Consumers save more through shopping in small local shops compared to large supermarkets, it is claimed.
Daniel Bird, founder of independent business advisory firm Wedge Card, has suggested that people are more economical with the money when purchasing goods from smaller retailers.
Big shops are designed with a view to encourage shoppers to buy as many goods as possible and spend more in the process, he noted.
Shoppers spend 20 per cent more than they need too in big supermarkets and throw away the same proportion of food each week, according to Princeton University report in the US, Mr Bird said.
"People save more by staying closer to home, by buying what's needed, when it's needed," he commented.
On differences between small and large retailers, he added: "Smaller shops are really passionate about what they are doing … for the products and to meet the consumer's needs."
Over 30,000 local shops, such as food retailers and hardware stores, have closed between 1995 and 2000, reports the Guardian.
