Appleby Westward has snapped up four new stores for an undisclosed sum.
The group, which operates as a regional distributor for Spar in the South West, has acquired four stores in Hampshire from wholesale customer Amir Sattari. Sattari has run Spar stores in the area with his family for the past 30 years.
The new stores, in Portsmouth and Southsea, will bring the total Appleby Westward company-owned store portfolio to 67.
The wholesaler was the only UK Spar operator without a sizeable company-owned store estate until it purchased the Gilletts Callington chain last year.
Appleby Westward, which services more than 300 independent Spar stores, bought the 63-strong store estate from the family of the MD Mark Gillett after he passed away following a long illness aged 51.
“We are very pleased with the performance of the business so far, and we are delighted to add these four new stores to our estate,” said Appleby Westward MD Mike Boardman.
“They have been very well run and we are very grateful to the Sattari family for its contribution to the Spar business over so many years.”
Since acquiring the Gilletts business in July, average like-for-like sales have grown 3%.
Gilletts operations director Phil Darch added: “This is a very positive step that clearly indicates the confidence our shareholders have in the business and the desire to expand.”
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