Hacker News Reader

From what I remember of my occasional pre-acquisition visits to those chains, they certainly weren't competing on price.

Their drawing power was due to offering ethnic and/or specialty foods (Middle Eastern and Mediterranean products for Adonis, Asian products for T&T, fresh products for Farm Boy) that weren't as common at the more established supermarkets.

I remember being surprised at how expensive items generally were at those chains compared to the more established chains I tended to shop at at the time.

For a customer like me seeking low prices, those smaller chains weren't viable or practical competitors to the larger chains. I'd only end up there as a last resort, typically while travelling and facing time constraints.

Interesting, I didn’t know these small ones were bought by the big ones!

Bought out is one way to put it, selling out is another. We're a nation of sell-outs.