Inquiry seeks data on informal retail
Big four supermarket chains and the Competition Commission want figures on size of small grocers’ contribution to the sector
The four big national supermarket chains will be fighting hard to ensure the Competition Commission inquiry into the grocery retail sector includes detailed figures for the informal and formal segments of the sector. The figures are so hard to come by that the commission has had to make a special request for submissions that would throw light on the informal economy. According to the commission, the big four national supermarket chains — Shoprite, Pick n Pay, Spar and Woolworths — have a combined eye-catching 80%-90% of the market. To be expected in the context of an inquiry by the competition authorities, the 80%-90% market share has raised the hackles of some of the "dominant" players, who argue that this significantly overstates their role in the fuller picture. The commission’s figures for the national grocery supermarket chains are based on 2014 research by Who Owns Whom and Barclays. The latter estimated the sector to be in the region of R215bn that year. While the commission ...
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