Talking Retail Grocery and product news for independent retailers
Fresh sales did well, up by 7.1% compared with the previous year, while other high-performing categories included medicines (up 47%) and baby products (up 25%).
Louise Hoste, Spar UK’s managing director, said: “Our Christmas trading results are confirmation of how Spar continues to lead the convenience store and symbol market.
“According to Nielsen Scan Track data, it shows that in the four weeks to 1 January, the c-store market was up 2.1% and symbols as a whole were down 2.5%. Our year-on-year sales grew by 2.3%.”
Hoste added that the group’s busiest days during the four-week period were Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, in both cash sales and number of transactions.
Last May, Spar announced it would invest £125m into stores and improve its supply chain and IT capability in order to support retailers. The symbol group is more than half way through that process.
Investment has been made in store developments all over the UK.
James Hall & Co invested in community store retailing, the Henderson Group opened 28 new stores in Northern Ireland last year and has plans to spend more than £50m on infrastructure, marketing, new products and ranges this year.
AF Blakemore launched a purpose-built, 165,000sq ft distribution depot in Bedford, while Appleby Westward and CJ Lang have invested in new delivery fleets and new retailer recruitment support.
