I guess one problem for the smaller shops(and in my in-laws' town there are quite a few very good ones) is that a lot of people will shop somewhere else if it's a bit cheaper. Being a big chain means you have substantially reduced overheads (sourcing of stock, advertising, distribution, etc) and in the case of Tesco, they will happily undercut a local shop until it goes under and then up the prices, the loss in the meantime being only a tiny blip on the chain's yearly profit.
My personal problems with Tesco are also that they will go to amazing lengths to avoid paying tax (such as redirecting all their DVD and CD online shopping through Jersey, etc) and screw farmers over by waiting to pay them for months over the due date of the invoice, knowing that a percentage go bust in the meantime.
However, chain newsagents can go get fucked. They have the big distribution networks, but charge more than independent retailers.
(My personal problems with Tesco are also that they will go to amazing lengths to avoid paying tax (such as redirecting all their DVD and CD online shopping through Jersey, etc) and screw farmers over by waiting to pay them for months over the due date of the invoice, knowing that a percentage go bust in the meantime.
However, chain newsagents can go get fucked. They have the big distribution networks, but charge more than independent retailers.
Colonel Boris "...a desperate Buzzfeed imitation...",
Sun 1 May 2011, 14:03,
archived)
As I said on links a while backthe protesters should be rioting against government/councils etc that allow the loopholes like selling from Jersey/Luxembourg etc and not paying up on time - if that is indeed what they are doing like so many other successful companies do.
Any one of us would make use of a legally acceptable trick if it saved us a huge chunk of cash, you can't blame Tesco for that, but you can blame the people that make it possible and allow it to continue.
(Any one of us would make use of a legally acceptable trick if it saved us a huge chunk of cash, you can't blame Tesco for that, but you can blame the people that make it possible and allow it to continue.
HappyToast Groat froth,
Sun 1 May 2011, 14:10,
archived)
Changes to legislation take time.Certain parties have had payments from Tesco before and don't feel the need to make changes to laws all that quickly. And every time a hole is closed, some clever cunt at Barclay's or KPMG or PwC finds another one.
( Colonel Boris "...a desperate Buzzfeed imitation...",
Sun 1 May 2011, 14:15,
archived)