Last week, Tesco's boss Philip Clarke reported a decline in group profits to £3.3bn as both its domestic and overseas chains came under pressure.
With annual sales of £8.2bn, the owner of Currys and a network of overseas chains is the far larger of the two businesses although its UK online market share in domestic appliances is roughly the same.
This leaves a dangerous loophole for companies that would prefer their overseas supply chains to remain out of sight.
It is a business with enormous complexities — managing sprawling overseas supply chains, for one — that are not as prevalent in the software business.
Although the 50-year-old company has a large business overseas, the UK chain delivers the lion's share of profits.
Within banks like Merrill, other hidden dangers existed: a dizzying array of complex products, known as derivatives, that tied mortgage-related securities, other assets and debts to companies here and overseas — a daisy chain that amplified the downturn.
Although 65% of the group's store space is now overseas, the domestic chain still generates the lion's share of group profits and Clarke wants to focus on markets where it can be either the market leader or in second place.
"As far as mass production is concerned we don't have a single farm that's producing quantities that are sufficient for a large chain overseas," says Anand Gurung, who owns Himalayan Java cafe in Kathmandu.
"Those companies are deeply invested in vibrant economies overseas, healthy supply chains, diversity, attracting and retaining and identifying new employees, skilled employees," said Holly Gordon, executive director at 10x10.
At the time, an individual who has knowledge of Apple's prototype supply chains overseas told me they had seen some "large parts floating around" that belonged to Apple.
