Shoprite’s new approach to parking at its Port Erin store is ‘heavy-handed’ and inappropriately antagonistic, wrote resident Allan Phoenix to store chief executive Andrew Thomas.
In December, the store announced it was clamping down on motorists who are not customers using their car park.
They assessed that the car parking spaces owned by the store are 70 per cent full for most of the day.
Some areas of the car park are owned by the local authority and others by Fistard Properties.
On a trial basis, the store began enforcing parking restrictions on spaces they own – which are two hours’ disc parking (proof of purchase may be requested) and a £25 penalty charge for overstay.
Mr Phoenix wrote this is ‘totally opposed to everything which “community” stands for, and bring a level of heavy handedness which is untypical of this friendly isle’.
There are ‘genuine issues’ with the car park, but ‘they could have been dealt with in a much more appropriate way,’ he suggested.
He wrote: ‘As it is you have simply antagonised everyone, and created a problem for the community that never previously existed.’
The parking spaces closest to the store belong to the local authority and yet are mainly occupied by Shoprite customers he said. This means that anyone wishing to go to the other shops or the library cannot find a parking space ‘when half of your blue spaces may be empty’.
He suggested they replace signage with ‘something much more friendly and community minded which would demonstrate goodwill and discretion by allowing the use of spaces for all legitimate shoppers to your store, and to the other businesses and library’.
He suggested, ‘in this way you will regain the respect of the community and we will once again be able to be proud of our island way of doing things.’
Mr Thomas replied the measures were made ‘after a long period of consultation and due to concern over the ability of our customers to access the store.
‘We had been aware for some time that some cars were parked for very long periods by people not using our store and indeed it was not uncommon to see somebody park their car and then catch the bus to Douglas!’ The two hour time limit is ‘largely ignored, the warning of a fine and employment of an attendant were considered to be necessary measures’.
He added: ‘This was not a decision taken lightly and we were conscious that it would not be a perfect solution but, in the current difficult retail environment when every sale matters, we felt that we had to take action to maximise Christmas trading. In that respect, it was a successful venture.’
Far from alienating customers, he wrote: ‘The entire rationale was to provide a better service for those wishing to shop with us.’
They received ‘a lot of positive feedback’ about the improved availability of parking spaces.