Archive of all Spar articles – Page 34
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News
Views from the frontline
Spar retailer Mike Pritchard runs a 2,500 sq ft store in Treherbert, Wales. It's a busy community store offering a full grocery range. But the one thing you will not find is a PayPoint terminal - because Pritchard had his machine removed four...
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Decades spent building Scottish Spar chain Botterills have t
Botterill,who is also president of the Scottish Grocers' Federation, says bluntly: "If a store is not performing it has to be turned round. And if it doesn't work, get out of it and concentrate on stores that are going to give growth and profit."...
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Awards for Spar stores
The best Spar stores have been highlighted in the inaugural Spar Stars Awards ceremony in Bristol. Retail director Steve Blackmore said: "Rewarding excellence impacts on sales and margin. Research shows a good store receives 2.5 times more visits...
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Simon Howie joins Spar for breakfast
A Scottish butcher is hoping for success with both independents and multiples. Dunning-based Simon Howie Foods has teamed up with both Sainsbury and Spar wholesaler CJ Lang in two separate projects. Wholesaler CJ Lang is offering a range of...
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Botterills in mood to grow
Scottish Spar chain Botterills was in good shape to expand and add batches of new stores when opportunities arise said managing director Jim Botterill. The 37-store Botterills chain increased sales by 12% to £55.5m and like-for-like sales by...
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E200m pledge for Spar growth
Anne Bruce BWG plans to put almost E200m into expanding Spar in the Irish Republic over the next three years, bringing the portfolio up to around 500 stores. The move was announced this week following a strategic review in the wake of the...
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Hendersons given green light to buy main NI rival
Julian Hunt Spar wholesaler John Henderson Holdings stunned the independent retail scene in Northern Ireland this week by unveiling plans to acquire arch rival J&J Haslett for an undisclosed sum. Hendersons has been given an exclusivity...
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Pure Dynamite...
Golfing fans at Spar Scotland's show in Fife last week made a dash for the bunkers when a security alert caused an evacuation of the venue. Being within driving range of golfing mecca The Old Course' at St Andrews, when the alarm turned out to...
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Acquisitions arm set up by CJ Lang
Scottish wholesaler and retailer CJ Lang is to aggressively expand its Spar business by recruiting more members and has a "war chest" for acquisitions, but it will no longer be looking to grow its VG membership. At Spar Scotland's trade show in...
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CJ Lang ready with ‘war chest’
Spar Scottish wholesaler and retailer CJ Lang is to aggressively seek business through further store improvements and has a “war chest” for acquisitions.At Spar Scotland’s trade show in Fife, CJ Lang MD designate Ed Ferguson revealed that...
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Spar manager moves to Booker confectionery
Booker has recruited Andrew Davenport-Jones as its confectionery buyer, replacing Anthony Taylor who took the post of proprietary brand trading controller at Spar in January. Davenport-Jones moves to a category which he claims is worth about 16%...
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Spar chairman takes on BRC role
The British Retail Consortium has signalled its intention to increase its focus on small store issues with the appointment of Spar's Morton Middleditch as deputy chairman. Middleditch, who is Spar UK's chairman, fills a gap created by the...
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Miller will head up Spar trading
Spar UK has recruited Booker's trading director Peter Miller to fill the newly-created post of group trading director. Miller will take responsibility for all Spar's trading activities and divisions and will report directly to Spar UK managing...
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Spar bags deal to supply Stars News c-stores...
John Wood Spar has topped last week's 56-store win ( Right Choice deal swells Spar', The Grocer, January 18, p6) with a deal to supply 63 c-stores in the Wolverhampton-based Stars News chain. Spar's biggest wholesaler AF Blakemore has signed...
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Right Choice deal swells Spar
Elaine Watson Spar has scored a major coup in the north of England after striking a deal to supply 56 Right Choice c-stores. Cellar 5 purchasing and marketing director Andy Smallman and operations director Steve McArdle led a management...
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Right Choice deal swells Spar
Spar has scored a major coup in the north of England after striking a deal to supply 56 Right Choice c-stores.Cellar 5 purchasing and marketing director Andy Smallman and operations director Steve McArdle led a management buyout of the 59...
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The Tates modern
A big spend on refurbishments is helping Tates achieve 4% growth as it aims for 250 stores by 2005 says Elaine Watson When Geoff Hallam joined Spar wholesaler AF Blakemore, it had 12 company-owned stores, and they weren't making much money....
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Taylor boost for Spar buying power
Spar has recruited Booker confectionery buyer Anthony Taylor as proprietary brand trading controller to increase its buying power in the convenience sector. Taylor joins the trading team at Harrow and will report directly to buying director Mark...
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Scottish Spar chain aims for 20% profit
Scottish Spar chain Botterills has set itself a sales target of £55.8m for the year to May 2003 and is aiming for 20% gross profit. Profits will be ploughed into extending and refurbishing the portfolio, with two or three new stores scheduled to...
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Alfred Jones' faith in its locations is so strong that it..
Warrington-based Spar chain Alfred Jones sent Tesco its congratulations for swallowing up local rival T&S, because, far from being intimidated by the prospect of the Tesco Express convenience format on his doorstep, MD Tom Calderbank is confident...