TRANSSCALE COMPETITION AND LOCAL FOOD RETAIL REACTION:

THE CASE OF GRUPO BARCELOS EM CAMPOS DOS GOYTACAZES (RJ)

Abstract

The top 10 food retail companies in Brazil – transscale – currently account for 57% of the market turnover, considering the 500 largest in the annual ranking of the Brazilian Supermarket Association (ABRAS). Even within this context of significant concentration, smaller firms also have economic and spatial relevance, above all at local level; meanwhile, their spatialisations are still poorly explored. This study with Grupo Barcelos has been conducted aiming at understanding their spatial practices or strategies adopted in face of changes in the urban area of Campos dos Goytacazes (RJ) and the fierce transscale competition in the city. Based on literature review, secondary evaluation and the fieldwork it has been observed that, in intercapitalist struggle, the spatial behaviour of this enterprise is affected by and constrains, partly, the location of major networks, since the different types they imprint in the urban campista.