SHOPPERS at Crosthwaite Post Office and Village Store will beable to fill their baskets with goods from supermarket giant Sainsbury'snext week.

The Lyth Valley village shop is one of just eight to takepart in the nationwide experiment, dreamed up by the Village Retail ShopAssociation, which believes that well-known quality brands can attractcustomers to rural stores.

Crosthwaite shopkeepers John and ValerieHarrison, who were prizewinners in the Gazette's Support Our Shopscampaign, were keen to take part in the project.

"It hit thenational press back in the summer," said Mrs Harrison.

"We hadcustomers coming in saying, Hey, look at this! We phoned Sainsbury's andsaid we were interested."

The couple are "absolutely thrilled" tohave been picked for the pilot scheme out of almost 200 shopkeepers whowanted to join up.

They will buy goods at the Sainsbury's store inLancaster, then sell them on to their own customers at prices slightlyhigher than in the supermarket.

However, shoppers will gain by nothaving to travel so far for their shopping.

"It gives us scope tohave a much wider variety of goods on our shelves, because we don't haveto buy in bulk," explained Mrs Harrison.

"People very often come inand say, Have you got.... and, hopefully, the answer will be yes more thanit has been in the past."

The scheme will be launched in Crosthwaiteon Thursday, November 12, with drinks, nibbles and a luckydraw.

Meanwhile, the Council for the Preservation of Rural Englandthis week called for increased action to stop the loss of rural shops andservices.

The CPRE says over 70 per cent of rural parishes now haveno general shop, 90 per cent have no bank or building society, 75 per centhave no daily bus service and 43 per cent no post office.

Itsuggests that villagers should get together with their shop owners tohammer out exactly what services villagers need.

The general beliefthat goods were cheaper in supermarkets is often a fallacy, says theCPRE.

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