Research

14/7/2014

Understand, Define, Ideate

Research





Starting to do research on one of the topics i could do



After some research decided to do super stores



Are chain stores killing small business? “Speechless"





Key points discussed in the video:

Vote with your dollar

megastores undercut prices and competition

small business crumbling

local community suffer as they lose personal service

and contribute to community and employ local people

however people on a budget or low income are not complaining cause prices are low

megastore have positives and negatives

fast food chains offer consistent food when travelling, local business using local food are shut out

what should we do to protect small business

uniformity and familiarity.



My thoughts

consumers have a choice

cheapest price always not the best alternative, there may be other hidden cost where not aware off?

cost the local community

mega bring in products from outside the region so we may not get the best from local or what is special or unique from the area

Wellington known from cuisine culture



looked at how Wellingtons promote its local supplies and producers



Fresh Local produce    

-Whittaker's Chocolate

-Craft Bear - Garage Project

-Paua

-Caffe Ice

-Flight Coffee

-Island Bay Sausages

-Yellow Brick Road Seafood

-Six Barrel Soda

-Wairapa palliser state wine

-Kapiti Coast - Te Horo Foods Jam



Tourist should explore the local cuisine and locals should support the community by buying local produce,








Where is it better to do the shopping- in supermarkets or in small shops?



It is very difficult to say definitely, which place is better to do the shopping. There are many good and bad points of both- supermarkets and corner shops.



The staff in corner shops is usually very nice. People, who sell in these shops know most of their customers. They may advice you what to buy, they know what your favourite products are. If it happens that you don't have enough money to buy something, they may let you pay later. You can always talk to the staff and you can be sure that you buy fresh products. Nevertheless, if you want to buy something in secret, you shouldn't do it in the small shop next to your house. The shop assistant may tell your parents, that you bought a beer or cigarettes. Another disadvantage is that there is not as much wide variety of different products there as there is in supermarkets. If you have some special needs and wishes, you’d better go to supermarket to look for it.



What are the advantages and disadvantages of supermarkets?



It is hard to say which kind of shop is better. Both a corner shop and a supermarket have many advantages and disadvantages.



The corner shop is generally small and has friendly staff. Because it is not as big, you cannot find sophisticated products as you can find in a supermarket. The staff usually knows you very well. They know what your favourite products are, they can put aside things that you want to buy if you do not have enough money. It is very nice and useful. But on the other hand it is very hard to keep something in secret. For example it is really difficult to buy beer, cigarettes or condoms without the shop assistant telling your mother or gossip about you.



The supermarket is bigger than the corner shop and is better equipped. More people go to this kind of shop. Everybody is anonymous for the shop assistant and generally prices are lower. The competition of supermarkets is very good for customer. But despite these advantages the supermarket has also got few disadvantages. A lot of products are not fresh. They are displayed on the shelves waiting for a customer to get them and sometimes they are there for a very long time and past the sell-by date.



To sum up, both supermarkets and corner shops have many advantages and disadvantages. I choose one or the other depending on the kind of product I want to buy.



Advantages of supermarkets



Let's be honest, life without supermarkets would be hell. Thanks to their existence, what used to take all day now takes a couple of hours. Thirty years ago, by the time you had walked up and down the high street, visited a host of stores, queued at counters and checkouts and then trekked back home with as many bags as you could carry, the day was more or less over. And stores only opened nine to five.



Now, responding to consumer demand, supermarkets operate extended opening hours and trade on Sundays. The number of lines stocked has also increased out of all recognition. Supermarkets now offer the choice of up to 40,000 lines - everything from economy to niche products at very competitive prices; they provide free car-parking and a number of other facilities such as financial services. They also sell a superb range of own labels, and offer home deliveries and internet shopping.



Generally, none of us has to drive too far to get to the supermarket: we find them out-of-town or on the high street. A number of retailers are looking at even more convenient outlets in railway stations. Thirty years ago, customers would have given their right hand to shop in these sort of outlets, which we now take for granted.



against supermarkets



Most people who can, choose to shop in supermarkets for many different reasons. Society now depends on them. They are here to stay.



But the argument has to move on. The country is saturated with superstores. Now is the time to count the cost of this convenience. The forces driving the supermarkets to ever-fiercer competition and increasing vertical concentration can also increase social deprivation and destroy the enabling structure of our local food economies which sustain our market towns and villages, the food producers who supply them and the people who depend on them.



Remember that there are consumers who exist beyond the rosy glow of the supermarket - those who have no car, who are not on the internet, who live in a cash economy, whose shopping budgets are too small to qualify for home deliveries, who need their local shop for social contact and conversation. And don't forget the local food producers. Virtually all food production starts small-scale and depends on small retail outlets.



In east Suffolk, following the threat of a superstore, I surveyed 81 food shops and discovered they were sourcing food from 295 local producers. When superstores open, small shops close. Small shops, farms and food businesses are interdependent, providing employment and consumer choice. They are the basis of the rural economy. The way forward is to ensure we have the framework in place that enables the supermarkets to co-exist with the parallel integrated local economy, rather than compete with it until it is destroyed.






Why Buy Locally Grown?



You’ve probably been told a million and one times that you should buy locally grown. And, you’ve also probably seen local farmers markets sprout up around your neighborhood. But why should you buy local? What’s the benefit to you, your community and the environment?



    Local food tastes better. By buying local, you are receiving the freshest possible produce, picked just hours before delivery to your local store. Produce that travels long distances is days older. Sugars turn to starches, plant cells shrink, and produce loses its vitality and flavor.



    Local food is more nutritious. Once harvested, produce quickly loses nutrients. Since local produce is sold right after it’s picked, it retains more nutrients.



    Local food preserves genetic diversity. Large commercial farms grow a relatively small number of hybrid fruits and vegetables because they can tolerate the rigors of harvesting, packing, shipping and storage. This leaves little genetic diversity in the food supply. Family farms, on the other hand, grow a huge number of varieties to extend their growing season, provide eye-catching colors and great flavor. Many varieties are “heirlooms” passed down through the generations because of their excellent flavor. Older varieties contain the genetic structure of hundreds or thousands of years of human selection and may provide the diversity needed to thrive in a changing climate.



    Local food promotes energy conservation. The average distance our food travels is 1500 miles, mostly by air and truck, increasing our dependence on petroleum. By buying locally, you conserve the energy that’s used for transport.



    Local food uses less packaging. Buying produce from a farmers market or from a farm itself is a no-frills process that involves less packaging.



    Local food supports local farmers. The American family farmer is a vanishing breed - fewer than 1,000,000 people (less than 1%) of Americans claim farming as a primary occupation. It’s no wonder: it’s hard to make a living when you get less than 10 cents of every retail food dollar. By buying locally, the middleman disappears and the farmer gets full retail price, in turn helping farmers continue to farm.



    Local food builds community. By getting to know the farmers who grow your food, you build understanding, trust and a connection to your neighbors & your environment. The weather, the seasons and the science of growing food offer great lessons in nature and agriculture. Visiting local farms with your friends and your family brings that education and appreciation to the next generation.



    Local food preserves open space. Do you enjoy visiting the countryside where you see lush fields of crops, meadows of wildflowers, picturesque barns and rolling pastures? Well, this should also serve as a reminder that our treasured agricultural landscape survives only when farms are financially viable. By spending your money on locally grown food, you’re increasing the value of the land to the farmer and making development less likely.



    Local food keeps taxes in check. For every $1 in revenue raised by residential development, governments spend $1.17 on services, which increases taxes. For every $1 in revenue raised by a farm, a forest or open space, governments spend $0.34 cents on services. You do the math.



    Local food supports the environment and benefits wildlife. Family farmers tend to be good stewards of the land – they respect and value fertile soil and clean water. And their farms provide the fields, meadows, forests, ponds and buildings that are the habitat for many beloved and important species of wildlife. In addition, buying local also reduces the use of fossil fuels and helps to protect the environment from harmful exhaust fumes.



    Local food is about the future. Supporting local farms today helps keep those farms in your community, ensuring that your children and grandchildren have access to nourishing, flavorful and abundant food. When you choose to buy locally, and make your choices known, you raise the consciousness of your family, friends and neighbors.






Links to other websites  i looked at that helped with research :