Prior to the advent of large supermarket chains, the family-run neighbourhood provision shop was the place of choice for the working classes to get their daily provisions. This was primarily due to the convenient location of such shops, which were usually located near residential areas, unlike larger supermarkets, which were located in town. To increase their customer base, some of these shops became exclusive agents for supermarkets such as Cold Storage. This allowed them to sell some of the premium goods carried exclusively by these supermarkets while at the same time remaining close to their customers.
