‘ Growth gives you the feel good factor to keep going’
CECIL Whiteside opened Supervalu in Ballisodare at the height of the recession in 2008.
He’s after investing “a couple of hundred grand” into his fresh fruit and veg aisle in the last few weeks. “That copper fastens what we’re trying to do here which is keep it updated all the time. When you get a bit of growth it gives you the feel- good factor to keep going,” he said.
He agrees his supermarket with its cafe and coffee dock has become somewhat of a hub for the village.
“I would hope it would encourage people to come here, we have beauty salons, hairdresser, butcher, Post Office and chemist next door, Leisure centre - everything works together,” he said.
“The Leisure Centre has a swimming class on a Saturday morning and we get a bit of trade off that,” he said.
“We’ve two big eyesores here that need to be finished. I think the enhancement of the village is key.
“We have the Falls here, the fishing and we’re on the way over to Enniscrone as well. We have the Thatch over there which closed down unfortunately, if we could get places like that opened up again, they’re key to the growth of the village,” he said. Brexit is something worrying on the horizon for him, as he’s already seen a hit in alcohol sales.
“The fact that you can buy a load of beer in Enniskillen af- fects us- we saw a fall off in our turnover last October,” he said.
“But on the scale of things people are saying groceries are dearer up there,” he said.