Concerns have been raised about the growth of the big four grocers after an investigation by the BBC’s Panorama programme, which will be broadcast tonight.
Anti-supermarket campaigners claimed that the big four have too much power and are forcing independent stores out of business, but the food groups have dismissed the allegations.
Research for Panorama showed that planning permission was given for at least 577 new Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons stores in the two years to November 1.
Tesco had the most successful applications – at least 392 new shops were approved. Sainsbury’s was second with 111, Morrisons had 41 and Asda 33.
Food campaigner and chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall told Panorama: “Such is the power of the supermarkets, they are effectively rearranging the entire landscape to suit their business practices.
“You don’t need to explain the attraction of cheap food, everybody likes saving money, but the effect of that simple drive to bring down price – it’s massively altering the way we produce food, the scale on which we produce food.”
Tesco said in a statement: “The BBC figures are incomplete and misleading.
“Most of our new store applications are not for large supermarkets but for small, local convenience stores, the likes of which millions of customers have relied upon to get food in the bad weather.
“We’ve always put customers first and we have invested in the UK even during the worst recession in living memory, creating tens of thousands of jobs, many in the most deprived areas of the country.”
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