Booker is to help independent retailers take on the discounters with the launch of a new value brand called Euro Shopper.

The syndicated economy line, which is already sold in 15 countries and worth £337m, will be rolled out across all 173 Booker depots on Monday.

It will initially consist of 30 key lines such as Jaffa cakes, cola, tea bags, vegetable oil, tomato ketchup and baked beans.

Booker has sourced the range through European buying group AMS, which it joined last summer and will have exclusive distribution rights in the UK.

Chief executive Charles Wilson said the range was being pitched between the offer of hard discounter Aldi and the Tesco Value economy range in a bid to change consumer perceptions that independent stores were expensive.

"As interest rates start to bite more consumers will want to be able to pick up a basket of goods for less than £5," he said.

The range would also help retailers attract disgruntled Kwik Save shoppers, he predicted.

"More of the market share lost by Kwik Save should have gone to independents," he added.

The price-marked range offered average margins for independent retailers of 30%, according to Booker, which trialled the range with 140 products at its depots in Gateshead, Newcastle and Sunderland.

The feedback from retailers was that the new lines were incremental to their normal sales, said Wilson.

Booker decided to go with 30 lines initially to focus on the best sellers and avoid duplication for retailers.

Meanwhile, the integration of the Blueheath business, following the reverse takeover in April, was well on track, he said.

The company would start informing its retail customers of the benefits of its improved online and delivered operation from September.

It would also continue to roll-out its latest depot format, Booker Extra. It currently had 10 Booker Extras and planned to convert a further 22 by the end of the year, said Wilson. The new format depots were growing on average 7% faster than the rest of the estate.

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