A new Spar store and café opened its doors in Calver, Derbyshire on 24 August 2013, bringing local shoppers a range of farm shop-style produce from regional suppliers. The Calver store is the first Spar format of its kind in the
Cheeky Cow, the cheese brand from Somerset Cheddar maker, Cricketer Farm, has teamed up with the Bath-based development charity Send a Cow, which works hand in hand with poor African families, teaching them the skills they need to build new lives
A Worcester-based hospice has received funding from a Spar retailer to support the day-to-day care of patients at the hospice. Burn’s & Co’s Spar Malvern Springs Service Station donated £428 to St Richard’s Hospice through the stores open event on
Continuing Spar’s theme of award-winning spirits, Spar Finest Blended Scotch Whisky has been awarded Silver at this year’s International Spirits Challenge, standing up alongside premium brands such as The Black Grouse, Whyte & Mackay Special and Clan Macgregor. Spar’s Finest
An employee from Spar wholesaler, AF Blakemore, has completed a 227 mile cycle challenge from Holyhead to Pontypool in aid of the Bristol Children’s Hospital. Iestyn Rhodes from AF Blakemore’s IT Support team raised £1,000 for Bristol Children’s Hospital by
Employees from Spar wholesaler AF Blakemore dug out their gardening gloves and got green-fingered on 15 May 2013 to take part in Give and Gain Day 2013. The team, consisting of employees from both the Talbot Green and Tipton depots,
The Spar Lancashire School Games, a leading UK sporting event for children, kicked-off at The Breck primary school, Poulton le Fylde on 4 February 2013. The Lancashire Lion; school games organiser, Lee Cadwallader; Rachel Wood from Lancashire Sport; Fiona Addison and
Spar has opened a flagship store in Chengdu in the province of Sichuan, China. It is the retailer’s 215th store in the country. Spar unites five independent regional retail chains into the Spar China Group in China. Together, the group
Blakemore Trade Partners’ Spar estate is moving to weekly phased promotions this month (January 2013), in a move to create greater variety for shoppers and an easier system for retailers. From today (17 January 2013), each three-weekly promotional period will
Threeways Garage, an Abergele, Conwy, petrol station has converted its convenience store from Lifestyle to Spar. The Threeways site, which houses a 24-hour Shell forecourt and HGV lane, 40-seat café, car wash centre, a number of vehicle franchises and a motorhome business,
The 2012 Spar Lancashire School Games were reported to be a roaring success, completed by more than 2,300 primary and secondary school pupils from across Lancashire. Part of the national £128m school games programme, the Spar Lancashire School Games are
Spar retailer and distributor AF Blakemore has appointed Ian Diment to the role of human resources director. Diment held the position of human resources manager for Capper & Co at the time of the Welsh-based company’s acquisition and merger with
Spar has opened a new service station and store in Alnwick, Northumbria, In collaboration with Northumbrian Fuel Services. The store is reported to have been fitted out to the highest standards with Paul Abbott, a director of Northumbrian Fuel, describing
Winners of Spar International’s See the World with Spar campaign have set sail to travel the world and report back on Spar in countries all over the globe. According to Spar, the campaign is an exciting concept, in keeping with
Spar Austria is planning to open 50 forecourt stores in partnership with Shell Austria by 2013. The move follows a trial of two Spar Express forecourt stores in Wattens (Tyrol) and Feldkirch (Vorarlberg) in summer 2011. Spar Austria plans to
Spar wholesaler, James Hall & Co, has revamped its Spar brand Savoury Pies and Slices range and moved to a local supplier to improve the quality and value of an already successful range.The new range will be packed in pre-printed
The People’s Supermarket is teaming up with Spar to help secure the future for the central London co-operative supermarket. Under the partnership agreement, Spar wholesaler and retailer, AF Blakemore, will become the main wholesale grocery supplier for The People’s Supermarket; alongside
Developing strong partnerships was the key theme at this year’s AF Blakemore Spar conference on 12 June 2012. Opening the conference, group managing director Peter Blakemore spoke of the success of the Capper/Blakemore integration and detailed how the two separate companies had become
Spar UK is running a host of value price promotions across its own brand ready meal range. Ongoing two for £2.50, £4.00 or £5.00 prices are now available across Spar’s own brand range of Italian, Indian, Chinese and British classic
Irish BBC Apprentice contestant, Jane McEvoy, is launching a range of fresh organic baby and toddler soups called Harry’s Little World. The entrepreneur from County Kilkenny is targeting the multiples with the range and claims it fills a large gap
Spar wholesaler and retailer, AF Blakemore, has relaunched its shopfitting business, Complete Shopfitting, as Blakemore Design & Shopfitting. According to the company, the rebranding heralds a new era of design innovation, workmanship and great customer service. Operating under a new
Spar is enjoying an active 2012 in markets around the globe. It is expanding in Gran Canaria, with four new stores opening on the island in the past year and plans for five new stores in 2012; and has helped
Spar UK is relaunching its own brand soft drinks, bringing new flavours and modern packaging to the range. Four new lines will be added to the selection, including Spar Summer Fruits and Citrus Juice Drinks, both 500ml; Orange Glucose Energy Drink 380ml
Spar Kincaidston in Ayr is ensuring its local primary school’s ‘Cooking Bus’ Initiative will carry on for at least another two years. The initiative is one of two, designed to engage children in the skills and knowledge required to make healthy
Spar retailer and wholesaler AF Blakemore has been presented with a certificate of appreciation for its ongoing support of the Poppy Appeal by The Royal British Legion. The certificate presentation (11 April 2012) was arranged by The Royal British Legion
