The Forum - Supermarkets

This is the sixth Forum episode I’ve got to present on the BBC World Serivice.

Supermarkets: they are ubiquitous yet hard to define, lauded and vilified in roughly equal measures, and in many countries they have a huge influence on what we eat. Technological innovations, big social changes and new shopping habits have all shaped their development and today’s megastores are a far cry from their small-scale ancestors of the 1930s. And yet, some quirks of supermarket design remain constant: for instance, why are the eggs always so hard to locate in the stores?

Iszi Lawrence navigates supermarket aisles with the help of historian and economist Marc Levinson; Aarti Krishnan, Lecturer in Sustainability at Manchester University; Simona Botti, professor of marketing at London Business School and Forum listeners from around the world.

It will be broadcast on 24 February 12:06 Local time BBC WORLD SERVICE EXCEPT EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA & WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA.

Or Listen Right NOW below and on BBC Sounds: