It has been over a year since the Supermarket giant moved into Oundle under the guise of “Express” but what effect has it had upon local businesses in the Town? The answer appears to be none or very little.

Oundle residents appear to be sticking with their local stores and escaping the lure of the low prices and the “B-O-G-O-F” deal which Tesco is famous for. Even Oundle News, which was expecting a difficult ride after Tesco arrived, is still doing well. Why is this? When the Tesco juggernaut has, according to mainstream media, trampled hundreds of bakers, butchers and newsagents thought the country into receivership, why is Oundle any different?

Chris Cant, the owner of Oundle News, believes the reason is that “Tesco and other supermarkets have exploited local farmers and the local people feel sympathetic and choose local stores.” This sympathy is in part generated from the tightly-knit market town feel Oundle is so famous for; it is also due to the quality and excellence of the local businesses that Oundle is so proud of.

Amps fine wines say that they are “totally unaffected” by Tesco’s presence in the market. Amp’s Fine Wines started in 1901 as a grocer, but in 1993 made the switch to become a specialist wine shop. Despite the fact that a small range in Tesco has the potential to be condensed into the most popular wines for reduced prices, Amps say that they would never stock a wine that Tesco stock and believe the people in Oundle can see that Tesco’s wine is an inferior product.

This appears to be the same for the Bakery and Trendalls; even the Tesco “finest” range cannot be compared with the freshly baked quality bread of the bakery or the marvellous delicacies on offer at Trendalls.

The introduction of Tesco seems to have hit only two businesses in Oundle with any level of significance; the Co-op and Oundle News. Chris Cant admits that Oundle News has been affected to some extent. “We have experienced a fall in sales, but it’s nothing as bad as we were expecting it to be.”

Whether this last statement should be seen as an encouragement or not remains to be said; but as long as newspapers are read in this town, Oundle’s residents will still rely on Oundle News for an efficient delivery, which in itself is a significant force in keeping this cherished store above water. Young people will always prize the availability of pick and mix sweets which are not packed in plastic, and the fantastic ice creams, and everyone here will always treasure the unparalleled variety of goods on offer, which the “finest” of Tesco cannot compete with.