Exclusive John Wood Bestway finally unveiled the first Best-one store this week, together with a bundle of delivered services to add to its cash and carry offering. The 2,500 sq ft store in Westbourne Grove, London, opened under the Best-one fascia on Tuesday and retail development manager James Hall said two more would follow shortly. He claimed about 70 other retailers were waiting to join. When the Best-one group was launched in May (The Grocer, May 6), offering a delivered wholesale service and fascia to independent retailers, Bestway said the opening of the first store was imminent. But problems, particularly with IT, delayed the project. Hall said: "During the last few months we have finalised our administrative structure and operational strategies for the Best-one group, embracing group membership, business development teams, store fitting services, scanning system, a comprehensive PLOF, core product ranges and plans for a 12-month promotional programme." Hall said that a third party distribution arrangement for bread, milk and chilled foods was already operational and serving more than 100 stores. In addition, Bestway is preparing to launch a frozen food delivery service. It will begin offering the service to selected stores in London next month, rolling it out to the Midlands and south-west early in the New Year. Hall said Bestway would shortly be announcing national distributors for chilled and frozen food. Ambient grocery will be distributed initially from Bestway's cash and carry at Abbey Road in West London, before the service rolls out to other depots to provide nationwide coverage. Hall emphasised, however, that although orders would be picked from cash and carry depots, space would be set aside to be used solely for storage of retail lines and promotions. {{NEWS }}

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