Last month the Office of Fair Trading announced that it was going to refer the UK's 'big four' supermarkets for a Competition Commission inquiry after finding evidence that they drop prices to put smaller retailers out of business, and erect barriers to keep out new players.
MPS on the All Party Parliamentary Group for Small Shops (which includes Ealing Southall MP Piara Khabra) warned in a recent report “High Street Britain 2015” that at the current rate of loss, virtually all small independent shops could be gone by 2015.
Andrew Simms,policy director of the New Economics Foundation and co-author of “Clone Town Britain” said “The Small Shops Group's report demonstrates that the local economic diversity underpinning healthy communities is in peril. Without rules to level the sloping pitch of British retail, for small and independent retailers it's like being a pub football team playing uphill against Chelsea every day. The costs of choking-off local diversity on our high streets are counted in economic losses, local identity crises under the pressure of 'cloning' and the dissolving of the social glue that holds communities together. But the report also shows that this dynamic is neither necessary nor inevitable.”
(Source: nef website www.neweconomics.org )
Recently the Evening Standard featured Ealing shop Farm W5 in an article about the threat to small shops and cafes by large chains. Owner Tom Beeston said that he tries to source as much of his food as possible locally, and only employs people who live locally and who can walk or cycle to work. Tom feels that businesses such as his are not being given support by the council.
The Evening Standard is running a Save our Small Shops campaign, which calls on planners, politicians, landlords and consumers to face up to the risk that London's “villages” and high streets could lose even more of their traditional shops if we fail to act. They are urging people to sign a petition calling for a cap on the number of large chain stores allowed in some shopping areas, and for new rules to stop massive rent rises being imposed on locally owned independent shops. The Standard also wants people to use their consumer power by spending an extra £10 a week in their local shops, rather than in chain stores.
You can support by signing an on-line petition at: www.thisislondon.co.uk/smallshops or by texting the word SUPPORT and your message, including your name and address, to 81800
To get a free campaign window poster, contact 0901 030 1546
Calls cost 25p from a BT landline; mobile rates may vary. Text messages cost 25p
“Clone Town Britain” published by New Economics Foundation August 2004 ISBN 1 899407 90 1 price £7.50
Can also be read on the NEF website (see above)
“High Street Britain 2015” is available via several websites (just search for the title and take your pick) but I haven't yet found how to get hold of a hard copy. If you live in Piara Khabra's constituency you could ask him to send you one.