Tesco plans to convert closed pubs

The retailer is planing to cash in on pub closures by converting them to small town centre stores. Tesco has lodged ten applications for conversion in the last three months alone.

 The Mail on Sunday reports that the
supermarket giant has lodged hundreds of planning applications to
take full advantage of the pub crisis. Currently around six pubs
close for good every day. The paper says pubs are attractive to Tesco
because they are already licensed to sell food and alcohol and so do
not require a change of use application. This small shops would be in
the town centres, but their price would be the same as in the
hypermarkets.

The concept isn't new in Hungary. Last
year Tesco opened 5 small units in the country. 4 in Budapest and 1
in Szeged. The business works, the retailer plans to open few more
new shops also in 2009.