Tesco's car sales are beating the dealers

The sheer size and financial power of Tesco (LSE: TSCO) mean that when it launches new ventures, it can trigger minor earthquakes in its new markets.

It pretty much did that with banking, when Tesco, along with Virgin, moved in to challenge the traditional high-street banks, in which so many people have lost a lot of confidence. Tesco has attracted a good number of customers with its in-store banking offerings, while Virgin, as we saw recently, has bought itself a high-street foothold with the purchase of Northern Rock.