British retail report

They are probably more like us than anyone else in this world, and we appreciate the compliment. Here is a report about British retailing from the USDA FAS, a 14-page pdf that provides a profile of the retail sector and some predictions of growth.

One small nugget from the FAS report:

The Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) has estimated that the UK retail grocery market will grow at an average rate of 2.9 percent over the next five years. It is expected to be worth £138.2 billion ($261.2 billion) by 2010, at current prices. Growth is expected to come from both ends of the grocery store portfolio spectrum, i.e. convenience stores and superstores, also known as hypermarkets. There are currently, around 660 superstores in the UK. The IGD estimates that their number will increase by almost a third in the next five years, despite tough UK town planning laws. The convenience store sector is also expected to continue to grow strongly and is forecast to reach £33.9 billion ($64.1 billion) by 2011.