Tesco Town is British slang for an area where there is a dominant supermarket arguably stifling other competitors in the area.
The term Tesco Town comes from the name of the retailer Tesco, but is used to describe any area dominated by one particular retailer.[1]
In 2007, it was reported that in Inverness, supermarket Tesco had a 51% share of the market for groceries in the city, the highest rate of penetration for any locality in the UK.[2]
In April 2008, Tesco purchased a shopping centre in Kirkby, Merseyside for £65million which saw nearly all shops in Kirkby become tenants.[3]
In October 2009 the Competition Commission passed its proposal for a "competition test" on to the Department for Communities and Local Government. The test would ban from adding more space in an area, which it says will improve choice for shoppers by making it easier for rival grocers to open.[4]
Worthing, West Sussex has been described as a Tesco Town with 9 stores and the 10th on it's way this February. Theese include one the largest Tesco Extra Stores in the UK, 8 Express Stores and 1 Esso with Express.
Worcester is also classed as a Tesco Town as they have 6 stores around the area including 2 Superstores, 3 Express and 1 Esso Express stores.