Be careful what you wish for. Two years ago, after vigorous campaigning and a judicial review, small shopkeepers forced competition authorities to look at the conduct of the biggest supermarket chains. They complained that the giants were abusing their market power, squeezing suppliers too hard and selling goods at a loss to drive mom-and-pop stores off the high street. Their hope was that regulators would stop new superstores being built. Instead, when the Competition Commission released its provisional recommendations on October 31st, it stunned many with proposals that are likely to result in still more supermarkets springing up.
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