Convenience and Wholesale news – Page 235
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Londis would do well to join Nisa
from Ashwin Dave, Vikas Buying Group, Bromley, Kentfrom Alastair Smyth, Limavady, Northern IrelandSir; re Londis chief executive Graham White’s allegation in a national newspaper that Londis does not have a future as...
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C-store sector besieged
The recent flurry of takeovers in the c-store sector is just the tip of the iceberg and consolidation is inevitable, according to leading independent retailers. In a poll of The Grocer’s Top 50 independents, 93% said they had received interest...
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Londis is worth far more than £40m
from Shamus Lehal, Wootton PO Londis, Wootton, BedsSir; In light of the recent offer to buy out Adminstore by Tesco for a reported £53.7m for 45 or so mainly leasehold stores, I think £40m is far too light a price to be selling Londis...
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Nisa-Today’s suggests mutual Londis merger
Nisa-Today’s has finally put its cards on the table and proposed a merger with Londis that would retain its mutual status and generate substantial savings for members through synergies in buying and logistics.The move follows a Londis...
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New board at Londis
Five new non-executive directors have been appointed to the board at Londis following criticism that existing board members have not acted in the best interests of retailers.Four of the appointments – Rick Bailey, Rodney Braxton, Mike Howe and...
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Budgens spring cleans
Budgens has embarked on a radical brand rationalisation exercise to make its range more manageable.The spring-cleaning exercise, announced at the chain’s supplier conference in October, was not purely about tackling logistical problems, but...
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C-store chiefs fight deal
C-store bosses have called on the OFT to prevent Tesco from marching unopposed into the convenience sector.Musgrave UK executive chairman Eoin McGettigan, Spar UK MD Jerry Marwood and Big Food Group CEO Bill Grimsey said they would be sounding...
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Shareholders to talk options with KPMG
Londis shareholders will have the opportunity to discuss their options with the company’s advisors KPMG at a series of regional meetings this month.The meetings, to be held at Bristol, Birmingham, Glasgow, London and Manchester, will not be...
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Who wants a share?
John Wood outlines the options that lie ahead for LondisThe Londis board appear to have dampened down some of the fury of their shareholders/retailers by appointing consultant KPMG Corporate Finance to conduct a strategic review. But...
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Payouts spark rebellion
Londis retailers look set to reject Musgrave’s offer for the group, because of their anger over massive payouts it will trigger for four Londis directors.A telephone poll for The Grocer of 190 Londis retailers (10% of the entire membership)...
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Grimsey puts his offer in
A bidding war for Londis loomed as The Grocer went to press, with Big Food Group entering the fray and Nisa-Today’s considering its options. Big Food Group, which has sent out a letter to Londis shareholders urging them to reject Musgrave’s...
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Seeking a fair deal for shareholders
from Adrian Costain, Londis Shareholders’ Action GroupSir; I write to explain how the Londis Shareholders’ Action Group (LSAG) came to be. We hope this will help to ensure that in future the standards of corporate governance in the...
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Retailers need a say in their future
from Bernard Warren, retail vice-chairman, Spar National Guild and Spar retailer, Wool, DorsetSir; Re your story and feature last week about Musgrave’s bid for Londis. Londis has long been one of Spar’s competitors in the...
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Londis payouts backlash
Irish wholesaler Musgrave has stunned the trade by brokering its second major deal in the UK in less than two years with a £40m bid for Londis that would double its UK turnover.But as The Grocer went to press there was a backlash from Londis...
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A better future – and a bonanza
There are grumbles at the millions going to directors but retailers see the benefits says The Grocer news teamMost Londis retailers contacted by The Grocer this week welcomed the bid by Musgrave to buy their group, but they were...
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The retailers speak
>>enthusiasm but also doubts over better buying powerShahid Ali, manager, Londis store in Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire“I will have to go through the fine detail of the offer before making my final decision, but I’m all for it in...
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Londis: no2 UK symbol
>>unlike spar, wholly owned by membersLondis is the second largest symbol group in the United Kingdom after Spar supplying 2,232 outlets in Britain from three regional distribution centres. The group was formed in 1959 by a...
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Musgrave to buy Londis
Irish food group Musgrave – which bought UK supermarket chain Budgens last year – has offered to buy symbol group Londis for £40m. If Londis shareholders give the deal the go-ahead after a meeting on December 30, each Londis member will...
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Keen supplier prices key says FWD
Wholesalers are initiating record levels of creative marketing and promotional activity but this does not remove the need for the keenest prices from suppliers.Federation of Wholesale Distributors chairman Rodney Hunt emphasised this point in...
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Booker places success at heart of new slogan
Booker has added a new strapline, Your Success Counts, which will appear with the Booker brand.Retail customers will see the new logo on all printed materials from the wholesaler and it will also be included in the latest update of the lorry...