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Consumers forced to supermarket shop
2 March, 2007
A new survey shows that people across the UK are having to shop at large supermarkets even though many would rather get their groceries locally.
Research by Oxfam has found that although 92 per cent of people in the UK use large stores such as Tesco and Sainsbury's to get their goods, only 11 per cent prefer this to other options.
Consumers are gradually becoming less and less enthused by big chains and instead tend to be turning to food which comes direct from farmers or local independent retailers.
A number are even growing their own fruit and vegetables in a bid to avoid having to shop in supermarkets or online.
Oxfam hopes that the poll will highlight its concerns about the effect these large stores have on the environment and the ethical issues surrounding them.
Director of trading at Oxfam David McCullough said that supermarkets need to do more to keep their products environmentally-friendly.
He said: "By doing more to commit to fair trade practices and reduce their environmental impact, the biggest retailers can start to reverse the suspicion felt by many consumers over their huge influence."
The survey comes as the Competition Commission investigates whether supermarkets keep prices too high.
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