News and Trends

 Namnews,  11th May 2023 Blakemore Foodservice has been awarded five new contracts worth a total of £9m. The contracts, which will be serviced from the wholesaler’s 80,000 sq. ft. site in Wakefield, will add over 400 new accounts across education, care homes, leisure facilities and other council-run services. Matt Johnson, trade sector manager, said: “The wins demonstrate our ongoing commitment to supporting education catering. Our knowledge of the sector is exceptional and our team’s experience and understanding are outstanding, enabling us to deliver quality concepts and solutions through dedicated client support.”

Namnews, 12th July 2022 SPAR wholesaler Blakemore is reported to be increasing the delivery fee it charges retailers who don’t meet its minimum order threshold from £40 to £60. Trade magazine The Grocer quotes a letter sent to its independent retailers from Blakemore Trade Partners’ Commercial Director Louis Drake. It said: “Since April, we have continued to see further increases which are impacting the entire supply chain and driving inflationary pressure on the cost of goods. These impacts mean that we have had to further review our delivery criteria.” The new charges will take effect from 25 July. However, the wholesaler noted that its minimum order levels remain unchanged. These are £1,500 per ambient delivery (excluding cigarettes, tobacco and vaping), £200 per chilled delivery, and £150 per frozen delivery. The letter is also said to outline its plans to increase single pick charges. A spokesperson for Blakemore Trade Partners told The Grocer: “Adjustments such as these are alway...

Namnews, 21st June 2022 ‘New World, New Opportunities’ was the key theme at the Blakemore Trade Partners’ SPAR Retail Show last week, with executives noting that the current market turmoil makes it an ideal time for independent retailers to join the symbol group. The conference and tradeshow took place at Telford International Centre and attracted over 1,000 suppliers, staff, and retailers from across SPAR UK’s Meridian & Welsh Guild. The event addressed the opportunities ahead for independent retailers and how SPAR and Blakemore Trade Partners are positioned to help them take advantage. A.F. Blakemore Group CEO Jerry Marwood explained: “I believe we run our business and our business partnerships in a way that’s different from our competitors. “SPAR is a truly independent brand working solely to drive sales for independent retailers. We’re here only to support your desire to be a successful independent business. “If ever there was a time to be part of a collective like SPAR, then i...

Namnews, 5th April 2022 It has been confirmed that SPAR wholesaler A.F. Blakemore is a supply partner of rapid grocery delivery firm Gorillas. According to trade publication betterRetailing, staff at a Gorillas ‘dark site’ in London revealed its main supply of ambient goods was being provided by Blakemore Wholesale Distribution. One employee at the site is quoted as saying: “Our big suppliers are the national wholesalers where we get the majority of our ambient goods. Blakemore is the one we use the most.” A raft of new firms, including Getir, Gopuff, and Gorillas, are offering deliveries within minutes of ordering, prompting traditional supermarket groups to rethink their business models. They are also becoming competition to independent convenience stores due to the speed and ease of their service in local areas. Last month , Morrisons teamed with Gopuff to further expand its presence in the rapid grocery delivery market. Waitrose also recently began a trial of Deliveroo Hop, a dark ...

Namnews, 20th January 2022 A.F. Blakemore saw strong performance over the Christmas period with sales climbing 18% during the four weeks to 2 January 2022. The wholesaler and distributor stated that effective planning and additional capacity generated from its new, purpose-built distribution centre in Bedford had meant it was well-positioned to meet strong customer demand. Chairman Peter Blakemore commented: “Much of the sector had forecast a challenging operating period with predictions of supply chain failures impacting availability and the ongoing Covid pandemic affecting staffing levels. Without doubt Covid continues to impede colleague availability, however by investing and putting importance on our people capability, it has enabled us to continue to operate as normal despite Covid related absenteeism, which were similar to peak pandemic levels.” He added: “Christmas stock management required tactical stock builds, centralisation of supply and backhaul for our suppliers; but i...

Namnews, 17th November 2021 A.F. Blakemore’s group sales for the year ending on 24 April 2021 fell by 5% to £1.0bn after its foodservice and wholesale customers across the travel, tourism, leisure and educational sectors were heavily disrupted by the pandemic. However, pre-tax profits remained in line with the previous year at £6.1m due to cost controls and stable margin performance. Chairman Peter Blakemore stressed that the company had made good progress during the period amid the “unprecedented challenges” caused by the Covid‑19 crisis. “As a result of great customer service and an investment in pricing, we enjoyed good sales across our community-based SPAR convenience stores, with consumers shopping more locally, and whilst less frequently, with a higher basket spend,” he said. “Our teams worked hard to maintain robust service levels both in-store and across our distribution network throughout the financial year.” A.F. Blakemore has continued its investment programme over the last ...

  Source: Namnews.com 3rd February 2021 Amid the growing consumer focus on health and wellness, A.F. Blakemore has launched SPAR’s Natural free-from range into selected Blakemore Retail and independent SPAR stores. Developed in 2018 by SPAR International to meet demand for healthier food options, the sub-brand includes around 30 products, all of which are 100% organic and responsibly sourced. The range is already sold in 22 countries worldwide and is well established in SPAR stores across Europe. A.F. Blakemore has initially launched 15 of the lines into stores, including pasta, fruit and nut bars, corn cakes, tortilla chips, block chocolate, olive oil and soya milk. The range includes 12 prompts for shoppers looking to address allergies or follow certain diets, including vegan, vegetarian, organic, lactose-free, sugar-free, honey-free, gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, wild-grown and allergen-free. Food Solutions & Retail Proposition Director Nikki Rogers commente...

  www.talkingretail.com Food-to-go remains a vitally important component of convenience retail despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, says Spar wholesaler AF Blakemore, which is ramping up its Daily Deli offer in a bid to keep shoppers interested throughout the day.  Nikki Rogers, foodservice and propositions director at AF Blakemore, told today’s SRS 20 trade show and conference – which is taking place online – that the wholesaler had identified a significant under-trade in food-to-go and was aiming to make up the gap. It has already refreshed its Daily Deli offer, which Rogers admitted had been criticised before as being “a little bit bland”. The new range has been developed over the past six to seven months with a focus on quality and taste, factors that Rogers said were cited by more than 90% of consumers as “really important” when deciding where to buy food-on-the-go. There is also an increased focus on health within the new-look range, which she said he been br...

  www.talkingretail.com , 13th Augustr 2020   AF Blakemore has bought the online wholesaler and retailer Vegan Store for an undisclosed sum. Blakemore says the acquisition will diversify the group’s portfolio of brands, while adding a purely online division to the business structure. Group commercial managing director, Jerry Marwood, said: “The vegan or vegetarian lifestyle is predicted to be the choice of up to 25% of the British population by 2025. By acquiring Vegan Store we are adding a niche brand to our portfolio that we will be able to develop and grow in line with forecasted market growth. “We now have access to some of the best vegan products in the world, such as Go Max Go candy bars and Vegg, but in addition we can continue to create innovative new product development through Vegan Store’s Golden Crunch brand.” As part of the agreement, Vegan Store founder Lisa Ruskin will be joining AF Blakemor...

www.kamcity.com A.F. Blakemore’s retail division has launched its first standalone Subway and Greggs departments as it looks to grow sales in foodservice. The company said the store – situated next to its SPAR outlet in Staplehurst, Kent – is part of a strategy to improve and expand retail spaces across the business. Subway was previously housed inside the SPAR store but an empty unit nearby presented the opportunity to expand the franchise’s offer alongside a new Greggs department. Blakemore Retail stated that the new initiative forms part of its strategy to grow sales in foodservice by creating a food-to-go hub. Initial feedback from customers is said to have been positive. Blakemore Retail Managing Director Matt Teague commented: “At Blakemore Retail we have many years’ experience of running franchise foodservice businesses. However, they have always been part of an existing store. “The empty unit near our Staplehurst store offered us a...