This week's analysis of the likely impact of the Morrisons takeover of Safeway gives plenty of food for thought.

While it is plain there are always winners and losers in such situations, even the winners: i.e. those that gain or retain contracts to supply the new enlarged Morrisons, may not win as much as they hope. With just three retailers controlling more than 70 per cent of the total UK fresh produce market, the pressure on pricing and for every supplier to squeeze as many costs as possible out of the supply chain will be huge. No wonder half of those who voted in last week's freshinfo poll believe that consumers have the most to gain from the onset of a supermarket price war, ahead of even the supermarkets themselves.

While Morrisons and Safeway shoppers are very different, the importance in the equation of location over offer may mean that Safeway shoppers become Morrisons shoppers rather than opting to travel further to a rival supermarket. The store may find that it does not have to change its offer radically to keep them happy and may even bring new customers in into the bargain.

With its commitment to lowering average prices, it could reverse the trend in Safeway over recent years to attract secondary shoppers who used the store simply to take advantage of its best discounted offers. And of course there is likely to be an impact on Sainsbury's and Tesco with Sainsbury's widely tipped to feel the pinch strongest of all. Whatever happens it is unlikely to be entirely painless for the fresh produce industry.