Letter: Good start for Ridley’s

Editor:

I write to encourage people to shop at Ridley’s Family Market.

This is not because of Ridley’s. I don’t know enough about that company to endorse it. So far, though, I am favorably impressed that Ridley’s is willing to take a chance on a grocery store in Wellington. Also, I have heard that Ridley’s let all of Bella’s employees keep their jobs. And if you have been to the store in the last few days, you will have seen the full shelves, the renewed produce offerings, and the return of the butcher shop. It’s a really good start.

I support Ridley’s because of the employees it kept on from Bella’s. My wife has mobility issues due to multiple sclerosis. The employees, including the manager, assistant manager, checkers, and baggers, were always willing to help her get items from the top shelves, to carry her grocery bags out to her pickup, and even to pick her up when she fell in the parking lot.

As Bella’s shelves emptied out, the employees kept trying. When there was no more shredded cheese, they shredded blocks of cheese from the deli to sell in plastic deli containers. When there was no more lunch meat, they sliced meats from the deli and offered it for sale in plastic bags. And they always helped my wife find what was available on the nearly empty shelves, and helped get her groceries to her pickup. That’s the kind of personal service that makes it worthwhile to support a local business.

I hope Ridley’s Family Market succeeds, mostly because it kept the local employees who worked so hard to make our local grocery store a good place to shop.

Please shop at Ridley’s.

Ed Harris
Wellington