every little helps

[ramtops]

George Monbiot writes a good article in today's Guardian about the further predatory march of Tesco and its ilk, this time with regard to newspaper and magazine distribution.

and people ask why I hate Tesco; soon there'll be virtually no choice anywhere for most people ...

[edit]
more musings from Monbiot on the subject of supermarkets here, if anyone is interested

Comments

[ulygan.livejournal.com]

While there are, of course, vast swathes of the UK where shoppers would love to have the choice to shop at Tesco, if only they could... these same swathes being the areas where incomes are at their lowest and the Tesco price point would help households immeasurably.

It's not a simple issue.

[ramtops.livejournal.com]

but these stores won't build where the local income won't support them - they don't seem themselves as a community service, and nor should they.

but they are doing their damnedest to drive everyone else out of the marketplaces that they want to be in, and it stinks. We *need* competition - in the high street, in the countryside. Putting this much power in the hands of a small handful of companies is insane, and what they're doing to farmers is appalling.

[aeia.livejournal.com]

I read today that they're looking into starting to sell property on the internet.

[ramtops.livejournal.com]

I'm sure they are. If somebody else has made a business out of something, then Tesco want it. Insurance, banking, clothing, white goods, DVD rentals by post ... this is just more of the same.

[drpete.livejournal.com]

I rather dispairingly read his article today too. I find the censorship issues extremely disconcerting - especially since they apear to be closely following the American model of WalMart of dictating to magazines what can and can not be on the cover.

I sometimes wonder what will happen once the superstores have completely eliminated local competition and sewn up all aspects of retail. A cross between "Days" (James Lovegrove) and "Jennifer Government" (Max Barry) I suspect...