Clone town
Clone town is a term for a town where the High Street or other major shopping areas are significantly dominated by chain stores, thus making that town indistinct from other town centres. The term was coined by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), a British think tank, in the 2004 report on "Clone Town Britain". The report further elaborates the definition as follows: 'Clone towns' occur where 'the individuality of high street shops has been replaced by a monochrome strip of global and national chains' as opposed to 'Home Town' which is a 'place that retains its character and is individually recognizable and distinct to the people who live there, as well as those who visit'. A survey conducted by the NEF in 2005 estimated that 41% of towns in the UK and 48% of London villages could be considered clone towns, with the trend rising. Alternatively, clone town can also be looked upon as a stage of growth of retail market i.e. from out of town retail parks and shopping centers to so-called clone towns dominated by chains. Controversy The NEF report argued that the spread of clone towns is highly damaging to society because of the removal of diversity: