Grocers: The Rise and Rise of the Supermarket Chains

The Grocers is an authoritative history and analysis of the British supermarket industry, completely updated in this new edition. It describes the fiercely competitive struggle between the major players and analyses the successes and failures of well-known brands. It tells the continuous story of Britain's undoubted winner, Tesco, who is dominant in its home market and increasingly successful in international markets such as the USA, and Asda, owned by Wal-Mart, the biggest retailer in the world.

The book examines the main players in the ever-changing European market and the Wal-Mart dominated USA market. The authors identify the key factors behind success so far and the qualities that will be needed to survive and win in this evolving industry. Highlighting internet shopping and other "new ways of shopping," The Grocers discusses how challengers such as Ocado, an internet-only retailer, will create new challenges for existing companies.

The third edition covers the extensive developments that have revolutionized the grocery trade in the last 10 years, including regional players taking over established, global brands. Moreover, it examines current issues such as retailing in a recession, the rise of the hard discounters, and increasing international competition.

Geoffrey Randall is a leading marketing consultant and Andrew Seth is a marketing practitioner and Board Chairman of the Added Value agency. Seth is a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program and Randall of HBS’s International Teachers Program. Together, they are expert commentators on the supermarket industry in the UK and globally. They combine scholarship and rigorous study with practical knowledge and insider awareness of an industry and a group of companies that affect the day to day lives of everyone in Britain and the developed world. Their previous works include The Grocers (1st/2nd Editions in 1999/2001) and Supermarket Wars (2005).