Coming soon: a new Co-operative Food convenience store at 150 Spa Road, close to St James’s Church
Category Archives: Shopping
Sainsbury’s Local to open at the Blue
The Blue already has a Tesco Express, Co-operative Food and Iceland. Soon it will be able to add Sainsbury’s Local to the roll-call of the supermarket chains operating in the area.
Sainsbury’s has applied for advertisement consent to install a new fascia at the former Pyramid Pharmacy at 243 Southwark Park Road.
Free open-air swimming pools at Canada Water this Summer
Two heated swimming pools and a zorbing pool have been set up in the Decathlon Surrey Quays car park. Entry is free to Decathlon Card holders (and there’s no charge to sign up for a card).
More details below and on the Decathlon website.
Lloyds TSB’s only SE16 branch to be sold to Co-operative Group
Lloyds TSB’s Bermondsey branch in Southwark Park Road is part of the package of 632 branches to be rebranded as TSB and transferred to the Co-operative Group in a deal announced this week.
Lloyds Banking Group, which was rescued by the Government at the height of the financial crisis, must sell part of its business to meet European rules on state aid and has now agreed non-binding heads of terms with Co-operative Group plc.
From next summer the Bermondsey branch will be rebranded as TSB before the transfer to the Co-op is completed in November 2013.
“Today’s agreement is an important step in meeting our obligations under the mandated sale of our branches,” said Lloyds Banking Group chief executive António Horta-Osório.
“We believe the Co-operative will be a good owner for our business, customers and colleagues, and the combined banking business will be a significant competitor on the high street with nearly 10 per cent of today’s UK branch network.
“In agreeing to move ahead with the Co-operative we provide greater certainty for our customers and for our shareholders. In addition to an upfront consideration, we will also get to share in the future financial performance of the combined banking business which will be an effective challenger with a strong customer focus.”
Peter Marks, chief executive of the Co-operative Group, described the proposed deal as “the biggest shake-up in high street banking in a generation”.
He added that the acquisition of the extra branches would “make the services of our member-owned, customer-led, ethically-driven, bank available to millions of people we’ve not been able to serve up until now”.
The bank will become part of a cluster of Co-op businesses at The Blue, along with The Co-operative Food and Co-operative Funeralcare.
SE16’s young entrepreneurs become Borough Market traders for the day
On Thursday Borough Market welcomed the next generation of budding entrepreneurs to try their hand at market trading for the day.
Students from Bacon’s College and St Michael’s College joined t the market to sell their wares as part of a project to develop young people’s business and enterprise skills by supporting them to initiate and develop sustainable business ideas.
The initiative, run by Southwark Education Business Alliance, has seen local youngsters working in teams to produce unique business ideas which were then presented to a panel of judges drawn from the local business community.
“Borough Market is proud to welcome some of Southwark’s budding entrepreneurs to the market for the day to try their hand at trading,” says market MD Keith Davis.
“The market is home to over 100 traders who provide a wealth of artisan skills and specialist expertise and are only too keen to share some of their passion and knowledge. I can think of no better place for youngsters to learn about business and trading.”
Lulzim Osmani from SEBA added: “We are delighted that Borough Market is offering Southwark’s young people such a wonderful opportunity to improve their entrepreneurial skills by selling in London’s most famous market.
“We hope that this experience will help young people engage more with their local area and appreciate it more.”
A business improvement district for Bermondsey?
Southwark Council is poised to award a £30,000 grant to the Bermondsey Business Association with the aim of establishing a Bermondsey Business Improvement District “to support the future development of the area as an attractive place to shop and do business”.
The association is based in South Bermondsey and is building on the work done by the South Bermondsey Partnership.
Southwark already has BIDs in London Bridge and Bankside, and the Waterloo BID straddles the Lambeth/Southwark border.
BIDs are funded by a levy on local business rates.
The £30,000 grant will come from the council’s Community Restoration Fund which was established in the wake of last summer’s riots.
The same fund will also provide Deli Felice with £4,800 to promote and advertise the parade of shops on Albion Street.
Surrey Quays Shopping Centre revamp to start in spring 2013
The owners of Surrey Quays Shopping Centre have announced that work will start on an extension to the building in early 2013 with completion expected in mid-2014.
The centre is jointly owned by British Land and Tesco who plan to add 18 new shops and restaurants to the complex.
Southwark’s planning committee unanimously approved the extension plans in March but councillors turned down an application for a new double-decker car park.
“The approval for the Surrey Quays Shopping Centre extension is important for the wider regeneration of Canada Water and Rotherhithe and demonstrates our commitment to the area,” says David Pollock, retail development manager for British Land.
“The extension and refurbishment will create additional space that will allow us to attract and accommodate new and exciting retailers, ensuring that Surrey Quays remains competitive in today’s market
” The current shopping experience will be significantly improved for both existing and new customers.”