Read what’s happening in the convenience & independent retail space. Who are the latest innovators & winners in this marginalised retail sector?
Spar’s wine range has scooped a total of 98 awards in three top wine competitions. The convenience retailer won accolades for its own brand and branded wines in The International Wine and Spirits Competition, The Decanter World Wine Awards and
The Co-operative Group has invested £1m in creating a ‘village’ stand to showcase its businesses at a series of agricultural and other shows throughout the summer. The village incorporates Co-operative Group businesses including food, farms, travel, pharmacy, banking and funeral
Spar said it is proud to be the only convenience retailer proactively supporting National Wine Month. The initiative, which is being co-ordinated by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, is launching this year for the first time and hopes to
Local shops have welcomed the Government review of the high street and the appointment of Mary Portas as an independent advisor to lead the project. ACS chief executive James Lowman, who is attending today’s High Street summit at the Department
The Co-operative is launching a Family Fun voucher scheme offering shoppers a booklet of vouchers worth £80 in savings when they spend £10.00 or more on groceries. The booklets will be on offer from 18 May to 14 August 2011
Spar Czech Republic has donated the leftover fresh products from its Fresh Food congress, recently held in the capital, to Prague Zoo. Event organisers donated leftover ice, fruits and vegetables to polar bears in the zoo. According to Spar, the event itself
The Co-operative has won two gold awards for products in its premium Truly Irresistible range at the Grocer Own Label Food and Drink Awards 2011. The Co-operative’s Truly Irresistible Fairtrade Milk Chocolate with Butterscotch won gold in the Grocery Confectionery
Google is launching a competition to find the best independent retail website in the UK. The Best of British Web Competition aims to inspire small retailers to make the most of their websites and reap the business rewards of being
Spar UK is giving away free schools’ sports day kits for children, as part of the symbol group’s ongoing UK Athletics sponsorship. According to Spar, retailers across the UK can use the branded sports day kits locally as they choose.
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed the renewed Tackling Tobacco Smuggling strategy published today, but has called for a more integrated approach to Government tobacco control policy. ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Customs agents are doing a
Spar wholesaler and retailer CJ Lang has completed its acquisition of AM Landsburgh (St Andrews) and added 10 stores to its 95-strong estate. Scott Malcolm, managing director of CJ Lang, said: “When we sold our cash & carry and foods services
The Co-operative Group is to provide live national broadcast coverage of the Royal Wedding on its in-store radio for customers and staff across the UK on 29 April 2011. The broadcasts will be transmitted in all Co-operative food stores with
The Co-operative is gearing up for summer with a raft of new and seasonal products launching in store on 4 May 2011. New barbecue products include British Elmwood Thai Green Chicken Steaks and British Elmwood Piri Piri Chicken Wings. The
Epay, the largest electronic payments processor of prepaid mobile airtime, has urged retailers to embrace innovations in prepaid products and services as an opportunity to reverse the decline in high street sales. Recent research found one in seven shops is
Two Spar stores scooped top prizes in the Convenience Retail Awards, organised by trade magazines Convenience Store and The Grocer. The Village Stores in Walthamstow Village, trading under the Spar fascia, was named Convenience Retailer of the Year and Spar
The Co-operative’s Fairtrade Easter egg has topped a taste test on Channel 4’s food website, beating other Easter eggs retailing at up to £55. The Co-operative Truly Irresistible Fairtrade Milk Chocolate & Butterscotch Half Egg with Mini Eggs, which retails
The Co-operative Group has signed up to support national charity FareShare and back its campaign to help communities relieve food poverty and reduce food waste across the UK. It has pledged to help the charity after a pilot with FareShare
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has warned the decision to increase the minimum wage for adults by 2.5% to £6.08 will threaten job creation in the retail sector. ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “We are extremely disappointed the
Vince Cable, the Secretary of State for Business, has launched a major and innovative new public consultation that gives local shops the opportunity to explain which regulations that cause them a burden should go. The web site, http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ will be live
Spar International claims it is underscoring its commitment to retailers and customers with the continuous development and innovation of its own label ranges. In Switzerland, Spar is showcasing its environmentally- conscious credentials with the launch of a new range of
The Co-operative Group has updated the forecourt sites it acquired from Somerfield with three technology solutions from Torex, which will enable it to process combined fuel and store transactions and accept fuel cards. The Co-operative added 142 forecourt sites to
Spar is to supply 17 stores at 15 RAF bases across the UK in an expanded deal with ISS UK, one of the country’s largest commercial providers of facility services. The deal includes plans to develop an airport terminal shop at Spar
Spar has launched an Interspar iPhone app in the Czech Republic and is enabling Interspar customers in Hungary to pay for their shopping with their mobile phone. The free iPhone app was originally designed as a cooking application but has
AF Blakemore has acquired fellow Spar retailer and wholesaler Capper & Co. The merger will create the largest Spar wholesaler in the UK, serving a total of 1,096 stores, and a group with a combined turnover of £1.1bn. South Wales-based
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed the focus on retail growth and the reduction in fuel duty in today’s Budget but has expressed concern about the implications of planning liberalisation. On the topic of growth review, the ACS
