Six jobs go as Jersey Coal is forced to close

JERSEY Coal is to close after 41 years. It has been forced out of the market by supermarkets selling cut-price fuel.
The firm, based in Bellozanne Valley, will shut its doors for the final time on 31 March, with the loss of six full-time jobs. Its sister company, JCD Garden Designs, will also close. The company, which started trading in 1968, today said that it could not compete with supermarkets and petrol stations which sold large quantities of cheap, lower quality coal.
Sean Blake, Jersey Coal general manager, said: ‘With more and more cheap and inferior coal hitting Jersey, the high rental costs of the showroom and store, and the additional costs of handling Itis and GST, the business is simply no longer viable. It’s a very sad situation, because we are a Jersey company and we are very passionate about importing quality fuel to the Island and providing quality service to our customers. The supermarkets have brought in coal before, but not on this level, and we just can’t compete with them.’ (from thisisjersey)

From what I remember that because the Coal Merchants "Hiked" the prices earlier last year it made the supermarkets look elsewhere for product. so I think hey have only themselves to blame...

nevertheless - poor staff - bet they didn't have a say in the 'hike' :x

You may be right.The problems occur once markets are flooded with cheaper but inferior products.Where can you then go apart from off Island?

its only the coal merchants who are saying the coal is inferior.of course they have got to have a reason for closing other than their own greed.i feel sorry for the staff who as others have said didn/t have a say in the huge price hike.

The coal is inferior

Ross wrote:The coal is inferior

But selling more it seems than the superior coal

Which do you think is inferior?