From Lucy Gatward, Marketing Manager, Better Food HQ I had an interesting encounter earlier today whilst putting up the Christmas decs at our Whiteladies Road store … Two chaps came into the shop and immediately caught my eye because, well, they looked like The Men From The Supermarket. Infact they were Area Manager and Regional Manager – Les Grand Fromages. We fell into conversation, and had a lovely chat about how great the shop looks and what a brilliant range of knobbly veg we have. Then the sleeves were rolled up and the real nubbins began. It was interesting and an arguement I don’t feel we can ever win – the economies of scale are just too daunting. But I do believe we’re safer knowing where ‘the enemy’ is when we’re engaging in conversation with them. And there are things we can learn from them too. Love em or hate em, they’re great retailers. Poor Pete (Whiteladies Road shop manager), exasperated and exhausted by a manic week of staff shortages and Christmas craziness, raised a thorny point about supply and demand, and the hungry, hogging, intimidating nature of modern supply chains. Mushrooms in particular. Our old and trusted organic mushroom supplier, for example, on signing a deal with the devil, can no longer trade with us in case he can’t fulfill  his Tesco orders – because he’ll be fined £10, 000. It was fascinating, and I want more. Imagine how dull high streets would be with out the colour and individuality we Indies bring. Imagine the loss of small suppliers who can’t or don’t want to deal with supermarkets. Imagine only being able to buy what Supermarkets dictate we want. Imagine …