Musgrave GB has paid tribute to Londis co-founder John Leach as a man who “made a significant contribution to shaping the symbol convenience market we see today”.
Mr Leach, who passed away on 5 March at the age of 86 after a long illness, was a founding member of convenience retailer Londis. He formed the group with fellow retailers in 1959, taking the name from the words London District.
A religious man described as one of the “old-school grocers”, Mr Leach had owned a store in Richmond, Surrey, which was opened by his father in 1892.
He became chairman of Londis and remained with the group until he sold the 800 sq ft store to retailer Subhas Patel in 1994.
“I would like to offer my condolences to the family and friends of John Leach,” said Londis MD Donal Horgan. “The heritage and strength of the Londis brand is directly attributable to the retailers who, led by John, joined together to form Londis.
“The retail values they instilled and their entrepreneurial flair remain very evident in the Londis retailer network.”
Mr Leach was also a past-president of the London District Council of the National Grocers’ Federation and was the NGF’s treasurer for 25 years.
The NGF later merged with the Off Licence Association to become the National Food & Drink Federation in the 1970s, before switching to its current title of the Association of Convenience Stores in 1995.
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