"HIGH Street shopping in the suburbs" is how Mr. J. A. Baker, the manager, describes the new self-service shop which the Rushden Co-operative Society opened on Wednesday in Rose Avenue, Rushden.

The shop—the society's tenth and largest in Rushden—will cater for housewives living in the council estate at Highfield and the residential area near Rose Avenue.

New self-service shop

Previously the nearest shops were in Purvis Road, about half a mile away. Contemporary in design and with all commodities with easy reach with prices clearly marked, the shop has two special features:

An off-sales beer, wine and spirit section and a butchery section with butchers in attendance to cut meat for customers on the spot—it is believed this is the first self-service shop in Rushden where this system operates.

In addition to the staff rooms at the rear of the premises are separate, refrigerated compartments where the meat and wine is stored—both are insulated to keep the goods at an even temperature.

In the shop itself the provisions are kept in refrigerated counters.

A very wide variety of goods—from stationery to soups, from corn flakes to confectionery—is on sale and prices range from a pennv for a bar of chocolate to 75s. for a bottle of cognac.

Cycle Stands

Outside the shop bicycle stands are provided, and inside a red and white continental canopy over the provisions' counter—it has been admired by many customers —provides a colourful effect.

The counters are well laid out so that all goods are within easy reach for the shopper. Prices are clearly marked on all the shelves, and, in some cases, on the commodities themselves.

The lighting is fluorescent and the heating system, which is under the tiled floor, is oil fired.

Shop hours are 8.45am - 6pm with an hour and a quarter lunch break from 12.45 - 2pm with Saturday as half day, but  customers who place an order can have their goods delivered to them by van.

Gift Offers

To mark the opening of the shop, which took nine months to build, there are six special gift offers as well as the usual dividend which has just been announced.

For the 19th time, and for the sixth consecutive year, it will be 1s. in the £, plus a bonus dividend of 3d. in the £1.

The Rushden Co-operative Society has also announced that total dividends, plus bonus and interest, returned to members over the last 12 months amounted to £57,500.

The Manager

The shop manager, Mr J A Baker, has been with the Rushden Co-operative Society for nearly twenty years, five of them as an under-manager.

Married with two children, he has worked in every Co-op shop in Rushden, including several self-service stores.

Mr. Baker was previously manager of the shop in St. Margaret's Avenue from which the new self-service shop has taken over. Explaining the move—described as being from a cottage to a castle—he said that because of the large amount of trade done in the old shop, which is now being closed down, it was decided it would be better to build a new shop rather than make alterations and additions to the old one.

They Love It

Pay as you leave

Do people like self-service? The older generation do not but the younger ones love it, said Mr. Baker, who has been told by several mothers that their children cannot wait to go shopping on their own with their mothers' orders.

Mr. Graham Fensome, who is in charge of the butchery section where the meat is out on the spot, has been with the Co-operative Society for nearly four years and likes the space afforded by the new premises.

Other members of the staff are: First assistant, Mr. D. Phillips; cashiers, Miss M. Houghton and Miss A. Craker, and junior assistant, Miss V. Hayton, all of whom worked in the St. Margaret's Avenue shop before moving to the new store.

The heating arrangements comprise a low pressure hot water system fired by an oil-fired boiler/burner unit serving food hall, staff room and stores.

The food hall heating demand is met by a warmed floor heated, by tubular panels embedded within it, fed from a forced circulation system.

These panels are thermostatically operated through a motorised valve controlled by a weather sensitive pilot which varies the temperature according to outside conditions.

The staff room and stores are heated by the more conventional pipe coils and radiators, but the whole system is virtually automatic.