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50% OF BRITONS WANT POWER CURBS ON SUPERMARKETS, 70% WANT TO GO LOCAL
NEW SURVEY LAUNCHED AT LOCALISM CONFERENCE SHOWS BRITONS IN FAVOUR OF LOCAL PRODUCE AND CONCERNED AT THE POWER OF SUPERMARKETS
50 per cent of people in Britain think supermarkets have too much power. In a national opinion poll commissioned by the New Economics Foundation NOP interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1000 people via the telephone from the 2nd to the 4th May 2003. Released today, Friday the 16th of May, the poll shows that 50 per cent of respondents said they thought supermarkets’ size and strength drives smaller independent retailers out of business, and that they should be stopped.
Key Findings
- 50 per cent think supermarkets size and strength should be controlled to stop them putting local independent retailers out of business
- 52 per cent of those with a preference want locally grown food, another 46 per cent would prefer it grown in the UK
- 70 per cent would prefer to shop locally, rather than at the out of town supermarket
- One in five think that supermarkets are most influential when planning decisions get made, over the council or local people
Of those who expressed a preference, 52 per cent would like their food to be grown locally, and a further 45 per cent would like it grown in the UK. Despite the supermarkets’ claims that they are “customer led”, the major supermarket chains in the UK stock at best 7 per cent locally produced foods - which might include ingredients that come from anywhere - and up to 14 per cent of regionally produced foods[i]. The poll also showed that people in the UK want to “shop local”: a full 70 per cent prefer to shop locally - 21 per cent who would prefer to do their food shopping in local shops and 49 per cent at the local in town supermarket, rather than at out of town supermarkets.
Andrew Simms, Director of Policy at the New Economics Foundation and Chair of the Local Works Campaign, said, “In market economies the consumer is supposed to be sovereign. But the evidence suggests that people’s preference for local produce is not being met. Rather than being sovereign, the market treats consumers more like the kitchen help. The phenomenon of Ghost Town Britain, local shops and services losing out to larger operators, has drained high streets of their vitality. But this poll shows that people want to shop locally rather than at out of town centres. And it shows that a large proportion of people want locally produced food.”
The poll is released to coincide with the Local Works campaign conference. The New Economics Foundation is chair of the campaign that brings together a diverse and broad based coalition to fight the emergence of Ghost Town Britain[ii]. Covering issues ranging from housing to food, work, farming, small businesses, transport and local democracy, the coalition supported the Local Communities Sustainability Bill, tabled by Sue Doughty MP, which has gained broad cross party support.
The Bill and Coalition set out to halt the steady decline of Britain’s local economies. The Bill works by empowering local communities and local government to set their own plans for local sustainability to suit their particular needs and wants. The NOP survey found that 21 per cent believe that supermarkets are the most influential players in important government planning and licensing decisions.
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