Tesco has denied that it has upped the pace of new store openings in the UK ahead of proposed regulatory changes designed to increase competition in the grocery sector.
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Following a review of competition in the UK grocery retail sector, the country’s Competition Commission proposed that local authorities should impose a “competition test” when considering applications for new store openings and store extensions.
The move has been fiercely opposed by Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket, and while the test is yet to come into effect it is currently under consideration by regulators.
According to The Times, Tesco has lodged “nearly double” the number of planning applications as its two largest rivals combined, with approximately 76 outstanding applications.
Asda and Sainsbury’s – the country’s second- and third-largest chains – have a combined total of 45 outstanding planning applications, The Times added.
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By GlobalDataHowever, a spokesperson for Tesco told just-food that the data analysed by the newspaper “cannot be relied upon”.
“It includes sites where we are no longer pursuing planning permission, others where permission has already been granted and some where our application was lodged many years ago.”
The spokesperson also insisted that the comparisons drawn with rivals were further “skewed” because other supermarket operators tend to use more third party developers.
“We have not increased the volume of planning applications made, we are just getting on as usual with developing our pipeline of stores. Far from preparing for a so-called competition test, we remain strongly opposed to it because we believe it is anti-competitive and bad for consumers,” the spokesperson said.
