John Wood
Spar has topped last week's 56-store win ( Right Choice deal swells Spar', The Grocer, January 18, p6) with a deal to supply 63 c-stores in the Wolverhampton-based Stars News chain.
Spar's biggest wholesaler AF Blakemore has signed a partnership deal with Stars News, although fellow Spar wholesaler Capper & Co will deliver to 11 stores which are in its territory.
Stars has instantly become Spar UK's second largest member after Naafi, and plans to convert all its c-stores to Spar's Millennium store livery.
The deal marks the end of work on Stars Fresh n' Local, a new c-store brand which was being developed to differentiate the 63 c-stores from the rest of the 140 stores in the group which had a strong established CTN brand. Stars MD Paul Siviter said that when the Fresh n' Local concept was unveiled last May, developing a Stars c-store brand had been the right move, but the deals by Tesco and the Co-operative Group to take over T&S Stores and Alldays had caused re-evaluation of the plan.
Siviter said: "The Tesco deal took away the luxury of the time needed to establish the new brand. We need to fast-track the c-stores. We have made the investment in fresh, chilled, and beers, wines and spirits, but we needed a strong recognised brand."
The move will also see the termination of development of the Stars Express fascia, a CTN plus format which will be reabsorbed under the Stars News fascia.
In June, Stars also signed a deal with P&H to handle distribution to its entire estate. Siviter emphasised he was entirely happy with the service supplied by P&H, and it would continue to supply the other 140 stores in the group, but the branding issue on the c-stores clinched the deal for Spar.
Spar UK MD Jerry Marwood said: "Our ambition is to be the first choice for all progressive retailers in convenience regardless of store numbers, size or trading heritage."
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Spar has topped last week's 56-store win ( Right Choice deal swells Spar', The Grocer, January 18, p6) with a deal to supply 63 c-stores in the Wolverhampton-based Stars News chain.
Spar's biggest wholesaler AF Blakemore has signed a partnership deal with Stars News, although fellow Spar wholesaler Capper & Co will deliver to 11 stores which are in its territory.
Stars has instantly become Spar UK's second largest member after Naafi, and plans to convert all its c-stores to Spar's Millennium store livery.
The deal marks the end of work on Stars Fresh n' Local, a new c-store brand which was being developed to differentiate the 63 c-stores from the rest of the 140 stores in the group which had a strong established CTN brand. Stars MD Paul Siviter said that when the Fresh n' Local concept was unveiled last May, developing a Stars c-store brand had been the right move, but the deals by Tesco and the Co-operative Group to take over T&S Stores and Alldays had caused re-evaluation of the plan.
Siviter said: "The Tesco deal took away the luxury of the time needed to establish the new brand. We need to fast-track the c-stores. We have made the investment in fresh, chilled, and beers, wines and spirits, but we needed a strong recognised brand."
The move will also see the termination of development of the Stars Express fascia, a CTN plus format which will be reabsorbed under the Stars News fascia.
In June, Stars also signed a deal with P&H to handle distribution to its entire estate. Siviter emphasised he was entirely happy with the service supplied by P&H, and it would continue to supply the other 140 stores in the group, but the branding issue on the c-stores clinched the deal for Spar.
Spar UK MD Jerry Marwood said: "Our ambition is to be the first choice for all progressive retailers in convenience regardless of store numbers, size or trading heritage."
{{NEWS }}
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