Above: M&S Veg ( Seasonal Vegetables and Salad) beautifully presented in the refurbished M&S Albert Road West Bridgford 9am 28th November 2024
Hooray for everyone who, through their workplace, supply chain, shopping loyalty are ‘willing’ M&S to improve things across the supply chains: (20 year contract with Wates Construction due for renewal, Harper Adams, collaborative Farm Of The Future programme to reduce carbon emissions, working with 7,000 farmers across the UK): have a look at the M&S Leeds University archive -when you walk into the shop you feel that somehow, something here is really different. It’s a living history.
Years ago I worked with a design company promoting building information modelling (BIM) to architects and construction companies but since Grenfell everyone is keen to balance the desk top approach to supply chains with census style data collection: bringing tech to human account.
I saw all the brilliant contractors and really wanted to write about the effort, energies, skills that they brought to this project but there just wasn’t time. Yet we do need to thank them they’re not just ‘invisible men‘.
What I see in this modern yet market style refurbishment is a design nod to the older ‘market style’ warehouse supermarkets of the 1960’s (in West Bridgford like the original american ‘GEM’ supermarket, the precursor of ASDA) is a great new working and shopping space that makes me feel hopeful for the future of new ways of living, working that are balanced around the aspirations and lives people need.
What people don’t realise about the service they take for granted as they shop and move around the store is how much of a collective the staff are.
It’s because they’re down to earth people who work with and for each other that they have the edge: they really deserve a great workspace: itself the beginning of a way of living that is part of a reshaping of the human and technological relationship. The idea of the four day week just might become the obvious way to do it.
Below: M&S oils, herbs, rice, free range, barn and organic eggs:
Above: M&S Christmas puddings, wine, teas, charcuterie, bread
Above: M&S Fresh meat
Above: M&S Mussels, Hollandaise Sauce, Kippers, Haddock, Samphire, Prawns
-Enjoy shopping, have a great holiday when it comes, oh and don’t forget the (above): cleaning materials!
A great project in the right way, in the right time with the right people in mind.
signsofanopencity 
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