BRADFORD, England -- The global recession is spoiling the summer for a lot of industries, but not the U.K.'s supermarkets. They're loving it. With an estimated five million Britons staying home this summer instead of traveling, the country's leading grocers are slugging it out for shoppers' time and money. They're slashing prices, launching new budget brands and taunting the price claims of rivals in advertising.

Source: PlanetRetail. Based on sales for calendar 2009 or fiscal year closest to calendar 2009. All sales include nonfood operations and are net sales in U.S. dollars based on full-year average exchange rates. Store counts include franchised or licensed locations and may include nonfood outlets; counts are based on PlanetRetail research, company reports and estimates.