..and from the Guardian, of all places..

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/...generation


"Brand deserts – areas that lack the retail opportunities most of us take for granted – exist in the most deprived communities across the UK for a number of reasons. First, there is a rather patronising assumption about supermarkets, propagated by the well-intentioned but fundamentally naive middle classes. There are numerous cases of supermarkets being denied planning permission in poorer areas – despite the support of residents – because local authorities wanted to protect local businesses. That's all well and good, but we need to stop imposing our high-minded concerns on other people's lives. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are 8% more likely than their wealthier peers to say that brands are important and 14% more likely to want brand-label clothing.

We might not like it, but the reality is that these brand deserts add to a sense of segregation and disenfranchisement that is keenly felt. The availability of affordable, recognisable retail brands on local high streets encourage a sense of pride in a local area and raise aspirations – we should be welcoming big retailers into deprived areas, not patronising residents with concerns about local produce."