Once upon a time, Tesco used to be the poor cousin among Britain's supermarkets. Its stores were grungy and its products uninspiring.
But thanks to a makeover, it has shot past its rivals to control 30% of the supermarket sector - almost double the market share of its rivals J Sainsbury (15.9%) and Asda (16.4%).
With profits of £2bn in its last financial year, Tesco is one of Britain's economic success stories. But is what is good for Tesco good for Britain's towns? The New Economics Foundation, a thinktank, believes not.
In a report released today and entitled Clone Town Britain, the NEF argues that retail spaces once owned by a mix of independent butchers, newsagents and family-owned general stores have given way to faceless supermarkets, fast food chains and global fashion outlets.
"Clone stores have a triple whammy on communities," says Andrew Simms, the NEF policy director. "They bleed the local economy of money, destroy the social glue provided by real local shops that hold communities together, and steal the identity of our towns and cities. We are left with soulless clone towns."
Mr Simms argues in favour of a moratorium on further takeovers of existing chains by either Tesco or any of the other three largest multiple retailers in either the supermarket or convenience store sectors.
More controversially, he calls for a limit of 8% market share in the supermarket sector - something that would mean Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's would have to sell off very sizeable chunks of their assets.
It's a bold call, but it's probably too radical a step for most consumers, who appreciate the convenience and the low prices of supermarkets.
