November 23, 2004
Tesco, home of the faux grocery store
Britain's biggest publishers, which include IPC, Emap and Dennis are reluctant to publicly criticise Tesco, which has rapidly built its share of the magazine and newspaper market in recent years. It will become Britain's biggest magazine retailer, pushing WH Smith into second place, if current trends continue.
Tesco's moves into small 'food' stores [i.e. Tesco Express etc.] bear closer scrutiny.
This is widely regarded as true, despite being completely inaccurate. Tesco's smallest stores aren't really food stores, despite beliefs to the contrary: they're really newsagents cum off-licenses [liquor stores] which happen to sell Tesco branded food. Now, in most neighbourhoods these stores open, there are already plenty of newsagents and places to buy booze: however, there often aren't many places to buy food.
And when up to a third of a 3,000 square foot store is devoted to alcohol and newspapers, that's a lot less food choices for your local consumer.
