In many places, large chain stores are taking over the marketplace, making it impossible for small businesses to compete with them. what are the advantages and disadvantages of this situation?

In the past decade, we have observed that big corporations,

such

as food or clothes companies, are monopolizing the market.

However

,

this

trend is highly controversial, as

this

expansion might result in the extinction of local businesses. Supporters of

this

trend point out some advantages.

Firstly

, these big sellers have higher purchasing power.

Therefore

, they usually buy more products directly from the manufacturers, and they may have better deals which might result in products with reduced prices for consumers.

Secondly

, as these companies have different stores spread across cities (or countries), they must ensure that all of them follow the same standardized procedures.

This

can be beneficial, as it could result in better products being offered to the population.

For instance

, it does not matter where in the globe, all McDonald’s meals have the same taste and the same quality.

Although

I agree that the above points are valid, I do not believe they outweigh the numerous disadvantages of having these retailer corporations dominating the marketplace. Not only are small businesses essential to keep unemployment rates low, but

also

to guarantee fair prices.

For example

, if we had fewer companies selling or offering services, they would have less competition, and

consequently

, they would be free to charge any price they want.

Moreover

, local businesses

also

have the advantage of offering goods tailored to consumer needs.

For example

, the grocery store near my house sells Indian ingredients, as I live in a neighbourhood with a strong Indian background. In a nutshell, at a

first

glance, the expansion of large chain stores may be interesting.

However

, in a more detailed analysis of the consequences,

this

monopolization can be extremely harmful to our economy.