It has become customary and clichéd to moan about the death of the bustling high street market at the hands of the supermarket behemoths. There is no doubt the quality of local life and community spirit does suffer if the local shops are all boarded up. Yet there is an element of elitism in the moans.
The reasons why people shop at supermarkets are simple: they offer value for money and variety of products. Many products they sell come in premium and cheaper own-brand versions. There is something for everyone. At the local shop, everything costs a lot more. The local shop does not have the same power of bulk buying and direct link with manufacturers. It cannot afford to have its own label stuck on things.
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