As if to emphasise the point that discounters are on the rise, yesterday, one minute late at 0801, the refurbished Dinbych Lidl re-opened, after a 77-day refit. An investment such as this indicates nothing other than its success.
At the door yesterday morning was a beaming young shiny suited manager complete with modern haircut who waved in the loosely assembled few with a smile and a flourish. The manager announced that there was champagne and "nice flowers" for the first five. At one stage, it was debatable whether there would be even that many. At four minutes to the 8 a.m. opening time there were but two people, than a third, then five. When the shop opened at 8.01, there were only nine present.
This number was not typical of shoppers of Thursday, though. Today (Friday) in particular, I have never seen Lidl's so busy for a weekday. And people were stocking up. Perhaps that had something to do with a family occasion for Mothering Sunday. But not just Lidl's. Morrison's was also busier than usual, which surprised me in the light of the all-new Lidl down the road.
While I was in Lidl's, I saw three others from Rhuthun/Ruthin, all of whom would be classed as middle class, one upper middle class.
Lidl's had altered that awkward store entrance and brightened things up within. The floor was new, clean, a little like Aldi and in total contrast to Mr Bevan's, below. The recently introduced but rather clumsy side bakery has gone in favour of something far more orthodox and mainstream at the rear. There was more fresh veg. There also appeared goods that might appeal to Morrison-types. Still on the right as you entered was Lidl's range of cereal. Aldi does cereal on entry. The former KwikSave used to feature fizzy pop. Most if not all mainstream supermarkets prefer fresh fruit & veg on entry, to emphasise freshness to customers.
It was still impossible to find a way out if you chanced not to purchase anything—with even larger barriers then before set across the closed checkout aisles to prevent your leaving. Lidl's has also retained doors that won't let you pass in the wrong direction, long after Morrison's up the road got rid of a similar system. To me, these are very unappealing features and always have been. I wonder what this says about what Lidl thinks of its customers. I wonder what is says about its customers.
And there's no express checkouts or self-service tills. Given that queueing trolley packed shoppers in neither Lidl nor Aldi seem to yield to those with a just a pint of milk—unlike at Tesco, Co-op or Morrison's—this can make for a very unpleasant wait. I suppose Lidl's philosophy is to cater for the bulk buyer. They, after all, spend more.
The Lidl refurb included an amazing seven checkouts. Seven? This shows the company's sense of optimism regarding growth. Personally, I have never seen any more than one checkout open.
Meanwhile, also in Dinbych, the former Woolwroth's (and for a short period Tigg's Clothing) was this week occupied by Mr Bevan. The former Bevan's shop 250 yards away is now empty. Bevan's gets to display all its stock on one floor. But just look at that floor. Here was an opportunity to replace the dirty, stained Tigg's Clothing carpet mosaic. In Prestatyn, Bevan's recent High Street move to what was Save with Dave from a location on the soon-to-be-developed the phase 2 of the shopping park is exactly the same: let down by details such as poor flooring. Both Bevans look kinda temporary.
The addition of three windows (above) where there was just walling has partly humanised the front of the old Gateway building. The grass—if kept tidy, though a maintenance nightmare—tranforms the dull, untidy frontage. All told, the place now looks less like a warehouse
While I was in Lidl's, I saw three others from Rhuthun/Ruthin, all of whom would be classed as middle class, one upper middle class.
Morrison's doesn't know the time of day
Lidl's had altered that awkward store entrance and brightened things up within. The floor was new, clean, a little like Aldi and in total contrast to Mr Bevan's, below. The recently introduced but rather clumsy side bakery has gone in favour of something far more orthodox and mainstream at the rear. There was more fresh veg. There also appeared goods that might appeal to Morrison-types. Still on the right as you entered was Lidl's range of cereal. Aldi does cereal on entry. The former KwikSave used to feature fizzy pop. Most if not all mainstream supermarkets prefer fresh fruit & veg on entry, to emphasise freshness to customers.
It was still impossible to find a way out if you chanced not to purchase anything—with even larger barriers then before set across the closed checkout aisles to prevent your leaving. Lidl's has also retained doors that won't let you pass in the wrong direction, long after Morrison's up the road got rid of a similar system. To me, these are very unappealing features and always have been. I wonder what this says about what Lidl thinks of its customers. I wonder what is says about its customers.
And there's no express checkouts or self-service tills. Given that queueing trolley packed shoppers in neither Lidl nor Aldi seem to yield to those with a just a pint of milk—unlike at Tesco, Co-op or Morrison's—this can make for a very unpleasant wait. I suppose Lidl's philosophy is to cater for the bulk buyer. They, after all, spend more.
The Lidl refurb included an amazing seven checkouts. Seven? This shows the company's sense of optimism regarding growth. Personally, I have never seen any more than one checkout open.