Tesco comes to Aylsham

Tesco opened its new Aylsham store this morning, and someone from The Publicity Works was on hand to witness the first few frenzied customers.

Unlike some local residents, I welcome the store.  I’m paticularly grateful for Tesco’s selection of lunchtime sandwiches and salads, streets ahead of anything offered by the local small Budgens, Somerfield and the bakers.  Price isn’t the issue, quality is.

But what has surprised me is how many of Aylsham’s small businesses are also welcoming Tesco to Aylsham.   One of them is Glen Carr of Jetprint (www.jetprint.co.uk), a small printing industry business that’s been operating for around ten years in Aylsham’s Red Lion Street. 

Glen was almost first in the queue, and literally punched the air in delight with both arms as he entered.  He told me “Thank heavens that Aylsham’s finally got a national retail ‘name’.  Perhaps now people will finally take the town seriously”. 

His argument is that small businesses need to offer something different and higher quality than the national chains, not just the same things served in a sleepier way and at higher prices.  The presence of a big name like Tesco can draw attention to the difference that a small business is offering, goes this argument.

He was so ecstatic that, entirely off his own bat, he printed off a special t-shirt with the slogan “The best thing to happen to Aylsham in 30 years”.   (Now that’s what I call customer evangelism!)

Not everyone was so happy.  Overnight someone left a wreath hanging on the supermarket’s front wall saying “RIP Aylsham”.  It was gone by morning, so I couldn’t get a photo, sorry.