Another to Close?

Yesterday’s post on whoolefoods couldn’t have been more apposite, in the light of news from Rhuthun Organics that it’s likely to shut. To avoid shutting, it needs to sell and if the proprietors don’t sell soon, it will close. So that’s the two unconventional convenience stores in trouble.

Its closure marks the last greengrocer in town, with only a sole butcher now selling what is a small quantity of vegetables.

Rhuthun Organics is an off-shoot of the Organic Stores, Sealand, nr England. It came to Rhuthun 12 years ago in the Thursday town hall market. It moved to the post-flood shop at the junction of Clwyd & Mwrog Streets in 2004, it opens Thursdays to Saturdays inclusive, and it stocks more than just fruit & veg, with a range of tins, packets, sweets, cereals, meats, dairy products and ethical goods. For sheer choice, nothing comes close.

The proprietor cites ‘family reasons’ for his decision, but is there more to it? Over the last 15 years, the organic market’s blossomed from nothing. But that’s been the trouble. It was once the sole province of the smaller, specialist supplier, carving out a niche. Supermarkets then developed an interest in organic ranges, reducing independent stores’ margins. While the organic market was growing rapidly, this hardly mattered. Now, the market’s mature, and any spend diverted from the independents means a rapid loss of margins. The story regarding independent organic retailing is the same all over the country and UK. Added to which there’s a recession and, let’s face it, organic food ain’t cheap; it becomes a luxury when money’s tight.

And we wonder about the Rhuthun customer base. Is it large enough to support a diverse organics supplier? Is it growing or stagnant? And the inevitable question is, what effect has Tesco had?

For those now looking for an alternative, Tesco does carry a modest amount of fresh organic produce among its vegetables but it doesn’t include anything like the range or specialist products you can find in Mwrog Street. Yet, Tesco stocks enough to be a threat to the organic store. The other alternative is the Rhug estate, some 12 miles south but even that isn’t anything like as comprehensive.