It has just been announced that our local independent grocery retailer Jempson’s (currently supplied by Nisa / Co-op – and before that by Budgens) is joining Morrisons’ retail partnership, ‘Together with Morrisons’.
In the meantime the Lower School site (below) once fought over by Tesco and Sainsbury’s, but now intended for housing, remains empty, and rumours about a new supermarket just above Valley Park, or down near the Winchelsea Road, just remain rumours.
The first store to be changed is the Peasmarsh superstore which will be dual-branded later this spring, and the supermarket in Rye and convenience stores in Battle, Bexhill, Northiam and Wadhurst will follow later.
The new stores will offer customers a mix of Morrisons’ own-brand products and branded favourites alongside local produce from local suppliers.
Whether any other supermarket will want to come to Rye remains very uncertain. The Covid lockdown saw many more people ordering online and having home deliveries from a number of different supermarkets ; and only using local outlets if they could not order online, or did not have a car, or were possibly here on holiday, or had run out of something vital.
The cut price company Aldi on the Rye side of Hastings is a fairly recent arrival and is reported to be attracting shoppers from the Rye area.
Rye News has requested a statement from Jempson’s managing director Stephen Jempson and hopes to run a more detailed article in next week’s issue.
Image Credits: Nick Forman , Kenneth Bird .
Will the prices come down?
Very unlikely because Jempson’s know they have a monopoly. Co-Op produce is cheaper in Co-Op stores than it is in the Jempson’s stores. And Jempson’s position their own stock far more prominently than they do the cheaper Co-Op produce. So you really have be alert to their tricks.
will the fruit & veg last longer?
Unlikely or be any cheaper
How can fresh fruit and veg last longer if it’s Morrison sourced than Jempson’s or co-op sourced.? . Produce I have bought over many years from Jempson’s has always been fresh….. buying frozen or tinned food will keep longer at home.
How about Sunday opening?
Do you really need a supermarket to be open on a Sunday? I’m not a fan of Jempson’s, but I do think there’s a charm to it being closed on a Sunday, it’s suits Rye’s old world charm. And there’s always Costcutter for emergencies.
Agreed! Jempsons policy on Sunday opening, so I understand, is that everyone needs a day off and why not?
I went there today. Very disappointed ☹️ it’s just another Morrison’s shop. Jempson was a treat.
I’m afraid I could have told you that. Morrison’s, non-food offerings apart because they are often good, has always been the most disappointing of all the big supermarkets, ever since it departed it’s Yorkshire home ground.
My now infrequent visits to Rye always included a visit to Jempson’s in Peasmarsh, to stock up on foods not available elsewhere and also to marvel at the place. I can only hope that it doesn’t stock the Morrison’s range of what can sometimes be boring and less than fresh vegetables!
I have never been to a Morrison shop. I did pop into Jempson’s at Peasmarsh and bought a few Morrison’s vegetables and bananas…I can assure John C.that they were fresh. Bought a few other Morrison brand items..which I haven’t tried yet.
Not sure why Anna Thompsett was disappointed as I thought Morrison’s brand was just to replace the co op brand that Jempson’s stocked. So the Jempson’s that Anna thought was a treat will still be the same treat.
Unfortunately they appear not to have replaced many of the lower cost Co-Op and Heritage ranges with Morrisons low cost products so while prices may not have risen, choice is reduced or the overall bill increased. I thought it very disappointing when I visited
The prices would come down if competition were one day allowed to spring up.
I don’t understand why it hasn’t…
It has. Living just outside of Peasmarsh we have a weekly delivery of groceries from Ocado. We could have chosen ASDA, or Sainsburys, or Tesco….. We still use Jempsons regularly for top ups, fresh goods and treats. But be under no illusion, Jempsons do not have any monopoly in the area.