Are supermarkets making too much profit? - your letters

I NOTICE that we are constantly bombarded on TV about the big four supermarkets comparing their prices with Aldi and Lidl.

This begs the question: if they can afford to drop their prices to match Aldi and Lidl, how much profit were they making before? Is this information they will willingly disclose? I doubt it.

Mick Horsman,

Moorland Road,

York

Is your supermarket making too much profit?

...MICK Horsman suggests the big four supermarkets will not willingly disclose their profits before they price matched goods against Aldi and Lidl.

The supermarkets are public limited companies which must publish accounts every year. These may not give the detail of profit (or loss) on one particular product in one particular store but they do give a comprehensive breakdown of overall costs and sales each year.

These figures are used to determine the ongoing success or otherwise of the businesses.

Profits are essential. Without them there would be no supermarkets to provide the goods everyone needs, no jobs, no dividends to shareholders (some of whom are pension investors) and above all no tax revenue.

The more profit the business makes the more cash goes to to the taxman. The government has no money of its own and cannot fund anything without first taking money from those firms and individuals who actually create it.

Matthew Laverack,

Eldon Street,

York

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