Spar UK’s new managing director Debbie Robinson has called for symbol groups to “take charge of their own destiny” by focusing on developing ownlabel ranges for the convenience sector.
In her first speech since taking on the Spar MD role in September this year, Robinson told delegates at the IGD’s Convenience Retailing 2011 conference that while own label remained a struggle for the convenience sector, it gave retailers an opportunity to meet customers’ needs and care less about “matching Tesco on a tin of baked beans”.
“Meals for one is a huge opportunity for us,”Robinson said. “Why are we selling soup at 600ml when it’s too big for one and too small for two?”
Spar UK had access to an armoury of fantastic retail propositions through its international operations, said Robinson, who vowed to bring more developments from overseas to the UK. “We can call on our friends in Spar Italy to get some of their fantastic products,” she said.
The launch of Spar Austria’s discount range S Budget in the UK in September had filled a gap in the market for a discount range in the convenience sector, she added.
Robinson also hinted that Spar’s fresh range – which has driven growth in stores – would change more often with the seasons. “Our regular customers don’t want to see the same thing week-in weekout,” she said.
Robinson added that convenience wholesalers could encourage retailers to stock more fresh food by reducing waste with mixed-case deliveries, a model she claimed had proved successful in Continental Europe.
Source
Elinor Zuke
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