Supermarket giant Tesco turned the corner shop market on its head by agreeing a £377m deal for convenience store group T&S Stores.
The deal will see half of T&S Stores' One Stop and Day & Nite shops converted into Tesco Express outlets.
It includes the former Southampton-based M&W convenience stores and Portsmouth-run One Stop shop chains bought up by T&S in the past.
The move follows Co-operative Group's deal to buy Eastleigh-based Alldays and its 637 stores for £131m.
But industry watchers are worried the move could be another blow for the dwindling number of independent retailers still operating in south and round the country.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article