Stalled expansion plans by Scotland’s largest independent retailer look set to kick into action in the next few weeks, as a raft of new initiatives begin to bear fruit.
Spar’s Scottish principal, CJ Lang, announced plans to double its 50-strong estate of stores two years ago, but by the end of September this year the total had slipped to 49.
However, the first two buys lined up by a new acquisitions team are about to take place, and it is looking seriously at another 15 potential sites, according to own stores controller Jamie Buchanan.
The new team was set up in April and has since looked at 80 potential acquisitions, said Buchanan, but finding stores of sufficient quality has proved very difficult.
The criteria the team were looking for, he said, were for a store with a turnover of at least £20,000 a week, excluding VAT, lottery and services, and floorspace of about 2,000 sq ft.
He said some of the stores being considered were owned by independent Spar retailers who wished to leave the business, but the majority were non-Spar members and some new-build opportunities.
CJ Lang does not currently own any forecourt sites, but some were also under consideration, said Buchanan.
The acquisitions drive is being backed by a new bounty hunter scheme for staff which
offers a £1,000 reward for finding a store which is either acquired by the group, or joins Spar as an independent retailer.
Buchanan also revealed that the group was gearing up its training and recruitment to ensure a supply of managers was available to take over new stores. The first four management trainees, two internal candidates and two graduates will start a new scheme at the end of October, and each time a trainee moves into a post a new one will be recruited. “This will ensure that we constantly have a supply of quality people in the pipeline,” said Buchanan.
Training for the new intake, and for existing managers, will be based around a new centre of excellence being developed at a store in Edinburgh.
Part of the training will be aimed at giving managers the ability to train staff, so new standards of excellence could be transmitted through the organisation. New field trainers will be brought in next month to follow up management training at store level.
n CJ Lang chief executive David Walker has revealed plans to invest in the group’s Martex cash and carry business (see Grocer4Independents, p19).
John Wood
Spar’s Scottish principal, CJ Lang, announced plans to double its 50-strong estate of stores two years ago, but by the end of September this year the total had slipped to 49.
However, the first two buys lined up by a new acquisitions team are about to take place, and it is looking seriously at another 15 potential sites, according to own stores controller Jamie Buchanan.
The new team was set up in April and has since looked at 80 potential acquisitions, said Buchanan, but finding stores of sufficient quality has proved very difficult.
The criteria the team were looking for, he said, were for a store with a turnover of at least £20,000 a week, excluding VAT, lottery and services, and floorspace of about 2,000 sq ft.
He said some of the stores being considered were owned by independent Spar retailers who wished to leave the business, but the majority were non-Spar members and some new-build opportunities.
CJ Lang does not currently own any forecourt sites, but some were also under consideration, said Buchanan.
The acquisitions drive is being backed by a new bounty hunter scheme for staff which
offers a £1,000 reward for finding a store which is either acquired by the group, or joins Spar as an independent retailer.
Buchanan also revealed that the group was gearing up its training and recruitment to ensure a supply of managers was available to take over new stores. The first four management trainees, two internal candidates and two graduates will start a new scheme at the end of October, and each time a trainee moves into a post a new one will be recruited. “This will ensure that we constantly have a supply of quality people in the pipeline,” said Buchanan.
Training for the new intake, and for existing managers, will be based around a new centre of excellence being developed at a store in Edinburgh.
Part of the training will be aimed at giving managers the ability to train staff, so new standards of excellence could be transmitted through the organisation. New field trainers will be brought in next month to follow up management training at store level.
John Wood
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