A bumper Christmas trading period for most independents and the continued spectre of competition from the multiples were the subjects dominating The Grocer's annual Top 50 and Big 30 luncheon, held this month at London's Dorchester Hotel.
The event attracted many of the biggest names from both sectors, including Booker chief executive Charles Wilson, Nisa-Today's president Dudley Ramsden, Bestway managing director Younus Sheikh, AF Blakemore managing director Peter Blakemore and Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman.
Although the mood was relaxed, for many this was a working lunch as wholesalers and retailers talked about ways in which they could work together in the future.
The conversation inevitably turned to the Competition Commission's inquiry into the grocery market and the publication of its emerging thinking.
While wholesalers and retailers alike expressed a wish that it would lead to a "levelling of the playing field" when it came to issues such as buying power and so-called predatory pricing, everyone recognised that the buck ultimately stopped with them.
There was sympathy for Ruby Delves, whose family runs independent supermarket group Harry Tuffins, and last week accused Tesco of trying to sabotage its new Ludlow store with a deep-discount voucher scheme.
Mark Proudfoot, joint managing director of the Proudfoot Group, who had faced a similar situation in Withernsea, said this was a particularly difficult situation for Harry Tuffins because Tesco had run the voucher scheme before the Ludlow store had opened its doors last Friday, so it had not had time to establish its customer base.
The guests were also entertained by a speech from Paul Griffiths, the former chief executive of Inter Link Foods.
Griffiths, who has spent much of his career on the other side of the fence with Asda and The Co-operative Group, said that independents were uniquely placed to take advantage of changing consumer trends and concerns such as climate change and healthy eating.
He also praised those who had made a success either of independent retailing or of wholesaling for their passion and commitment in what was a tough and highly competitive sector.
The event attracted many of the biggest names from both sectors, including Booker chief executive Charles Wilson, Nisa-Today's president Dudley Ramsden, Bestway managing director Younus Sheikh, AF Blakemore managing director Peter Blakemore and Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman.
Although the mood was relaxed, for many this was a working lunch as wholesalers and retailers talked about ways in which they could work together in the future.
The conversation inevitably turned to the Competition Commission's inquiry into the grocery market and the publication of its emerging thinking.
While wholesalers and retailers alike expressed a wish that it would lead to a "levelling of the playing field" when it came to issues such as buying power and so-called predatory pricing, everyone recognised that the buck ultimately stopped with them.
There was sympathy for Ruby Delves, whose family runs independent supermarket group Harry Tuffins, and last week accused Tesco of trying to sabotage its new Ludlow store with a deep-discount voucher scheme.
Mark Proudfoot, joint managing director of the Proudfoot Group, who had faced a similar situation in Withernsea, said this was a particularly difficult situation for Harry Tuffins because Tesco had run the voucher scheme before the Ludlow store had opened its doors last Friday, so it had not had time to establish its customer base.
The guests were also entertained by a speech from Paul Griffiths, the former chief executive of Inter Link Foods.
Griffiths, who has spent much of his career on the other side of the fence with Asda and The Co-operative Group, said that independents were uniquely placed to take advantage of changing consumer trends and concerns such as climate change and healthy eating.
He also praised those who had made a success either of independent retailing or of wholesaling for their passion and commitment in what was a tough and highly competitive sector.
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