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In terms of commercial property ownership, Europe is shrinking as UK supermarket giants Tesco and Sainsbury's snap up property on the Continent (p28).
But care needs to be taken because with expansion comes the danger of clone operations. Variety is the spice of life, so it is important that in the march on the Continent, these British brands retain the flavour of the countries they are entering, and do not do away with the qualities that make each of them individual.
Banking back
There has been a turnaround in the UK's high streets. A decade ago banks deserted the main shopping areas, but now they have returned in force (p50), while mega stores, book stores and phone shops are in danger of shrinking or being replaced entirely by all-singing, all-dancing "media" shops (p46). Should we lament these changes and start asking what will be left of the high street? Banks, and media stores, are hardly a colourful collection of retailers. But what will stop this onslaught? The high street should not be forever a slave to covenant, so it is time landlords looked at wide-ranging offers to save our high streets from blandness
