Please look at website rules now found on the website section of the sites forums.

Know it well KL. Know many who used to live there,my eldest included. Note though the 'used to', can't think of any who stayed out of choice. I think it's strength used to be as a place to buy a starter home and get a foot in the housing market. Either that or where to catch a train from!
I don't think it ever had Exmouths advantage of having some character - so in a sense it has never had much to lose - unlike Exmouth which has much to lose.

There is an organisation that is paid for by the supermarkets, I think it is called the British Retail Forum and they, rather embarressingly for the supermarkets given they were the funders, found that on average, every time a new superstore opened up the average NET loss of jobs in the area was something like 276 lost - not so far of your calcs KL.
If anyone wants the references they can be found fairly easily by googling, or I will dig them out.
Asda can pay for a two page spread, or issue a press release saying they will create 350 jobs but they do not have the balls to come here and answer questions about what sort of jobs, what rates of pay and what job losses can be expected elsewhere. Try emailing them and asking for their view on unions, or why they were obliged to make massive payments for anti-union activities (see http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=406904&in_page_id=2)
All starts to look a bit different to the PR spun version doesn't it.
Talking of spin, did anyone see the problems flybe had in respect of Norwich airport and the numbers of passengers. There was a shortfall which meant flybe was heading towards having to pay a significant sum for not meeting agreed targets. What did they do? According to reports they put on extra flights and sought to hire actors to fill places to take them over the number threshold. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/7321306.stm
The head of Flybe Public Relations is also the Leader of East Devon District Council - so when they start talking of their green credentials, just remember that some were seemingly quite happy to stick on extra flights and create more greenhouse gases to save money.
Beware the spin doctors!

The head of Flybe Public Relations is also the Leader of East Devon District Council

.... well, well, And do you think the leader of EDDC was influential in coming up with their solution to the FLYBE Norwich to Ireland passenger shortfall???

Surely not !!

Private Eye could get some mileage out of this .. if it hasn't already!