Supermarket sweep?

The success with which Tesco, Sainsbury and several other high-street super-retailers have broken into consumer insurance suggests they might carry all before them. But is there still a space for the broker? asks Liz Booth

We all suffer the weekly shop - that trudge down to the nearest supermarket to bring back the spuds and the milk - but now it seems we expect a lot more from our supermarkets. There was a media frenzy late last year when Tesco announced a sixfold growth in its clothing department.

Less noisy, but no less impressive, was the sixfold growth in its personal finance division last year - which includes insurance.

It seems that we, as customers, like to shop at the supermarket because we have learnt to