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Friday 27 November 2009

Right here and Now

You know, this post is probably going to get me in trouble.

But what the heck.

I’ll be honest, I work in one of the local branches of a nationally known chain of off-licences that’s in serious trouble.

Deeply serious trouble.

And our branch has had the bad news, today, that our branch is one of the one that will be closing down.

Which is gutting … !

Understandably.

What gets me is the simple fact that — from what I, as an employee, have managed to understand — is that the company I work for knew about the likelihood of this happening, in July of last year: a few months after they hired me.

As you can possibly appreciate …

What makes it kind of worse, in these recession hit times, is the simple fact that, while they had a flashy website that told you all about themselves, their products, and where their stores were, it had no — NO — online store.

When you consider that the small Ma and Pa independent greengrocers/off-license up the hill from us, along with iTunes, Sainsburys, Tescos, Morrison, Asda, John Lewis, Majestic, Bargain Booze et al, has an online store, my employers seriously missed the boat.

Combined with missing that trick, they had some serious competition from the likes of the various nation supermarket chains, who were able to heavily out-do us, in terms of price.

And, as a result, went under.

And put me, the rest of my co-workers, and most of the branches in the area, will be made redundant.

For those of us who’ve been with the company less than two years can claim no redundancy, under the terms of the contracts.

Those who’ve been there longer?

Look like’s they’ve got a fight to claim whatever is available.

My only conclusion, being in at the coalface?

Is that this has been a huge great cock-up of monstrous proportions.

From start to finish.




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