The Rising of the Self-Aware Student Shopper?
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With Student Maintenance Loans being held at the same rate for several years and ever increasing food prices, students now have to be more creative when it comes to food shopping. So is The People’s Supermarket the way forward? Or is the co-operative format destined to fail?
The People’s Supermarket is a new co-op structured shop opposite Great Ormond Street Hospital in Central London. Set up as an alternative to the big four supermarkets, members pay £25 per year and work four hours per month in the shop and in return receive a 10% discount and the opportunity to attend regular meetings where they can voice their opinions on how the shop is run. The model is based on a similar venture in New York called Park Slope Food Co-op, which was founded in 1973 and now has over 12,000 members.
I first came across The People’s Supermarket in September 2010. Adorned with wasp-yellow banners and over-priced humus, I was unsure of what to make of it. Co-founded by Chef Arthur Potts-Dawson, the shop is committed to supporting farmers by buying produce at a fair price, recycling and keeping waste to a minimum and supporting the needs of the local community. Now the subject of a Channel 4 documentary, it’s catching the eye of many, including David Cameron who decided to promote the re-launch of The Big Society at the supermarket. So I decided to return to TPS see how they’re dealing with the media frenzy, if the shop is living up to its original intentions and if so, how students can cut in on the deal.
Two days after the Prime Minister’s visit, I can tell the store is still a whirl. I squeeze past a reporter standing outside conducting interviews amongst the shoppers, whilst the staff looks on, less than pleased at the media intrusion. One of the first things that struck me about TPS is it really does seem to have attracted a diverse membership from across the local area. From the two girls on their break discussing Facebook groups and holidays over a cup of tea downstairs in the office to random recycling bins and washing lines, this place does have a communal, dare I say, grass roots feel to it.
It seems like a perfect place for students, the opportunity to meet new people and get discounted shopping bills. Located in the heart of University College London, Birkbeck and Central Saint Martin campuses, are they tapping in to the lucrative student population? I asked Kate Bull, co-founder how many student members they have.
“About thirty, mainly from the local area. We have quite a group from The School of Oriental and African Studies, and a few of our duty mangers are students so we employ them too.” 30 out of over 500 members does not sound like a great percentage, so where is this model falling short? Is it the commitment of hours? Expensive produce? Or inconvenient location? How many students do you know live in Central London? Or is it a need for a fundamental shift in our consumer behaviour?
The People’s Supermarket is a new co-op structured shop opposite Great Ormond Street Hospital in Central London. Set up as an alternative to the big four supermarkets, members pay £25 per year and work four hours per month in the shop and in return receive a 10% discount and the opportunity to attend regular meetings where they can voice their opinions on how the shop is run. The model is based on a similar venture in New York called Park Slope Food Co-op, which was founded in 1973 and now has over 12,000 members.
I first came across The People’s Supermarket in September 2010. Adorned with wasp-yellow banners and over-priced humus, I was unsure of what to make of it. Co-founded by Chef Arthur Potts-Dawson, the shop is committed to supporting farmers by buying produce at a fair price, recycling and keeping waste to a minimum and supporting the needs of the local community. Now the subject of a Channel 4 documentary, it’s catching the eye of many, including David Cameron who decided to promote the re-launch of The Big Society at the supermarket. So I decided to return to TPS see how they’re dealing with the media frenzy, if the shop is living up to its original intentions and if so, how students can cut in on the deal.
Two days after the Prime Minister’s visit, I can tell the store is still a whirl. I squeeze past a reporter standing outside conducting interviews amongst the shoppers, whilst the staff looks on, less than pleased at the media intrusion. One of the first things that struck me about TPS is it really does seem to have attracted a diverse membership from across the local area. From the two girls on their break discussing Facebook groups and holidays over a cup of tea downstairs in the office to random recycling bins and washing lines, this place does have a communal, dare I say, grass roots feel to it.
It seems like a perfect place for students, the opportunity to meet new people and get discounted shopping bills. Located in the heart of University College London, Birkbeck and Central Saint Martin campuses, are they tapping in to the lucrative student population? I asked Kate Bull, co-founder how many student members they have. “About thirty, mainly from the local area. We have quite a group from The School of Oriental and African Studies, and a few of our duty mangers are students so we employ them too.” 30 out of over 500 members does not sound like a great percentage, so where is this model falling short? Is it the commitment of hours? Expensive produce? Or inconvenient location? How many students do you know live in Central London? Or is it a need for a fundamental shift in our consumer behaviour?
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