern, slick, and forward thinking organisation. And not therefore compatible with dated, sluggish and ineffective organisations such as Shropshire council and Shropshire Business Chamber.
If Mr Airey is concerned that Tesco’s proposed sales hours adjustment will have a detrimental impact on town centre trade then I suggest he calls a meeting with traders and tells them that if they want to survive in todays highly competitive retail world they will have to shape up and stop winging every time a business stands head and shoulders above them.
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I dont know of any off-licenses that open late in the town centre. Can anyone else think of any??
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