Tesco, Asda, M & S, Next, etc all trying to expand into other market areas such as clothing and furniture. Due to their chain store effects, smaller retailers seem to be driving out of business. Is this the end of retailling in the UK? All is left are Large corporate firms competiting against one another. Are the smaller retailers out of the equation?
2007-12-02 05:37:48 · 5 answers · asked by J 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Small Business
Yes - and about time too. As a customer and I have no wish to pay through the nose just to keep the 'smaller retailer' in business ...
There are two major factors here - one is the inevitable effects of Capitalism and the other is Government/Council Policy ..
1) Under the capitalist system, investors (share holders, workers etc) migrate away from inefficient unprofitable business and towards those businesses with the highest return on capital and the highest wages ...
A successful business is one that attracts customers by delivering acceptable quality at a competitive price ..
No other system has been proven to work = the (former) Soviet Union attempted to control what goods would be produced at what prices, however this initially killed about 20 million people through starvation .. and eventually (50 years later) their citizens got fed up with queuing for hours every day just to buy a loaf of bread (made, by the way, from grain imported from the west on account of the failure of the Soviet collective farming system) ...
2) The UK Government has encouraged Councils to tax the 'high street' business out of existence - and impose car parking restrictions to force customers into their 'park and ride' scheme (thus discouraging them from visiting 'high street' at all). As a result, Businesses that can avoid the high street and setup 'out of town' with free on-site parking now do so...
The inevitable result of this is that high street stores are no longer competitive - customers (and I am one of them) are fed up with paying through the nose to park miles from the shops, queue for a 'transfer bus' and stagger through the crowded pavements from shop to shop trying to find one that can be bothered to stock what I'm looking for (and then charges twice what I can get it for at the supermarket) whatever the weather only to be told by some 'jobs worth' that "no, you can't get onto the bus with that tin of paint" (or whatever).
The Hight Street is destined to serve only those who don't care about the price (Fashion) and those not shopping at all (Cinema, Cafe / Restaurants, Betting shops etc)
2007-12-02 05:48:34 · answer #1 · answered by Steve B 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it is not the supermarkets forcing other retailers out, it is the shopper. If the shopper is satisfied with Chinese Chaff then the S/markets will flourish. If the shopper only wish to buy the cheap goods with no personal choice of colour, style or quality (clothes) we shall all be dressed in uniforms. I would rather buy quality and eat less or the product last longer than to pander to shareholders. It may be because too many people believe the propaganda from the T.V. that most shopping is done at S/markets. I prefer home cooked and grown NO ADDITIVES.
As for their "green" credentials! what a load of rubbish the largest area a S/market has, is the car park. Have a look at their distribution centres lorries and fork lifts every where. They proclaim to be green about plastic bags and recycling bins, but when I was a boy there was a returnable deposit on glass bottles, so why not now on glass jars? A jar of jam 31p. who else can produce it at that level? Does price reflect quality? The jar, labels additives and distribution cost more than that.
Bring back the old markets, where one can take their wares to town to sell. The nation would be more healthy and sociable.
2007-12-02 06:23:58 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree with Margaret B's answer. It's the consumers who are responsible for the bad development. People regard price more important rather than quality.
2007-12-04 04:51:15 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
of course they are asda/tesco etc sells a million tins of baens and makes a 1p a tin they are happy corner shop want to make 30/40p on the same tin
thats why i know where i shop
2007-12-02 05:57:35 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
this has been happening for years they have brought about the demise of not only small retailers but also uk based manufacturers by buying cheap imports and there is nothing you can do about it
2007-12-02 05:44:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋