AF Blakemore is bumping up its fee for retailers who don’t meet its minimum order threshold from £40 to £60, The Grocer can reveal.
In a letter sent to its independent Spar retailers, Blakemore Trade Partners commercial director Louis Drake said: “Since April, we have continued to see further increases which are impacting the entire supply chain and driving inflationary pressure on the cost of goods.
“These impacts mean that we have had to further review our delivery criteria.”
The changes will be coming into force from 25 July. The Spar wholesaler added that its minimum order levels remain unchanged. This includes £1,500 per ambient delivery (excluding cigarettes, tobacco and vaping), £200 per chilled delivery, and £150 per frozen delivery.
The letter also outlined its plans to increase single pick charges. For chilled, it will increase from 5p to 6p per single pick, while wines and spirits will rise from 20p to 22p per bottle.
“Due to inflationary pressure on the cost of goods, which is affecting the entire supply chain, we must make a change to our minimum order levels,” said a Blakemore Trade Partners spokeswoman.
“Adjustments such as these are always difficult to introduce, and it is not a decision we have taken lightly. However, it is important that we operate an efficient business to ensure we provide the best possible service.
“We are working with retailers on how they can schedule their deliveries to mitigate cost increases.”
AF Blakemore distributes to more than 900 Spar stores across England and Wales. This includes 693 independently owned Spar stores, and 263 company-owned stores.
The move comes as Nisa ramped up its fuel levy again from £9.77 to £13.43 per delivery, starting this week, while Parfetts increased its minimum order level to £1,500.
No comments yet