Shopping for dividends

I REMEMBER a time when grocery shopping was a burden. Some people might say that it still is. But it's nothing compared to when I was a child. In those days, we went to a butcher for meats, a greengrocer for fruit and vegetables, and separate trips to different specialists for bread, rice, fish and other provisions.

But supermarkets changed the way we shop. Everything has been brought under one roof. These days, we can even do our regular shopping online. Supermarkets are everywhere. They are available on our phones too. We don't even have to get up from our sofas to fill our pantries and refrigerators, if we can't be bothered to.

So, it is not surprising that food retailing is big business. Globally, the grocery sector was worth almost US$8 trillion in 2016. And it's growing. It is estimated that by 2021, it could be worth almost US$11 trillion. That's a projected growth rate of 6 per cent annually. It is little wonder that existing players are competing to not only retain but also increase their share of a growing pie - often putting once-loved "mom and pop" stores out of business. Convenience has its price - nice for some but not for the inconvenienced.