Why have we supported campaigns to limit supermarket expansion in Chorlton?

And what’s wrong with supermarkets anyway?

Unicorn’s involvement in local anti-supermarket campaigns in Chorlton and Stretford has been rooted in a belief that supermarket proliferation is not in the best interests of either communities or the environment, and a commitment to the ideals of shopping locally, supporting independent businesses, and preserving the vitality and individuality of our local centres. We are not out to be protectionist, and we accept that supermarkets are valuable to many, but supermarkets grab their huge market share exactly by taking trade from other local stores, and it’s not hard to see what the growth of supermarkets is doing to small retailers who are now closing down at a rate of 50 per week nationwide.

Unicorn was established to provide an alternative to the dominant supermarket model, one which we saw was operating at the expense of both people and the planet. Supermarkets are the ‘deliverers’ of some of the worst aspects of our modern capitalist system, and the ‘cheap’ food, with which they have helped to create a national obsession, comes at a high cost to us all.

Have a look at the excellent Tescopoly website (see link on right) for much more on this.

Keep Chorlton Interesting (KCI)

KCI is a community group that came together to oppose the planning application for a Tesco in Chorlton. Although Tesco ultimately gained permission, the group fought an impressive fight, and got a lot of people talking about the issues involved. They are now working on retail developments in Chorlton and surrouding areas. To be kept up-to-date with their work, or to get involved, fill out the form below, or have a look at their website www.keepchorltoninteresting.org.

Get involved: Email Keep Chorlton Interesting at keepchorltoninteresting@gmail.com for more info and how to take action, or complete and submit the enquiry form below.