Blakemore Wholesale has launched Apex Local Stores as an alternative fascia to Lifestyle Express for its Landmark Wholesale cash & carry retail customers.

The new fascia has a white flag on a green background.

The first two stores opened in Grimsby last month and new stores are expected to come on board in coming months.

Blakemore Wholesale said it would only recommend that a retailer opened an Apex Local store if there was already a Lifestyle Express close by.

"It's just there as a secondary fascia where we have a high concentration of Lifestyle Express stores," said commercial director Russell Grant. "Apex Local Stores is perfect for retailers who value their independence, yet would like to reach their stores' full potential, and due to current Lifestyle Express rules, cannot partake in the already established Lifestyle Express fascia."

Although there are no set rules in Landmark Wholesale on store locations the buying group tends to avoid opening stores within 0.4 miles of each other. Most symbol groups now had second fascias, Landmark Wholesale MD Martin Williams said.

"Competing stores don't want the same fascia and sometimes you need a second fascia to offer them," he said. "It's one of those backups you need to solve local challenges."

Landmark Wholesale had considered a group-wide second fascia, he added, but instead decided to focus on Lifestyle Express. "The trouble is, if you're not careful you end up with three or four," Williams said. "We're keeping Apex as close to our Lifestyle Express principles as we can while acknowledging that for commercial reasons the guys need a slightly different offering."

Apex Local Stores retailers are provided with bespoke promotions, window and fascia graphics and internal PoS free of charge. Members can also use Landmark Wholesale's retail promotions and in-store planograms. They will also be encouraged to stock Landmark's own-label lines.