A petition founded by a University of Sussex student is calling for the campus Co-operative food store to be replaced by an Aldi.
Callum Garlick, a second year University of Sussex student, has started the petition on the website change.org.
The petition showed initial success gaining 250 signatures in the space of only one day.
When asked their opinion on the prospect of having an Aldi store on campus, one student said: “I think it’s a great idea.
“Anything that helps to lower the price of food and alcohol on campus gets a yes from me!”
Adding to this, a third year student at the University said: “I don’t mind either way to be honest with you. But I’m not sure that it would go down very well with the middle class yuppies-to-be that make up a huge number of Sussex students!”
On the change.org petition profile, the founder highlights the irony in the view that “a shop for university students, who are notoriously poor, charges extortion- ate prices”.
He goes on to call for students to “join in campaigning to bring a cheaper, more competitive option to campus, where German efficiency brings you bread for 45p, and 4-packs of beer from £2.15. 4-PACKS OF BEER FOR £2.15!”
The petition profile ends with the words “Join the revolution. Cheaper booze for all”.
A second year student working at the Co-op stated that the petition was the “impractical” in its aim to get the store replaced.
She said: “I don’t see the point in setting a petition like this up. It’s aims are totally impractical. To make a petition calling for Aldi to replace campus Co-op is a complete waste of time.”
The Southern Co-operative were contacted to comment on the petition but did not respond at the time of going to pixel.
The Co-operative brands itself as an ehtical company and says on its website: “We are guided by the long-established co-operative values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity.”
A slightly misguided petition perhaps, but it is addressing a serious issue. Choice for food on campus is appalling since the University handed monopoly power to Cafe Direct and the Cooperative, and with no competition they can charge what they damn well please. Perhaps bringing Aldi onto campus is impractical, but opening another shop at least isn’t; four years ago there used to be three shops on campus, two within 100m of each other. McColl’s was dirt cheap. RIP!