BBC News : Think tank warns on 'clone towns'
What do you think about this situation ? The Japanese have little concern about this problem as homogenity is well-perceived and even favoured. Chain stores, chain restaurants and convenience stores are the norm rather than the exception in Japan. However, European governments have been relunctant to allow the devlopement of such chains, and 24h/7days supermarket or combini are still prohibited in most of Europe, to protect small shop owners.
Personally, I do not see the need to protect shops or any parts of the economy that are not viable. I am also in favour of convenience and do not mind an economy based on big, rather than small, companies. I therefore see chains positively, and find the concern about "clone towns" absurd. At the contrary, I would find it backward to have towns that do not have some famous chains. I have usually happy when I travel inside Europe and can find EasyEverything Internet Cafes in most big cities. Chains like Starbucks have already penetrated the British, German and Spanish market, but are virtually absent of other European countries. I think that the UK is the EU country with the most chains, esp. for bookshops, cafes and pharamacies.
The proliferation of chain stores across the country is turning the UK into a series of "clone towns", a think tank has warned.
Regeneration and planning decisions have created a retail infrastructure hostile to small, independent businesses, the NEF argued.
As a result once distinctive towns are now losing their diversity, it added.
In its report, "Clone Town Britain", the NEF argues that the homogenisation of High Streets is not a benign or inevitable product of "progress".
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Replacing locally owned outlets can also ruin the local economy as cash spent in big stores "drains out of the area to remote corporate headquarters", while local employment can suffer as the big names draft in workers from other areas.
What do you think about this situation ? The Japanese have little concern about this problem as homogenity is well-perceived and even favoured. Chain stores, chain restaurants and convenience stores are the norm rather than the exception in Japan. However, European governments have been relunctant to allow the devlopement of such chains, and 24h/7days supermarket or combini are still prohibited in most of Europe, to protect small shop owners.
Personally, I do not see the need to protect shops or any parts of the economy that are not viable. I am also in favour of convenience and do not mind an economy based on big, rather than small, companies. I therefore see chains positively, and find the concern about "clone towns" absurd. At the contrary, I would find it backward to have towns that do not have some famous chains. I have usually happy when I travel inside Europe and can find EasyEverything Internet Cafes in most big cities. Chains like Starbucks have already penetrated the British, German and Spanish market, but are virtually absent of other European countries. I think that the UK is the EU country with the most chains, esp. for bookshops, cafes and pharamacies.