Here are some quotes/scary facts to think about next time someone (not you, obviously) mentions their weekly drive to the supermarket, or topping up the shopping at an oh-so-convenient local supermarket. It’s from an article in today’s Guardian by John Harris. Something to remember when, in the not too distant future, there are no independent shops left. When every British High Street offers identical shops. When you’ll have to go abroad to experience the charm and satisfaction of shops that offer diversity and real competition. Read on…
“There are just over 8,000 supermarkets in the UK, and they account for 97% of total grocery sales.
Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons take 76% of that market. Their share of non-food retailing currently stands at 14%, a figure up by 75% since 2003.
In the two years up to November 2010, planning permission was granted to 480 stores run by the Big Four, which works out at one supermarket every other day.
Since 2008, they have accounted for 87% of the retail floor space given planning permission.
In May, Channel 4 News reported that by 2014 retail space operated by the Big Four was set to increase by 20%: as its report put it, "an expansion drive on a scale never seen before".
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