Key Summary
- Appleby Westward up for sale, but operations and retailer support to continue uninterrupted.
- SPAR South West 2025 tradeshow spotlighted own label growth and key high-margin categories like food to go, vaping, and fresh.
- New 12-week promotional campaign launched
Appleby Westward Group (AWG) is in the process of seeking a new UK-based owner as part of a wider strategic realignment by parent company SPAR Group South Africa, a top official confirmed at the recently-held SPAR South West 2025 Tradeshow & Conference.
Addressing the recent headlines, Mike Boardman, Managing Director at Appleby Westward Group Limited emphasised that operations continue unchanged and that the business remains committed to customers, SPAR retailers and suppliers during this transition.
“Appleby Westward is a strong and attractive business for a new owner, with great people, a robust wholesale and logistics infrastructure servicing more than 300 SPAR stores across the South West,” Boardman said.
“Our focus remains firmly on supporting our retailers and driving forward together.”
The tradeshow was attended by 140 independent SPAR retailers and more than 100 supplier stands.
Michael Fletcher provided a detailed market overview highlighting the importance of the SPAR own-label range as a differentiator in the convenience sector, with over 750 products.
“There is a big shift in consumer attitudes to own label, and they are looking to buy more. Own label is as relevant in convenience as it is in supermarkets,” he said.
Ian Taylor, SPAR UK’s Retail & Brand Development Director, spotlighted growth in “food for now” and “food for later” categories as the future of convenience. He encouraged retailers to rethink space allocation and layout, whether through quick refreshes or full refits, to take advantage of these high-growth areas.
Joe Dooley, Trading Director at Appleby Westward, presented core strategic category pillars including off-licence, impulse, food-to-go, fresh foods and flowers and vaping.
“It is a challenging trading environment, but by working with our supply partners we can deliver our growth through marginal gains that add up to stronger sales and profitability across SPAR South West stores,” he said.
Steve Thomas, Interim Sales and Recruitment Director, called on retailers to embrace the collaborative SPAR family model: wholesaler, supplier and retailer working as one.
He also stressed the importance of stocking the full depot range, activating marketing campaigns and boosting SPAR Brand visibility.
A new quarterly promotional campaign was launched, reducing wholesale costs on around 100 lines across all categories. These prices will be held for 12 weeks, with the range evolving seasonally.
“We are backing our independent retailers with meaningful margin opportunities,” added Thomas. “This new campaign delivers long-term value through locked-in pricing, enabling stores to stay competitive while protecting profitability.”