When I left school I worked in a grocery store. I stood behind a counter where I sliced bacon, cut cheese and handed out cans of beans. Next door was a butcher and a few shops up, a baker. It was a typical high street like the ones found in every town on England. And in the early hours of the morning the milkman glided silently around on his electric float dropping bottles of fresh milk on our doorsteps in time for breakfast.

Then suddenly a supermarket landed like an alien ship from outer space. Bright lights, shiny walkways, shopping trolleys and mountains of tins, packets and boxes.

My manager wore a white coat and a funny little cap. Here the manager strutted around in all booted and suited like a conductor leading an orchestra.

Gradually shops like mine, and the butchers, and the bakers were forced out of business. The milkmen all but disappeared. A few self-service convenience stores rose from the ruins, but the mighty supermarket had pretty well taken over completely. They built out-of-town warehouses which drew people away from the high streets and into retail parks.

Today the market is dominated by four major companies. The second largest, Asda is now American owned and run by Wal-Mart. The biggest by a country mile however is Tesco.

Having effectively shut down the high streets, the major players are opening up small neighbourhood stores in the places were shops like mine used to trade

Tesco now claims a staggering 8 pence from every pound spent by English households. That's total spending, not just food. Tesco now have an unassailable 30% share of the total food market. With on-line shopping you don't even need to move your car - it comes to you.

As if they are not satisfied, they now sell every thing you could possibly need from televisions to computers. I bought this very computer from Tesco because it was the best deal around!

Eastbourne is a medium size town of some 22,000 souls. It boasts one Tesco Hypermarket, one Tesco Superstore and six Tesco convenience stores. There's also a Sainsbury superstore, an Asda Hypermarket and a Waitrose. And they're all busy.

The small market town I started in is about to be invaded by a massive Tesco. It has a large catchment area with dozens of villages and farming communities in every direction. This time they are building in the town centre rather than outside. To make space for their store they've bought all the buildings in an entire street including a school which they are re-build in another part of town.

Hours of coverage is given to Tesco's gradual take over of the retail sector. Radio phone ins are given over to angry callers telling us how disgraceful this situation is. The business sections of our papers warn us of the dreadful effects of Tesco's unstoppable march. The English people are up in arms about it!

But hang on a minute - if nobody wants Tesco, why do we all go there?
As they say in Yorkshire - nowt strange as folk!

Learn more about this author, Keith Hillman.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Are supermarkets taking over the retail sector??
We want to hear your view. Write now!