Planning permission is granted for one of the Big Four supermarkets every working day of the year, it has been revealed.
Research by BBC One’s Panaroma programme found that at least 577 Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Asda outlet have been approved in the UK over the last two years.
The programme, Supermarkets: What Price Cheap Food?, shows that Tesco had 392 stores approved over the last two years, Sainsbury's came in second with 111, Morrisons third with 41 and Asda fourth with 33.
The data was gathered from planning authorities, but not all responded, so the figures, which cover every size of outlet, may not be entirely accurate.
Despite criticism of the rate at which the supermarkets have grown from some quarters - including TV presenter Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall - the British Retail Consortium said there has only been a ‘modest consistent’ expansion of the supermarkets.
The BBC programme also looks at how well the retailers are weathering the storm of fluctuating commodity prices, and focuses on their attempts to reduce their supplier base to buy at cheaper prices from fewer, larger firms.
According to research, London has seen most supermarket outlets approved with 110 with Birmingham and Glasgow set to have 15 new stores each.
No comments yet