Because people in the north are all poor and working class? It's got a lot more to do with regional distribution as a reflection of where the chains originated. Sainsbury's has higher concentration in the south, as it was founded in London and spread. Morrisons was founded in Bradford; Asda in Leeds, hence their increased in the north. Waitrose, founded in Berkshire, didn't have any shops north of Nottingham until 2003.
Quite. I used to shop in Morrisons when I lived in Leeds but then I moved back down south and Morrisons didn’t follow me for several years.
The north also has Booths, which is similar to Waitrose. I believe they have some kind of distribution/buying alliance that probably stops them encroaching on each other’s territory.
My understanding of the Sainsbury’s/Asda deal is that part of the reason behind it is Walmart wanting to reduce their stake. It might end up with Asda becoming more like Sainsbury’s rather than vice versa. But then again, these deals are always more about serving the interests of the shareholders rather than the customers.
Discussing it with my wife, I made the same observation as Kim, that they’ll all end up under the same ownership eventually. And it won’t be for the customers’ benefit.