Tesco has been given a ticking off byb the competition watchdog for leaning on landlords to prevent them renting to other supermarkets in locations close to its own stores.
The Competition and Markets Authority said that Tesco "may have reduced competition" and left shoppers worse off by its actions. It said the supermarket chain had found 23 breaches when reviewing its land agreements, and has promised to fix the contracts.
Andrea Gomes da Silva, the CMA's executive director of markets and mergers, said: "It's unacceptable that Tesco had these unlawful restrictions in place for up to a decade. By making it harder for other supermarkets to open stores next to its branches, shoppers could have lost out.
"In the future, we want the ability to fine businesses if we find that they are in breach of our orders. That's why we've called on the Government for more powers."
