Supermarket-sweep-up

Why am I doing this blog?

I feel large corporations should be held under more public scrutiny and supermarkets are not given enough attention in mass media.

Electronic media has the potential to hold these large corporations to account, in way that mainstream media doesn’t always achieve. Blogs can focus on special issues in ways that newspapers can’t afford.

I want this blog to present the bigger picture of what Tescos are doing, and their effects on our society.

What have I got against Tesco?

I am alarmed by Tesco’s recent annual profit announcements: more than £2 billion, and a 29% share of the UK food market.

Yet we all pay a high price for their success. For a start they’ve closed down the competition. My local shops have been either out-priced or bought out, most have closed. I now have to buy all my food from Tesco, when I’d rather choose from a variety of shops. I now have to drive to the shops (Tesco), increasing road congestion and pollution, when I’d much rather walk to my local shops. In fact I hate being forced into this whole ‘out of town shopping’ experience, it all feels so corporate and sterile. I hate the way our environment is being shaped by Tesco, and what a lousy environment it is. I hate the way government turn a blind eye, and allow their uncontrolled expansion.

I don’t trust the food they sell either. Spot checks on products in supermarkets frequently reveal mind-boggling ’shocking’ differences between what labels say and what’s really in the packet. And where do the chickens come from? They never tell you that- a local butcher could though, if they still existed. Local food has all but gone- British farmers bullied out of existence. Fresh bread- the ultimate staple- has disappeared from our lives. What the supermarkets sell us certainly isn’t fresh.

Of course all the supermarkets are to blame, and all part of the same racket. But Tesco stand out as the most ruthless and most aggressive. They happily keep on selling Esso petrol with no thought of climate change, and are currently aggressively introducing surveillance circuitry into their packaging.

Who is the site for?

The great British public. I want them to know what Tescos are doing and how it’s getting worse. I want people to stand up to them.

Am I looking for help?

Yes please! I’m looking for people who’ve been affected by or are angered by Tesco to contribute to the blog. Likely contributors would be farmers, local shopkeepers, environmentalists, civil liberty campaigners, health campaigners, people who care about our quality of life and the food we eat.

If you are interested in helping, please contact me at the following email address: dave.miller.uk@gmail.com