Recent announcements from the big stores around changes to store strategy have sent a few ripples around the planning and development industry and provoked a fair bit of criticism from some quarters, not least some of the communities who can now no longer look forward to seeing a new supermarket on their patch. But what are the wider implications for planning and development coming out of the change of approach?

Well, we firstly have to acknowledge that we should not be surprised – this has been coming for a while. All the big 4 supermarkets have changed their new supermarket opening strategy – small rather than big is now beautiful, with almost perversely the major players now battling over the high street for their new neighbourhood stores. Competition with the discount sector has been part of the story – but not all of it. In the background a few other things have contributed. A changing demographic that has spawned more young and old households who don't need or want to shop in a big store once a week is one feature, busy families shopping online is another. Yet another contributing factor has been the squeeze on household income which again has led to more frequent but smaller and more localised trips to the supermarket.

These trends should be with us for a while and consequently provide a real opportunity to add further impetus to the drive to revitalise our high streets and neighbourhood centres. Having the big players repopulating the high street has to a be a good thing – it will add vibrancy, increase levels of visitation and create opportunities for other new businesses to re-occupy redundant buildings. It may even lead to re-entry for higher end discretionary spend on fresh meat, cheese, vegetables and fruit where independents can trade more comfortably against a smaller scaled supermarket. This segment has been seriously impacted by the larger store concept.

Whilst is too early to call time on the large format store – they have their place, the rapidly evolving sector does create a real opportunity for regeneration, an opportunity we should take with both hands.

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