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Over the past few years, Tesco have headed a supermarket revolution. The chain of stores has got to a point where they are almost the central attraction in many small towns across the country. You want to post a letter, buy new clothes, get a DVD player, get new hardware or ah yes, buy groceries, Tesco have it all. There is no need to go anywhere else. They even deliver to your door! Tesco are slowly but surely taking over the UK.

The likes of convenience stores in Dorridge, Marlbrook, Water Orton and Sutton Coldfield to name a few have been closed to make way for new Tesco Express stores. With its own post system in place it also led to the closure of post offices in all these towns. Tesco are part of the cause of many small business closures.
It would be wrong to say that Tesco have a monopoly as the likes of Asda, Sainsbury and Somerfield are still strong but there is certainly a supermarket monopoly. The days of shopping in local stores appear to be disappearing. Tesco claim that they are adding to the vitality and viability of small towns and that their stores will help to attract more people. The reality is that local shops simply cannot compete with the price cutting of these large chains and all other manipulations available.
Apart from damaging business, the large suprmarkets are also taking away the charm and character of small towns which are characterised by their community spirit. In whacking a huge supermarket in the middle, the aesthetics of the town are completely lost.
I live near Chelmsford in the UK. Within about a two mile radius, there are two Tesco Express stores, a Tesco Superstore, a Tesco Home store and a Tesco Metro. This is in an area that is already quite congested in a busy town centre. The Tesco Home and Metro stores are recent developments which really were not necessary. The saturation is just getting very worrying with similar situations being reported in other areas like Cardiff. The Tesco business model precludes competition at all and in the end I'd imagine there won't be any.
Tesco has recently (June 2007) announced a takeover bid for the Dobbies garden centre chain to add yet another market sector to their growing empire. Tesco is so big in many product lines now that they shouldn't really be allowed to control another one.
At this rate, the consumer is going to be left with no choice but to buy from Tesco. No only food but everything! It is time to call a halt before traditional town centres totally disappear.

Learn more about this author, Marc Steel.
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