Nova Corcoran
Bristol riots
Last week there were riots in Stokes Croft over a Tesco store opening. Thousands have been campaigning for more than a year to stop it opening in a town The Mirror dub ‘Tesco Town’ for its sheer volume of TESCO stores (15+). The rioters say damage to TESCO was the result of a community not being heard. Objections include the impact on local shops and farmers as well as the supermarket dominant model which may prove problematic if oil prices start to soar (No Tesco in Stokes Croft).
Why supermarkets?
Around 60% of us buy all our groceries in a supermarket (FOE 2006). Many small business go out of business on a weekly basis as a result of our changing spending patterns, traffic congestion around out of town supermarket areas has increased and farmers and food processers are subject to the mercy of the supermarket. Currently, supermarkets are only accountable to their shareholders. They are not obliged to consider impacts on communities and the environment.
Did you know?
About 80% of all supermarket supplies of carrots now come from just 10 major packers in East Anglia
Around 60% of our fresh milk travels from farms around the country to six locations for processing before being trucked back hundreds of miles up and down motorways to customers? (Lawrence 2010)
Profits in a recession?
Last week Tesco reported full-year profits before tax of £3.54bn, up 11.3% from a year ago. Although much of this growth is down to expansion into Asia, Tesco have plans to increase UK profits by offering mortgages and developing Tesco online (BBC News 2011) meaning presumably that soon you will not even have to step outside your front door (owned by Tesco!) to get anything you need. In the last two years 577 Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury and Morrisons stores have been approved. That’s nearly one a day so clearly these are corporations that use money, power and influence and get what they want.
The future?
Supermarkets now offer non-food related products such as credit cards, insurance and mobile phones which are all set to expand. In addition we may see a move towards mega-farms i.e. pigs in “sty-scrapers”. Food may become more expensive with rises in oil prices, if we are relying on supermarkets to produce all our food then we will end up paying the extra and we’ll have no choice as the local shops will have all disappeared.
If a supermarket corporation wants to build in your area be prepared – there is still little that you can do as a community as the Bristol riots show. Expect increases in traffic, loss of local businesses and loss of your community as you know it.
A few things you can do
• Check out websites such as tescopoly which gives details of local campaign groups and supermarket news.
• Shop local for certain things where you can. Vegetables in particular can often be found locally at a cheaper price and you will be supporting local farmers.
• Grow your own – even if it’s just salad leaves and a tomato plant in an old boot.
• Make your own. I.e. if you invest in a bread maker you can make bread, rolls, specialist breads, pizza bases, jam, marmalade etc.
Panorama BBC i-player documentary on supermarkets is available on i player. click here
I do think that local shops need to sometimes try harder to entice local custom. I know this is a David and Goliath situation but we have to have a reason to shop locally. I have stopped visiting my nearest local shop because their customer service is poor ( i.e booking a holiday on the phone whilst I was waitng to be served) and the range of goods offered do not meet my needs. I know its about buying power but how about setting up cooperatives.
ReplyDelete