COUNTY Councillor George Slynn's positive-sounding message to the people of Great Harwood in support of the controversial proposed Safeways supermarket (Letters, July 12) is likely to have impressed everyone except those with retail experience and past and present knowledge of the retail battlefield.

Over the past decades, thousands of East Lancashire shopkeepers have been forced out of business by the large monopolies owning food and drink brands which we know as supermarkets.

With the advent of Wal-Mart and other cut-price newcomers, it is now only a matter of time before some of them face takeover and possible closure themselves.

This, for a time, will be to the benefit of the retail trade, but, in general, today's customers have little thoughts of loyalty. Just wait, the minute Asda and Wall-Mart get their act together with top brands and cut prices, customers will flock there.

In the meantime, if the Safeway issue goes through with its 170 jobs in Great Harwood and stays long enough, what will happen to the similar number already employed in direct opposition to them in the local food and drink trade? The argument that local business will benefit comes from someone who cannot have studied the present commercial format of the town.

Eighty-four business premises exist in Great Harwood's main shopping centre of Glebe Street and the length of Queen Street. The vast majority of these 'businesses' can loosely be described as services, such as banks, offices, solicitors, insurance or estate agents, building societies, optician, dentist, launderette, undertakers, dog grooming, cleaners, accountants, plus charity shops, post offices, chemists, hairdressers, travel agents, bookies, drinking places and second hand shops.

These, when added to the businesses in the food and drinks trade and empty shops total a staggering 76 per cent of our town centre trade - 64 premises in all.

If Safeway arrives, we can only sit back and watch shopkeepers in fear, and hope that experiences of the past can be reversed into a commercial miracle.

J PHELAN (Mr), Park Lane, Great Harwood.

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