Supermarket 巨大（な）s need scrutiny

By Lisa Buckingham for the Daily Mail
Updated: 12:42 BST, 8 May 2006

?

THE Office of Fair 貿易（する）ing will this week 言及する the supermarket 巨大（な）s for another 調査 by the 競争 （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限 - the third such 調査 since 1999.

This is long 延滞の and, as readers of 財政上の Mail will know, w e believe there are 非常に／多数の 問題／発行するs open to challenge.

It is （疑いを）晴らす that the OFT reckons one of the 重要な 障害s to 確実にするing continued 競争 is the planning 政権 where the big grocers - Tesco 顕著に - have amassed land banks to develop in years to come, 持続するing a juggernaut-like 勢い.

A more transparent and standardised planning system would help. Some 会議s give planning 同意 in return for the 約束 to build affordable 住宅. Others try to 抽出する different 誓約（する）s.

However, there should also be some 主張 that once land is acquired it is developed within a 確かな time 限界. That would at least 反対する the 疑惑 that 深い-pocketed retailers 簡単に buy land to 妨げる 競争相手s getting their 手渡すs on it.

But it would be a pity if the 競争 （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限 限定するd itself to a 狭くする remit. The OFT's 決定／判定勝ち（する） a couple of years ago to 扱う／治療する convenience 蓄える／店s as part of the supermarket 部門 was 欠陥d and should be revisited.

This may not やむを得ず work to the disadvantage of the supermarket 巨大（な）s. にもかかわらず 告訴，告発s that they are helping to homogenise our High Streets, Tesco Metros and Sainsbury's 地元のs have brought lower prices within reach of those, such as the 年輩の and いっそう少なく 井戸／弁護士席-off, who do not have cars and have problems getting to their 地元の supermarket.

But （民事の）告訴s that they then indulge in 地元の predatory pricing to 運動 out いっそう少なく efficient players needs looking at, as 消費者 choice will 悪化する if 伝統的な butchers or grocers are 不公平に 軍隊d to の近くに.

Supermarkets 増加するing 力／強力にする in 非，不，無-food 部門s also needs scrutiny. HMV, owner of Waterstone's bookshops, has tried to 企て，努力，提案 for Ottakar's in 返答 to the 脅し 提起する／ポーズをとるd not only by the internet but by cheap 調書をとる／予約する 申し込む／申し出s in supermarkets.

着せる／賦与するing is another 部門 - George at Asda and Cherokee at Tesco --where the 競争の激しい ground is 転換ing. Some even argue that 石油 小売ing should be brought into the picture, as filling up the 戦車／タンク 同様に as the trolley is now commonplace.

全体にわたる, supermarkets have been good for shoppers. Prices are low and 質 is high. Variety is enormous. Not so long ago, Jamie Oliver would have been hard-圧力（をかける）d to find a green pepper, let alone knock up a delight with virgin olive oil or balsamic vinegar.

You have only to look at supermarket 利ざやs to realise that though 利益（をあげる）s are 抱擁する, they are far いっそう少なく 過度の than in other 部門s. Tesco, for example, has 発表するd 利益（をあげる）s of £2.2bn. But that was on sales of more than £30bn. BT, for example, managed a 類似の 利益（をあげる） on a turnover of only £18bn.

The real question on pricing is the way the supermarkets 扱う／治療する 供給者s. The code of 行為／行う is not working 井戸／弁護士席 and 供給者s remain too 脅すd to complain.

If a voluntary code is to be 保持するd it needs proper policing. The 競争 （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限 should 確実にする a 監視者 is 設立するd. This would go some way to 相殺する the ますます strident （激しい）反発 the supermarkets now 直面する - and one they 恐れる may 結局 mean shoppers take their baskets どこかよそで.

? www.thisismoney.co.uk/supermarketwatch

Will EMI and Warner make music together?

WHAT a refreshing change - a British company 開始するing a multi-billion 続けざまに猛撃する 企て，努力，提案 abroad rather than a foreigner coming to 選ぶ off our トロフィー 資産s.

Admittedly, the 初期の 予備交渉 by EMI's Eric Nicoli to 競争相手 Warner has been rebuffed. But these two companies have been here before - twice.

On paper at least, the fit between them is 説得力のある as are the 可能性のある cost 貯金, though both Nicoli and his opposite number at Warner, Edgar Bronfmann, have been pretty 堅い on costs in 最近の years.

It looks as though the 申し込む／申し出 to sell one or other of the companies' music publishing 商売／仕事s - probably Warner's, which is the smaller - would 満足させる the competi tion 当局 now that 伝統的な music 直面するs 刑罰の attrition from piracy and 数字表示式の downloads.

Though some EMI 株主s appear unimpressed at the prospect of digging into their pockets to 基金 a 権利s 問題／発行する to 支払う／賃金 for the £2bn 加える 企て，努力，提案, most seem in favour.

Nicoli 明確に wants to lead the 大きくするd group. But he 直面するs a formidable ego in Bronfmann - a songwriter himself - who may not yet feel ready to cede 支配（する）／統制する. He may even turn the （米）棚上げする／（英）提議するs and 企て，努力，提案 for EMI.

Leadership 衝突／不一致s in these 状況／情勢s are not unusual. But in extreme circumstances - 証言，証人／目撃する the first 試みる／企てる to 合併する Glaxo with SmithKline Beecham - they can be 取引，協定 wreckers.

Nicoli has a lot riding on this. It is his third 試みる／企てる at a 合併. Once cruelly dubbed 'the 薄焼きパン／素焼陶器 bungler' after a difficult time at the 舵輪／支配 of 部隊d 薄焼きパン／素焼陶器s, he will not want to 追加する the soubriquet 'music muddler' to his 法人組織の／企業の epitaph.