Progress?

[Debbie]

We are all looking to find bargains and money off items and cheap grocery shops but do you ever think about whether it is really such a good thing the way things have gone with supermarkets seemingly putting small shops out of business or holding producers to ransom over prices they pay for goods?
Sometimes I feel bad but think that in a way this is just the way things are as in this is progress and people need to be efficient to be profitable.
What do you think?

[Molly]

It is quite sad that many high streets look the same, with the same large companies - Next, WHSmith, Monsoon etc. You can still find one or two specialist shops in the smaller towns though.

[mamab]

I personally don't like that the smaller shops are closing. Pretty soon the larger shops will have a monopoly and will be able to increase prices and people will have to pay them because there aren't any stores competing for their business.

[vicki2]

I really try to support the smaller shops on Highstreet because the people who own them are local and need to make a living. In some cases, I've also found their prices just as competitive. There's a tiny pet shop in my village that has the same prices as Tesco so I buy there!

[deanac24]

I do feel bad for the smaller shops that are forced to close because they just can't compete with the larger stores. It is really a shame. These small business owners work just as hard as the larger stores do so why should they have to close.

[vicki2]

Because they need customers. Most of us consumers think mostly about ourselves and if one stop at Tesco will do the trick because it has everything, it's fast, it's good prices ...then we tend to drift away from small shops.