One Stop marks 50th birthday with nationwide campaign

One Stop is celebrating its 50th birthday with a nationwide campaign involving over 1,000 stores.

Until 13 October, One Stop is offering special deals, customer giveaways and community grants.

In-store there is gold-themed point-of-sale material along with exclusive promotions on leading brands, while online there is a dedicated landing page on the One Stop website directing visitors to its ‘Birthday Balloon Bonanza’.

The digital birthday game gives customers the chance to win an all-inclusive tropical holiday. Birthday deals and special, decade-inspired recipes also feature in the campaign.

In addition, the convenience retailer has launched a £25,000 community grant scheme. Customers are invited to nominate local groups for a chance to receive £500 grants, helping to further support good causes across the UK.

Stephanie Wood, One Stop managing director, said: “For five decades One Stop has delivered quality, convenience and value to our customers. This milestone isn’t just about our past – it’s about the future of local retailing. Our colleagues, customers and franchisees are at the heart of our journey and we’re looking forward to proudly celebrating with partners, colleagues and the communities we serve.”

History of One Stop

One Stop was started by Kevin Threlfall in 1975 as a market stall in Wolverhampton. After five years, Threlfall opened his first permanent store Supercigs and then joined forces with David Lockett-Smith to become co-founder of T&S Stores.

Through several acquisitions, T&S gained household names including Dillons and Day + Nite and grew rapidly. In 2002, Tesco purchased T&S convenience stores, Dillons and Supercigs, changing to the brand One Stop and marking a turning point in One Stop’s development.

Over the years, One Stop expanded its footprint and in 2014, the company launched its franchise model.

The next decade saw continued expansion and modernisation, with the introduction of new technologies, sustainability initiatives, and a focus on customer convenience.

In 2021, One Stop extended its online reach further and became available on major delivery platforms including Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats.

In 2022 One Stop celebrated raising £10 million for charity. It saw the opening of its 300th franchise store in 2022 and its 1,000th One Stop store in 2023.