Jempson's
 Jempson's supermarket in Peasmarsh | |
| Founded | 1935 in Peasmarsh, East Sussex, England |
|---|---|
| Website | jempsons |
Jempson's Supermarket is a long-established, family-owned supermarket chain based in East Sussex, with its origins dating back to 1935. The company was founded by Morris Jempson, who initially opened a small bakery in the village of Peasmarsh. Over the decades, Jempson's grew from its humble beginnings into a significant regional supermarket business, expanding its product range while retaining its focus on local, high-quality produce.
Throughout its development, Jempson's has remained committed to supporting the local community and working with local farmers and producers. This focus has helped the business differentiate itself from larger national chains. Despite its expansion, the company has retained a personal, family-run approach, operating a handful of stores across East Sussex, with the flagship store located in Peasmarsh.
Jempson's has also expanded into additional services such as cafes, bakeries, and petrol stations, further embedding itself into the local economy.
The Jempson's foundation
[edit]The Jempson foundation is a charitable organisation founded by Jempson's Supermarket with the mission of supporting local communities in East Sussex. Through the foundation, Jempson’s aims to give back to the communities that have supported their business for decades. The foundation provides financial assistance, food donations, and other resources to local charities, schools, and non-profit organizations.
The Jempson Foundation focuses on various causes, including education, healthcare, community welfare, and helping disadvantaged groups. It also provides sponsorship and funding for community events, such as local festivals and fairs. In addition, the foundation supports initiatives related to food security, particularly by donating surplus food to local food banks and other charitable outlets.
This commitment to community engagement has strengthened Jempson's reputation as a business that not only serves the area commercially but also contributes to its social fabric.
History
[edit]The company began operation in Peasmarsh in 1935.[1]
Beatle Paul McCartney and family regularly patronised the store in the 1980's.[2]
In 2017, the company merged most of its baking with The Rye Bakery, a wholesale bakery firm with three branches.[3]
In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company introduced a home delivery service for its groceries.[4] In 2021, the company introduced its own refrigerated ready meals.[5]
In 2021, the company acquired a convenience store in Bexhill-on-Sea from Co-op Food.[6] It reopened as Jempson's on 1 July 2021.[7]
In May 2023, Jempson’s re-launched as part of the ‘Together with Morrison’s’ brand, a model designed for independent store owners with established local brands and larger stores. [8]
In 2023 Jempsons purchased a store in Chailey from McColls. The store underwent minor refurbishment and re-branding.
Bus service
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The company formerly ran a free bus service consisting of various infrequent routes connecting its supermarket in Peasmarsh to surrounding towns and villages. Most recently, it was operated by an MCV Evolution with a Dennis Dart body, manufactured in 2006. The services were withdrawn on 17 March 2018 due to low usage.[9]
Health and Safety Violation and Fine
[edit]A woman was hit by a delivery lorry in January 2013 while walking in the car park at Jempson's supermarket in Peasmarsh. She sustained serious injuries that resulted in one of her legs being amputated.[10] In July 2015, the company was fined £130,000 as it was found to have broken the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.[11]
Jempson's Supermarket Opposition to Competitors in Rye
[edit]Jempson's, a family-owned supermarket chain in East Sussex, has consistently opposed the introduction of major supermarket chains like Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Aldi into the town of Rye. Their objections span from the mid-2000s onwards and have primarily centred on concerns about the impact on local businesses, increased traffic, and changes to the town's character. Jempson’s successful campaigns to block these supermarkets have helped them maintain a dominant position in Rye, but these actions have also sparked debates within the community regarding competition, prices, and consumer choice.
Mid-2000s: Tesco's Ferry Road Proposal
[edit]In the mid-2000s, Tesco sought to build a supermarket on the site of the former Freda Gardham School on Ferry Road, Rye. Jempson's vehemently opposed this development, arguing that it would hurt local businesses, increase traffic, and disrupt the town's character. Jempson’s responded to the potential competition by expanding their Rye store, aiming to demonstrate that there was no need for another large supermarket. The expansion allowed Jempson’s to cater to a wider range of customer needs and positioned them as a local alternative to national chains. Ultimately, Tesco's plans were shelved due to these local objections and planning issues.
2010s: Sainsbury's and Gibbet Marsh Site
[edit]Following the defeat of Tesco’s proposal, Sainsbury's showed interest in developing a supermarket on the Gibbet Marsh site, a piece of land near Rye. Jempson’s once again opposed the development, citing similar concerns as before—particularly the potential disruption to traffic and negative effects on local businesses. Although planning discussions were held, Sainsbury’s did not proceed with the project. The continued lack of a second supermarket in Rye helped Jempson’s maintain its local monopoly.
2020s: Aldi’s Interest in Rye
[edit]In the 2020s, Aldi expressed interest in opening a supermarket in Rye, reigniting debates over competition in the town. Jempson’s, once again, voiced opposition, citing concerns that Rye could not support another supermarket and that Aldi's arrival would hurt their business [12]. Critics of Jempson’s argued that competition was needed to bring down prices, as many locals were forced to shop outside of Rye or online. Supporters of Aldi’s proposal emphasised the need for more affordable shopping options, but Jempson’s continued to resist the competition
References
[edit]- ^ "About us". Jempson's. Archived from the original on 2021-01-19. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
- ^ "McCartney turns 40". Central New Jersey Home News. New Brunswick, New Jersey. 19 June 1982. p. 12. Retrieved 19 July 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bamford, Vince (2017-05-17). "Jempson's and The Rye Bakery merge baked goods production". British Baker. Archived from the original on 2021-07-13. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
- ^ Cambridge, Lyndsey (2021-04-29). "Jempson's reports 'outstanding' increase in turnover and profit". The Grocer. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
- ^ Cambridge, Lyndsey (2021-01-22). "Independent supermarket Jempson's launches chilled ready meals range". The Grocer. Archived from the original on 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
- ^ Wynn-Davies, Stephen (2021-03-05). "Bexhill convenience store to close as shop is sold to Jempson's". Bexhill-On-Sea Observer. Archived from the original on 2021-03-18. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
- ^ Wells, Liz (2021-07-01). "Jempson's opens new Sussex store". Talking Retail. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
- ^ https://www.jempsons.com/jempsons-together-with-morrisons/%7Cpublisher=Jempson's |access-date=2024-07-29 |date=2023-05-23
- ^ "Sussex supermarket ceases services". Buses Magazine. 2018-04-19. Archived from the original on 2021-07-13. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
- ^ "Woman's leg amputated after she was hit by supermarket lorry". ITV News. 2015-06-22. Archived from the original on 2015-06-23. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
- ^ "Jempson's supermarket fined £130,000 after woman loses leg". Rye & Battle Observer. 2015-07-10. Archived from the original on 2021-07-13. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
- ^ "Rye: Jempson's fears shop closure if Aldi approved". BBC News. 2024-09-10. Retrieved 2024-10-24.