Supermarkets: Everything ‘up for grabs’
My view is that you would write Tesco’s off at your peril. I have also pointed to the positive impact in terms of job quality and service provision supermarkets can make to small towns. Just chat to people in Market Rasen about their views on this since Tesco came to town, or people in Melton Mowbray who mourn the loss of M&S Simply Food. What the current changes assailing huge retailers like this do tell us is that over the last few decades running a supermarket has been as much about property as baked beans. In writing down the value of many stores and sites I wonder is some plum locations in rural settings might soon become available for a bit of none retail economic development? Worth a direct approach to the supermarket itself????
This story tells us:
Selling bread and beans was all very well, but the real growth was to be found in tempting shoppers with other products.
Swimsuits, barbecue kit, microwaves, Halloween costumes – the merchandise became more and more exotic.
Going to the supermarket became an endurance event as trolleys became bigger, to hold flat screen televisions and computer printers.
It was not uncommon to see shoppers trying to wrestle two trolleys through the checkout.
It all seems slightly comical now, unless of course you are a supermarket boss.