Apologies for a slightly parochial nature of this, but it might apply to
other countries besides UK too.
Recent (1999--2002) journal articles suggest the chief victim of UK
mega-supermarket competition, that is basically Wal-Mart and Tesco, are not the corner
shops but the discount stores. Corner shops were actually reported to have had
a slight revival in trade after a 50-year decline. This was put down to the
customer appreciating the merits of personal service, and a more flexible or
variable stock. I suspect there is a class dimension here, simply because the
small specialist grocers seem to do well in upmarket areas, where indeed they
stock such dinner delicacies as blue squid ink pasta, and various unusual meats
the large supermarkets don't do. The Co-op is also reported as not doing too
badly because, although some one third of its branches are in por areas, it has
nevertheless repositioned as a grocer local serving areas with more spending
power. The 'discounters', that is Aldi, Lidl, Netto, were reported to be being
squeezed by the price cuts of especially WalMart, whilst lacking its range of
goods. 'You can't do a full shop at Lidl' was one comment I heard, though
most of these stores do some fruit and veg, and a lot of the basics too. However
the shopping environment is often very basic. Kwik Save is also doing not
well, for vaguely identified reasons such as they messed with the product/price
mix their customers were used to after the 'merger', more like takeover, by
Somerfield. So Kwik Save existing customers were alienated, whilst they failed to
gain replacement customers.
Locally to me, Leeds and North Lincs, there are signs of a retreat or at
least cancellation of expansion, by these discounters. On the other hand, not all
discounters have been losing market share, though Kwik Save on its own has
been.
If the discounters are doing badly, they may close some stores, or sell them
to non-food retailers such as Comet say. Or there may be mergers or takeovers
here. Either way, there may be a reduction in discount small supermarkets in
poor areas, which would be very bad as often they are the only source of fresh
fruit and veg there, the local independent grocers hardly stock fresh
fruit/veg at all.
Overall, such developments would widen the class gap of access or not to
healthy food. It also appears, despite the usual concept of time rich but cash
poor versus time poor but cash rich households, that some rich households have a
member woth enough time to patronise the small local shops. Or are these just
the wealthy retired households.
Have any other crit geog members seen these trends or are able to contradict
them? What is happening in other countries regarding the discount sector, eg
this sector much more limited in France then UK, and many countries
supermarkets as a whole more restricted in expansion than in the UK? What do other crit
geog members think?
Hillary Shaw, School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT
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