Tesco will have to spend a little bit more

The retail giant needs every little bit of help it can get, as its rivals are trumping it on low prices, writes Ben Griffiths in London.

Philip Clarke, chief executive, Tesco: the group has recorded its first fall in annual profits for its British supermarkets. Photo: Getty

Every Little Helps will be a motto familiar to anyone who has ever entered a Tesco supermarket or seen the grocery giant's advertising. It is also the message that Tesco's chief executive Philip Clarke needs to digest as he seeks to convince his British customers and investors that the retailing behemoth's business model is far from broken.

Last week, the company, which was started by Jack Cohen on a market stall in London's ...