Booker has invested in a trial discount convenience store format to feed back findings to its symbol retailers, The Grocer can reveal.
Fresh Trader, a 2,000 sq ft store in Enfield, carries 300 to 400 bulk cash & carry lines across several categories including fresh, chilled and household, and sells them at trade prices.
Booker said it had made a small investment in the store, which is owned by retailer Robert Levison and opened on a North London high street in December last year.
The Grocer understands the store receives daily deliveries of fresh and ambient products from the Booker and Makro supply chain, and has agreed a trade deal allowing it to sell goods at wholesale prices.
Alongside consumers, the store attracts local caterers due to its large range of fresh meat, fish, fruit & veg and adjacent ‘collect by car’ area.
Fresh Trader stocks the Booker Farm Fresh, Sea Fresh, Euro Shopper, Chef’s Larder and Chef’s Essentials brands alongside household names including Fairy, Pepsi, Peroni and Nescafé.
“We have a small investment in Fresh Trader,” said a Booker spokeswoman.
“The day-to-day decision making and operating of the store is by a former Booker person and we simply supply it with goods. We supported the trial of Fresh Trader because we believe the lessons could be useful for our Londis, Budgens, Premier, Family Shopper and other retailers.”
Fresh Trader has no current plans to roll out the format but has not ruled out the possibility of it becoming a franchise or expanding into new sites in future.
Sales at Booker surged 15.2% in the second quarter as the acquisition of Budgens and Londis began to pay off. The tobacco display ban continued to offset growth, with like-for-like tobacco sales dropping by 3.5%.
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