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Supermarkets and global supply chains

Lesson details

Learning outcome

I can understand that most of the supermarkets in the UK are global companies and describe how they get their food from global supply chains.

Key learning points

  1. Supermarkets have become the main way people shop for food.
  2. Many supermarkets in the UK are global companies which means they operate in different countries around the world.
  3. Supermarkets sell many different goods and food items, all of which have their own complex supply chains.

Keywords

  • Global company - A global company operates in many different countries.

  • Supply chain - A supply chain is all of the stages involved in producing goods, transporting them and selling them to customers.

  • Raw material - Raw materials are things that can be grown or dug out of the ground and processed or used in the manufacture of goods.

  • Processing - Processing means making changes to a food’s natural state. An example is cooking beans in a tomato sauce and preserving them in tins.

Common misconception

The supply chain starts from where the product is processed.

The supply chain starts from the extraction of the raw materials.

Teacher tip

Use the internet to locate all the supermarkets in your local area.

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
What are commodities?

things that are made through the process of manufacturing (often in factories)
Correct answer: things are that grown or dug out of the ground
physical objects that can be touched

Q2.
What are manufactured goods?

Correct answer: things that are made through the process of manufacturing (often in factories)
things that are grown or dug out of the ground
physical objects that can be touched

Q3.
What is global trade?

the buying and selling of goods between companies
the exchange of goods, money and services within a country
Correct answer: the exchange of goods, money and services between countries

Q4.
What are goods?

Correct answer: physical objects that can be touched
Correct answer: things that are produced, you can buy or sell them
things that people do for others in exchange for money

Q5.
What is a global company?

Correct answer: A company which operates in many different countries.
A company which operates in one different countries.
A company that sells globes.

Q6.
What is a supermarket?

Correct answer: A large shop which sells lots of different food and goods.
A small shop which sells lots of different food.
A large market.

6 Questions

Q1.
What is wealth?

A small amount of money.
Correct answer: A large amount of money.
The world that surrounds us.

Q2.
What is the global supply chain?

Correct answer: the journey travelled by goods from many different countries
a company which trades with many different companies
the distance that food travels

Q3.
Which is not a definition of a global company?

Correct answer: A company which trades with many different companies.
Correct answer: A company which operates in one country.
A company which operates in many different countries.
A company which operates in more than one continent

Q4.
Which of these is not a supermarket?

Tesco
Aldi
Morrisons
Correct answer: Primark

Q5.
When did the first supermarket open in the UK?

1852
Correct answer: 1948
1999
2020

Q6.
What are food miles?

Correct answer: the distance that food travels are called food miles
the distance the food travels from the shop to the buyers house
the distance we travel to buy our food

To help you plan your 6 geography lesson on: Supermarkets and global supply chains, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...