SPAR retailer Sat Deo wins £100,000 investment fund

Retailer Satminder Deo, of SPAR Wath upon Dearne, has won the £100,000 investment award at Blakemore Trade Partners SPAR Retail Show.

Welsh SPAR retailer Elfed Roberts was honoured with the coveted Baldwin Cup at the event which brought together 1,300 retailers, suppliers and industry guests at Telford International Centre on 15 June.

Focused on the theme of Sustainable Growth, the SRS conference provided a platform for the Blakemore Trade Partners team, which serves 690 independently owned SPAR stores, to outline their plans for the upcoming year.

“Convenience continues to experience formidable growth, offering opportunities for all our partners. Our focus is on providing the right proposition for our customers, differentiating ourselves from the competition and delivering outstanding results,” Louis Drake, commercial director, remarked, as he opened the conference.

Newly appointed chief executive Carol Welch took the stage to highlight BTP’s unique approach to partnering with retailers. In her inaugural speech, she centred on the Blakemore Way, which connects People and Partnerships to “create unique, trusted relationships where real people take an interest in all aspects of retailers’ businesses.”

Members of the BTP team highlighted how their approach to combining real people with data analytics had driven value and scale for retailers this year. Despite the challenging environment, there is huge optimism about the future, with convenience projected to outperform the market over the next five years.

David Cooke, group commercial director at A.F. Blakemore, focused on category growth and the significance of investing in fresh produce. He highlighted SPAR’s exceptional performance in the total convenience market, particularly in fresh, chilled, and teatime categories.

The company’s strategy for disruptor brands like PRIME has yielded numerous benefits for retailers, attracting younger demographics and new families to stores. The BTP team also outlined their plans for ongoing innovation this year.

Two independent SPAR retailers, Jenny Donaghy from community forecourt site SPAR Llandrinio and Giles Morrell of SPAR Compton, spoke at the event.

Donaghy won the £100,000 Big Investment Award at last year’s SRS and detailed how invaluable it has been for her family in taking their SPAR store and forecourt to the next level.

She is the winner of the Local Hero Award at the 2022 Asian Trader Awards.

Morrell emphasised the success of the adoption of the SPAR Market format at Compton, the introduction of new product ranges, and the expansion of the food-to-go offering to boost sales, profits and customer loyalty.

Sarah Ellis, group marketing director, underscored the importance of social media in today’s convenience sector, while sales director Bev Bailey revealed the Stock and Sell (SAS) initiative for independent retailers, which resulted in an average 44 per cent increase in sales and improved margins. Bailey announced further innovation with the SAS initiative, extending the £10,000 worth of free stock to smaller and on-the-go cluster stores. She also highlighted the success of retailer roadshows, enabling peers to strategise and enhance in-store experiences.

Impressive results from the 2022 retailer re-fits showcased the power of personalised and trusted support in delivering value and scale, with an average 12 per cent or £78,000 performance increase. The collaboration between the BTP team and retailers resulted in customer-centric stores catering to evolving needs. It was announced retailers have the opportunity to receive up to £15,000 to enhance the appearance, atmosphere and flow of their stores.

The trade show featured an impressive line-up of 220 suppliers, offering retailers a unique opportunity to stay ahead of the competition by exploring what’s popular and upcoming in the market.

Additional winners of the SRS2023 awards included SPAR Great Bookham, SPAR Lindford, SPAR Fishtoft, SPAR LLandrinio, and supplier winners such as Nestle confectionery, Coca Cola, Fuel10k, Hovis, and Heineken.