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The People’s Supermarket has opened its doors this week with one simple idea: people can benefit from cheaper shopping bills if they give up some of their time to work in the shop.

The shop, developed as a co-operative, was based around ideas popular in the US and they specifically drew inspiration from Park Slope Food Co-op in New York.  At The People’s Supermarket, a not-for-profit venture, members are asked to work four hours a month and in return can expect savings of at least ten per cent on their shopping, compared to non members.

The People’s Supermarket will be situated in Holborn, London, close to Great Ormond Street hospital.

The People’s Supermarket was supported by Making Local Food Work’s free business support for community food enterprises.  Maurice MacCartney, one of Making Local Food Work’s specialist business advisors worked with the People’s Supermarket to help them with their business planning – specifically around managing risk and commercialising the business plan.  Arthur Pots-Dawson of the People’s Supermarket said: “The level of support has changed the way our business looked at itself and will be the success of the business in the future. Bravo to all involved in helping businesses such as ourselves.”

Making Local Food Work is a 5 year £10m programme support by the Big Lottery Fund through the Changing Spaces Programme.  It is helping people to take ownership of their food and where it comes from by working with a range of community food enterprises across England.

Community food enterprises are businesses run by communities for their benefit, which are involved in at least one part of growing, harvesting, processing, distributing, selling or serving local food. Community food enterprises include farmers’ markets, Community Supported Agriculture enterprises, community-owned shops, food co-operatives and much more.

Useful links for further information

Free business support, peer-to-peer mentoring and study visits for community food enterprises through Making Local Food Work - https://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk/about/Enterprise_Support.cfm

The People’s Supermarket - http://www.peoplessupermarket.org/

Telegraph article on store opening - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/7779395/The-Peoples-Supermarket-communal-cheap-and-democratic.html

Co-operative News article - http://www.thenews.coop/story/1778

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