Spar - Latest News and Analysis – Page 37
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News
Hamburg stores trial EDLP as Spar shakes up its strategy in
Spar's German operation is trialling EDLP in three of its larger stores in Hamburg in a bid to reverse declining sales, said International Spar MD Gordon Campbell. High/low pricing in stores over 8,000 sq ft doesn't work in the German retail...
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Executive moves: Craft moves on from Interbrew
Former Spar UK md Garry Craft has left his job as category development director at Interbrew. Craft left Spar two years ago and later joined the drinks side of Bass, taken over by Interbrew late last year. He said: "When I joined Bass it was on the...
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The Grocer focus on deli and food to go: It's all go at Spar
Spar is fully committed to the food to go concept. "It's highly successful, provided you have the right products, in the right location, at the right time," says trading controller Robert Neal. Spar began with a pilot scheme two years ago in a...
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Adkin becomes operations director for AF Blakemore's Tates
Stuart Adkin is the new operations director of Tates, the company owned stores division of Spar wholesaler AF Blakemore. He replaces Geoff Hallam, who became managing director following the retirement of Colin Ellis. Adkin has been with the…
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Northern Ireland: Spar store numbers fall but sales trend is
The number of Spar stores in Northern Ireland has fallen but group turnover is up, according to Ken McWhinney, deputy md of John Henderson, Spar's wholesaler in the province. Addressing an audience of more than 100 retailers at a conference of...
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Symbol groups: Peak viewing slots for Spar's national TV adv
A prime time national TV advertising campaign for Spar will break next month, resurrecting the So near, so Spar' slogan. The symbol group's guilds and wholesalers have agreed a £2m budget for a two week campaign in June, a week before Christmas...
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Symbol groups: E-commerce and new formats will drive Spar In
Spar International has set up a working group to address how the organisation can utilise the internet to develop the Spar business worldwide. Deputy general manager Gerrit Kok said two parallel working parties had been set up to devise a long-term...
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Cumbrian Spar
The Spar in the high street of Cleator Moor in Cumbria is run under management. The latest accounts show turnover of more than £610,000, with gross profits approaching £125,000. Christie & Co is quoting £100,000 for a new lease on terms to be agreed...
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AF Blakemore promotes home grown talent
Several senior appointments have been announced by AF Blakemore & Son, the Wolverhampton based Spar wholesaler and cash and carry operator, following the retirement of two mds who each worked for the company for more than 30 years. Sam Wilcox has...
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Spar retailers: Capper strikes on price
Capper & Co is taking on Co-ops and symbol rivals with the launch of an EDLP initiative for its 500 Spar retailers. It will use multiple prices across all categories as a benchmark for the Everyday Value scheme, with cut prices being held for at...
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Station convenience stores: Connex turns to French for new
Connex has spurned Spar and Costcutter as it launches a new convenience chain at its stations in the south east of England. The French rail operator plans to develop 40 sites in the next three years after successful trials in Leatherhead with Spar...
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Symbol groups: National forecourt drive on the way from Lond
Competition in the forecourt store market is gathering pace with new packages from Londis and Spar wholesaler Appleby Westward. Londis will approach 7,000 petrol retailers nationwide in the search for sites. Appleby Westward will concentrate on its...
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Appleby Westward: AW creates hit squad for fresh foods
Spar's south west wholesaler Appleby Westward has appointed a hit squad to boost sales of fresh foods. In pilot exercises at 12 Spar stores, growth in fresh food sales outpaced dried foods by 5% following a revamp of the section. Now the team of...
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There's life in the old VG yet
The VG fascia should not be written off, says CJ Lang chief executive David Walker. The VG name is jointly owned by CJ Lang and John Henderson, the Spar wholesalers for Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. There are just 13 VG stores left...
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Retail spotlight: Redditch Spar forecourt
Cars fuel Spar sales Redditch is home to one of teh country's most successful forecourt operations, a family business thst stays alive to new ideas. Tony Hurren reports A Spar petrol forecourt shop at Redditch, Worcestershire, is taking more than...
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Russia: Spar close to finding entrepreneurial partners
International Spar is in advanced discussions with wholesalers and local entrepreneurs around Moscow about setting up Spar outlets in Russian cities near the capital. International Spar's deputy general manager Gerrit Kok told The Grocer the group...
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Spar: CJ Lang: we're investing for growth, not selling!
Spar's Scottish wholesaler is definitely not for sale, according to its chief executive David Walker. There have been frequent rumours in the trade suggesting the family which owns CJ Lang was about to sell the business, but Walker said: "There is...
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AF Blakemore: JVCs key to expansion
Joint venture schemes enabling wholesalers and independents to share the cost of buying up new stores are a key part of AF Blakemore's expansion strategy, said the Spar wholesaler's retail director Elwyn Davies. "It's early days but we've bedded...
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The Grocer top products survey: sauces
Shaun Quinton Senior trading manager, proprietary brands Spar UK Central Office Our stores are more for destination top-up as opposed to planned purchase so we tend to do well on standard variants such as Chicken Tonight, Ragú and Uncle Ben's,...
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Robert Wiseman Dairies Awards: Winning ways that build confi
Three happy c-store retailers can celebrate Christmas in the sure knowledge that they have won the confidence of their neighbourhood. Margaret Low, who manages the 900 sq ft Spar store in Munro Avenue, Kilmarnock, and Jane and David Scott, who run...