There is considerable concern in the UK regarding the growing power of supermarkets, a concern that culminated recently in a UK Competition Commission enquiry in the grocery sector. Against this backdrop, some suppliers, independent retailers and societal groups have been critical of the investigation, implying that it did not do justice to the role of small stores in society, and that this issue is insufficiently understood by policy-makers. To address this need, this paper reviews and assesses the available UK evidence on the social and economic role of small independent stores, and the values that are attached to them by the communities they serve. This is achieved using the Systematic Literature Review methodology. The purpose of the paper is to gauge the evidence as a platform for wider debate on how the role of small stores can be maintained and enhanced. The paper identifies key themes and gaps in the literature as a basis for identifying research priorities, and highlights implications for public policy and planning.

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