Mike Boardman: ‘Appleby Westward is a strong and attractive business for a new owner.’

Centred on the theme ‘RIO – Retail, Investment, Opportunity’, the conference highlighted SPAR South West’s forward-looking strategy and ambition across its network.

“Our tradeshow and conference reinforces SPAR South West’s commitment to building lasting relationships between independent SPAR retailers, suppliers and community partnerships,” said Mike Boardman, managing director of Appleby Westward. “It’s about recognising success, exploring new opportunities and shaping the future of convenience retail together.”

Boardman emphasised that it was ‘business as usual’ in response to the news that Appleby Westward is up for sale by its South African owner SPAR Group (SPPJ.J), with AF Blakemore tipped to be the buyer. He told delegates that the sale process would take months to complete and that the business remains committed to customers, SPAR retailers and suppliers during this transition.

“Appleby Westward is a strong and attractive business for a new owner, with great people and a robust wholesale and logistics infrastructure servicing more than 300 SPAR stores across the South West,” he commented. “Our focus remains firmly on supporting our retailers and driving forward together.”

SPAR UK’s managing mirector Michael Fletcher highlighted the importance of the SPAR own-label range as a differentiator in the convenience sector. He said that with over 750 own-label products and more than 160 industry awards, the SPAR brand continues to deliver value, quality and retailer exclusivity. “There is a big shift in consumer attitudes to own label and they are looking to buy more. Own label is as relevant in convenience as it is in supermarkets,” he added.

Ian Taylor, SPAR UK’s retail & brand development director, spotlighted growth in ‘food for now’ and ‘food for later’ categories as the future of convenience. He encouraged retailers to rethink space allocation and layout, whether through quick refreshes or full refits, to take advantage of these high-growth areas.

Joe Dooley, trading director at Appleby Westward, presented core strategic category pillars including off licence, impulse, food-to-go, fresh foods, flowers and vaping. “It is a challenging trading environment, but by working with our supply partners we can deliver our growth through marginal gains that add up to stronger sales and profitability across SPAR South West stores,” he said.

Steve Thomas: ‘This new campaign delivers long-term value through locked-in pricing.’

Steve Thomas, interim sales & recruitment director, called on retailers to embrace the collaborative SPAR family model: wholesaler, supplier and retailer working as one. He stressed the importance of stocking the full depot range, activating marketing campaigns and boosting SPAR Brand visibility.

Thomas also announced the launch of a new quarterly promotional campaign, reducing wholesale costs on around 100 lines across all categories. These prices will be held for 12 weeks, with the range evolving seasonally. “We are backing our independent retailers with meaningful margin opportunities,” he said. “This new campaign delivers long-term value through locked-in pricing, enabling stores to stay competitive while protecting profitability.”

This year’s event also raised funds for SPAR’s national charity partner, Marie Curie, and Appleby Westward’s regional partner, FareShare South West.