Big retailers retreat from convenience stores as urban living shifts shopping habits.
Big retailers like Walmart, Tesco, Morrisons, and Woolworths are realizing the risks of moving into convenience stores. This is because more people living in smaller inner-city homes are buying groceries more frequently in smaller amounts. The rise of smaller apartments and the popularity of restaurants and cafes have changed shopping habits, leading to more frequent top-up shopping trips. As a result, big UK grocery retailers now have more convenience stores than full-line supermarkets. Woolworths is also cautiously entering the convenience store market.