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Outline the Argument That Supermarket Power Is a Zero Sum Game

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Outline the argument that supermarket power is a zero sum game

When looking at the concept of a zero sum game it is important to understand the key players and the power supermarkets hold. Do they regenerate a community with ailing high streets in times of economic hardships or are they a knife in the back for small businesses offering a monopoly on goods, influence and advertising power. unmatchable by the smaller shops. In today's consumer society, we are what we buy. Data collected by the office of national statistics show that food is the third biggest expenditure in the average British household. With the average weekly spend being around £40 to £50 per week. (ONS, 2008) Which is a lucrative market indeed. It seems undeniable when considering the big four supermarkets: Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's take almost three out of every four pounds spent on food and groceries (Bevan, 2006) that these supermarket giants hold a vast amount of power. However is this power used in a positive or negative way. Do they bring regeneration or do they cost us as the consumer a degree of independence? Is supermarket power a zero sum game where the positives and the negatives balance so there is no true winner or could it be said that supermarket power is a positive sum game that the positives far outweigh the negatives.

One of the most controversial points of the debate surrounding supermarket power is the effect that these "superstores" have on the smaller independent businesses. The new economics foundation states that, "[Tesco Express] is reported to have caused a drop in business of 30-40 per cent for other local shops. (New Economics Foundation, 2003) from this evidence it is suggestive that large supermarkets are having a detrimental effects upon local businesses and economies. One might suggest that there is no harm in this change to our shopping habits, but

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