The first was simple enough: I went to buy some Christmas cards at my local newsagent. But somehow, as often happens in small communities, the conversation turned to something bigger. The struggles of local businesses here on the Isle of Man. It struck me that this isn’t just a local issue. I imagine it’s a UK-wide problem too. Here’s why. Large companies — Tesco, Amazon, and the like — dominate the market. Tesco alone made £1.6 billion in profit last year. They can steamroll prices and produ...

The first was simple enough: I went to buy some Christmas cards at my local newsagent. But somehow, as often happens in small communities, the conversation turned to something bigger. The struggles of local businesses here on the Isle of Man. It struck me that this isn’t just a local issue. I imagine it’s a UK-wide problem too. Here’s why. Large companies — Tesco, Amazon, and the like — dominate the market. Tesco alone made £1.6 billion in profit last year. They can steamroll prices and produ...