Sainsbury's proposals for Safeway bid: * Immediate improvements to customer offer - price reduction in Safeway stores with aim to trim prices by 4.7 per cent.

* Gives 72 per cent of population access to a Sainsbury's store within three miles (currently 57 per cent) * Merger with Sainsbury's increases market competition, between 2001-02 Walmart sales grew by £25billion similar to Tesco's total group sales * Extended food choice, differentiation and quality * Redeveloped supplier programme * Local sourcing and working together to achieve efficiencies.

The group's chairman Sir Peter Davis said: 'We source over 90 per cent of fresh food grown here from British suppliers.' Bookmakers odds: 16/1 (Source: Cantor Index)