Small shop closures are progress , says ex Tesco Boss

Small shop closures are progress, says ex-Tesco boss


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Sir Terry Leahy was instrumental in the rise of Tesco to become Britain's biggest retailer
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The former boss of Tesco has described the rise of supermarkets and closure of small shops as "part of progress".

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Sir Terry Leahy also called some High Streets "medieval", saying the way people lived their lives had changed.

Sir Terry said seeing boarded up local shops was sad, but this happened because consumers were choosing to shop at the bigger supermarkets.

The benefits of out-of-town stores outweighed the downsides, he added.

When asked if he thought it was just "tough" that a family butcher had to close because it couldn't compete with the "three-quid chicken" sold at the supermarket, he said: "Small benefits for thousands of families can be a big loss for the family of the butcher but you can never be causal about it.

"You have to ensure the better organisations come through."

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“Start Quote

I felt very strongly inside that Tesco was doing the right thing... but I realised I wasn't winning the argument for some people.”

End Quote Sir Terry Leahy Former Tesco boss
Sir Terry got his first job at a Tesco in Wandsworth, London, when he was 17-years-old so he could support himself during sixth form college.

The third of four sons, he grew up in a prefab on an estate in Liverpool. His father was a greyhound trainer and his mother was a nurse.

He said he couldn't please everybody when it came to views on supermarkets over small High Street stores.

"If you talk to people, 95% of the population quite like supermarkets but 5% don't, but in Britain this (5%) is five million people so they have a right to say what they think.

"I felt very strongly inside that Tesco was doing the right thing, in terms of how it was conducting its business, how it was serving ordinary people and how it was employing ordinary people but I realised I wasn't winning the argument for some people."

Large chains

The British Independent Retailers Association said 98% of the the UK's £150bn grocery industry was controlled by just nine stores.

But deputy chief executive Michael Weedon claimed there could be a silver lining for smaller businesses.

He said as large chains such as HMV and Blockbuster closed, more retail premises would become available at cheaper rents.

Among the tracks Sir Terry chose to take with him to a desert island were The Beatles' I Want To Hold Your Hand, Simon & Garfunkel's Homeward Bound, Depeche Mode's Just Can't Get Enough and Pachelbel's Canon in D.

He said he would also take The Complete Works of Charles Dickens and his luxury item would be tea.

As chief executive, he made his name transforming the supermarket from a lacklustre brand into Britain's biggest retailer.

The British Independent Retailers Association said 98% of the the UK's £150bn grocery industry was controlled by just nine stores"

That's quite scary when you think about it hardly competitive is it.!!1 Tesco have a Large Supermarket near me, Tesco Extra about half a mile up the road. Then there is a 24 hour Superstore about 1and a half miles away , then another big Supermarket about half a mile further on. There is one Iceland Store near me and a Co-op Store in walking distance but nothing else for the next couple of miles.

THE 9 STORES THAT CONTROL 98% OF GROCERY SECTOR,LET ME GUESS
ALDI
CO-OP/SOMERFIELD
ICELAND
LIDL
MORRISON'S
SAINSBURY'S
TESCO'S
WAITROSE
WHO IS THE 9TH?

Badboy wrote:THE 9 STORES THAT CONTROL 98% OF GROCERY SECTOR,LET ME GUESS
ALDI
CO-OP/SOMERFIELD
ICELAND
LIDL
MORRISON'S
SAINSBURY'S
TESCO'S
WAITROSE
WHO IS THE 9TH?

Marks & Spencer ? Their Food Market is expensive but does sell well.

Panda wrote:

Badboy wrote:THE 9 STORES THAT CONTROL 98% OF GROCERY SECTOR,LET ME GUESS
ALDI
CO-OP/SOMERFIELD
ICELAND
LIDL
MORRISON'S
SAINSBURY'S
TESCO'S
WAITROSE
WHO IS THE 9TH?

Marks & Spencer ? Their Food Market is expensive but does sell well.

did wonder if it might be them,BUT ALSO ONDERED IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE.

Badboy wrote:

Panda wrote:

Badboy wrote:THE 9 STORES THAT CONTROL 98% OF GROCERY SECTOR,LET ME GUESS
ALDI
CO-OP/SOMERFIELD
ICELAND
LIDL
MORRISON'S
SAINSBURY'S
TESCO'S
WAITROSE
WHO IS THE 9TH?

Marks & Spencer ? Their Food Market is expensive but does sell well.

did wonder if it might be them,BUT ALSO ONDERED IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE.

Asda?

Panda wrote:

Badboy wrote:

Panda wrote:

Badboy wrote:THE 9 STORES THAT CONTROL 98% OF GROCERY SECTOR,LET ME GUESS
ALDI
CO-OP/SOMERFIELD
ICELAND
LIDL
MORRISON'S
SAINSBURY'S
TESCO'S
WAITROSE
WHO IS THE 9TH?

Marks & Spencer ? Their Food Market is expensive but does sell well.

did wonder if it might be them,BUT ALSO ONDERED IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE.

Asda?

THAT 'S THE ONE I THINK,DIDN'T THINK OF THEM

To describe destruction of business', homes, economies, people's dreams and aspirations as, 'Progress' is a testament to the arrogant profiteering and blatant avarice of today's lowlife 'businessmen'.

malena stool wrote:To describe destruction of business', homes, economies, people's dreams and aspirations as, 'Progress' is a testament to the arrogant profiteering and blatant avarice of today's lowlife 'businessmen'.

It was a huge mistake developing all these Hypermarkets. Town Centres are becoming like ghost towns, and the recent complaint from Dairy Farmers about the pittance they get for milk only highlights the profits these Supermarkets are making.