Musgrave Retail Partners GB has revealed more details of its new partnership with Boots, which will see it supply the chemist with food and drink as Boots tries again to muscle in on convenience food retailing.

This week, three Boots stores started stocking own-label SuperValu and Budgens lines as well as branded grocery products. The trial will be expanded to eight further stores in coming weeks.

Eight of the 11 will stock a 200 sq ft ‘mini format’ offer and three a 750 sq ft ‘maxi format’ range.

The mini format will feature more than 130 lines, including ready meals, fruit & veg, salad, desserts, tea, and coffee.

The maxi format stores, in Manchester, Woking and Watford, will offer the same range, but with additional meat, fish, breakfast, dairy, ambient and household lines, taking it to more than 800 lines.

The tie-up comes months after Waitrose withdrew its food products from Boots, with both companies saying the trial did not meet expectations.

Musgrave GB MD Donal Horgan said: “Partnering with a brand like Boots represents an exciting growth opportunity for Musgrave. This will allow us to further grow our business and will offer Boots customers the chance to experience the quality of our range.”

Musgrave retailers gave the move a cautious welcome. “SuperValu needs to get out there so people can see how good it is and linking with a good name like Boots is positive. But any Budgens or Londis stores near to a Boots could be nervous,” one said.

Topics