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A.F. Blakemore launches ‘Short Supportive Stories’ book to recognise their ‘Women In Blakemore’

March 13, 2023

A F Blakemore, one of the UK’s largest independently owned businesses, has the announced the winners of their first Women in Blakemore Awards, via a story book. The book launch amalgamates the stories of the winners and their nominees.

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AF Blakemore appoints Carol Welch as new CEO

February 02, 2023

AF Blakemore, one of the UK’s largest privately owned family businesses, is pleased to announce that Carol Welch will join as Chief Executive in April, succeeding Jerry Marwood who is leaving to focus more time on his non-executive directorships and consultancy roles.

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Donations Worth £65,000 Awarded to Good Causes at Christmas

December 23, 2022

The Blakemore Foundation awards donations worth circa £65,000 to more than 1,300 activities and events in communities this Christmas

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SPAR Alsager Relaunches with New Food to Go

December 22, 2022

Blakemore Retail's Alsager SPAR store relaunches with a delicious new food-to-go offer

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A.F. Blakemore Christmas Campaign to Give Away up to £100,000 Worth of Prizes

December 08, 2022

A.F. Blakemore launches a SPAR Christmas campaign giving away up to £100,000 worth of prizes

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Independent Retailer Muru Visana Opens New SPAR Market Store in Clavering

November 08, 2022

The picturesque village of Clavering in Essex is home to a brand-new SPAR Market owned by enterprising independent retailer Muru Visana and family

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SPAR Harnessing the Power of the Past, to Be the Force for the Future

October 27, 2022

Four hundred people attend SPAR UK’s national conference in Gran Canaria

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Local MP Launches New Post Office at SPAR Chipping Sodbury

October 25, 2022

Blakemore Retail’s Chipping Sodbury store celebrates the opening of a brand-new post office with a visit from a local MP

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New SPAR Market Store for Dersingham Sees Substantial Increase in Sales and Margin

October 21, 2022

An independent family-owned SPAR store in Dersingham rebrands as a SPAR Market store

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A.F. Blakemore Helps 108 Colleagues Gain New LGV Driving Licence

September 30, 2022

A.F. Blakemore’s driver training programmes enables 108 colleagues to gain a new LGV driving licence in the past 12 months

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Five Colleagues Cycle London to Paris for GroceryAid

September 13, 2022

Five A.F. Blakemore colleagues complete an epic bike ride from London to Paris in aid of charity GroceryAid

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SPAR UK Awards £100,000 to Good Causes Via Community Cashback Scheme

July 12, 2022

SPAR UK awards £100,000 to good causes across the UK via its Community Cashback scheme

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SPAR Launches New Partnership with Deliveroo

June 22, 2022

SPAR UK signes a new partnership deal with Deliveroo covering all 2,160 SPAR stores in England, Scotland and Wales

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Blakemore Retail Spring Ball Raises £40,000 for NSPCC

June 22, 2022

Blakemore Retail raises more than £40,000 for the NSPCC at its fourth charity ball

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SPAR Retail Show 2022: New World, New Opportunities

June 17, 2022

‘New World, New Opportunities’ was the key theme lighting up the room at Blakemore Trade Partners’ SPAR Retail Show this year

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SPAR Own Label Expands for Summer BBQs

May 09, 2022

SPAR launches a variety of own label products to maximise this summer’s great opportunity

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Blakemore Retail Opens New Purpose-Built SPAR in Spalding

May 04, 2022

Blakemore Retail launches a brand-new SPAR convenience store in the town of Spalding, Lincolnshire

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SPAR Aberavon Relaunches with New and Improved Food to Go

April 22, 2022

SPAR Aberavon relaunches with a new and improved hot food counter serving delicious food to go

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Blakemore Retail Wins at NSPCC Corporate Impact Awards

April 21, 2022

Blakemore Retail is recognised at the NSPCC Corporate Impact Awards with the CEO’s Choice Award for Fundraising

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A.F. Blakemore to Launch SPAR Augmented Reality Game App

April 05, 2022

A.F. Blakemore is set to launch an interactive augmented reality (AR) game app that offers customers the chance to win prizes at SPAR stores

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A.F. Blakemore Educates Schoolchildren on Rules of the Road

March 24, 2022

A.F. Blakemore relaunches its road safety awareness campaign to more than 450 students at two West Midlands schools

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A.F. Blakemore to Trial Electric HGV

March 02, 2022

A.F. Blakemore will be trialling an electric truck at its Willenhall distribution centre for a week in March

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Blakemore Retail Unveils New Concept Store at SPAR Aberystwyth

February 18, 2022

Blakemore Retail launches a brand-new concept store at SPAR Aberystwyth

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A.F. Blakemore Appoints New Group Commercial Director

February 16, 2022

A.F. Blakemore appoints David Cooke to the newly created role of Group Commercial Director

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A.F. Blakemore Invests in New Tractor Units

January 13, 2022

Ten new tractor units have been delivered into A.F. Blakemore’s food distribution fleet, each meeting Transport for London’s three-star Direct Vision Standard (DVS) rating

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SPAR Launches New Brand Positioning

January 12, 2022

SPAR unveils new UK-wide brand positioning that celebrates the unique characteristics of SPAR convenience stores

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SPAR Becomes First Grocer in UK to Launch 100% Vegan Own-label Wine Range

January 06, 2022

​SPAR makes its full range of own-label wines suitable for vegans

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Festive Friday Raises Thousands for Charity

December 17, 2021

Last week’s Festive Friday is estimated to have raised more than £20,000 for charity

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Blakemore Colleagues Scoop Three FWD Gold Medals

November 26, 2021

Kelly Burrows, Ian Cawley and Alan Mayor are crowned winners at this year’s FWD Awards

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Blakemore Colleagues Attend Disability Sport Wales Paralympic Celebratory Dinner

November 25, 2021

A.F. Blakemore Group Marketing Director Sarah Ellis and Responsible Business Director Caoire Blakemore attend Disability Sport Wales’s Paralympic Celebratory Dinner

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A.F. Blakemore Achieves Goal of 100% Renewable Electricity

November 19, 2021

A.F. Blakemore moves its operations to 100% renewable electricity

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Blakemore Retail and NSPCC Win at Corporate Engagement Awards

November 15, 2021

Blakemore Retail’s charity partnership with the NSPCC wins bronze at the Corporate Engagement Awards 2021

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Blakemore Retail Goes Purple for Purple Tuesday

November 05, 2021

Blakemore Retail colleagues dress up and decorate their stores in purple for disability awareness event Purple Tuesday

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Blakemore Retail Opens New Store in Broughton Astley

October 15, 2021

Blakemore Retail opens a new SPAR store in the village of Broughton Astley, Leicestershire

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SPAR Parkfoot Scoops Top Prize at Convenience Awards

September 15, 2021

SPAR Parkfoot is named Convenience Retailer of the Year at The Convenience Awards 2021

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SPAR MD Louise Hoste Announced as New Chair of ACS

September 01, 2021

The Association of Convenience Stores announces the appointment of SPAR Managing Director Louise Hoste as its new chair from November

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Shortlists for Grocer Gold, Convenience and Retail Industry Awards Announced

July 23, 2021

A.F. Blakemore and its stores make the shortlist for the Grocer Gold, Convenience and Retail Industry awards

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GroceryAid Coast to Coast Cycle Gets Underway

July 23, 2021

Ten cyclists from A.F. Blakemore and independent SPAR stores take on an epic bike ride across Wales in aid of charity GroceryAid

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SPAR Stores Across Wales to Celebrate Welsh Food Fortnight

July 23, 2021

SPAR stores across Wales will be taking part in a Welsh Food Fortnight campaign next month

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Blakemore Retail Reaches £4 Million Fundraising Milestone for NSPCC

July 23, 2021

Blakemore Retail reaches a £4 million fundraising milestone for the NSPCC through its 16-year partnership with the charity

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Operations Manager Chloe Ball Wins Warehousing Award

July 09, 2021

Chilled Operations Manager Chloe Ball becomes the first Blakemore colleague to win an award at the Everywoman in Transport and Logistics Awards

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Blakemore Cyclists to Embark on Coast to Coast Challenge

July 09, 2021

Ten cyclists from A.F. Blakemore and independent SPAR stores are set to take on an epic bike ride across Wales in aid of charity GroceryAid

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Blakemore Retail Teams Up with NSPCC for Home or Out Alone Campaign

July 09, 2021

Blakemore Retail teams up with the NSPCC to help parents decide if their children are ready to stay home or go out alone

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Blakemore Retail Launches First SPAR Market Store

June 24, 2021

Blakemore Retail relaunches its store in Bala under the SPAR Market fascia following a complete refurbishment

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SPAR UK Conference 2021: The Future of Convenience is with SPAR

May 27, 2021

The SPAR symbol group is determined to maintain its lead in the convenience market by investing £125 million in the business over the next 12 months

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Colleagues Celebrate GroceryAid Awareness Day

March 05, 2021

Colleagues across A.F. Blakemore help the company raise awareness of GroceryAid as it marks GroceryAid Awareness Day

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Blakemore Retail Extends Partnership with Too Good To Go to 275 Stores

February 24, 2021

Blakemore Retail signs up all 275 of its SPAR convenience stores to the Too Good To Go app

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Blakemore Foundation Covid-19 Support Reaches Value of £176,000

February 17, 2021

Charitable donations awarded to Covid-related causes via the Blakemore Foundation have now reached a value of £176,000

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Double Success at Retail Industry Awards

January 27, 2021

SPAR Parkfoot and Eat 17 SPAR Walthamstow are crowned winners at the 2020 Retail Industry Awards

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Store Manager Linda Carrington Receives New Year Honour

December 31, 2020

SPAR Store Manager Linda Carrington receives a British Empire Medal in The Queen’s New Year Honours

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A.F. Blakemore Launches New Commission Operator Store Model

October 01, 2020

A.F. Blakemore launches a brand-new commission operator SPAR store model

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SPAR Y Maes Takes Home Top Prize at Convenience Awards

September 30, 2020

A.F. Blakemore is celebrating after a fantastic evening at the Convenience Awards

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Blakemore Retail Launches New Flagship Store in North Wales

August 24, 2020

Blakemore Retail launches a brand-new flagship SPAR store in Bodelwyddan, North Wales

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A.F. Blakemore Expands Operations with Acquisition of Online Vegan Store

August 13, 2020

A.F. Blakemore announces the purchase of the online wholesaler and retailer Vegan Store

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Blakemore Retail Trials Self-service Checkouts

July 23, 2020

Blakemore Retail is trialling three card-only self-service checkouts at its Bannerbrook store

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Blakemore Retail Invests in Delivery Vans to Meet Snappy Shopper Demand

June 25, 2020

Blakemore Retail invests in new delivery vans to keep up with demand for Snappy Shopper home deliveries

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Blakemore Retail Launches Home Delivery Website

April 30, 2020

Blakemore Retail launches an online ordering website to make it easier for customers to browse products from SPAR stores offering home deliveries

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A.F. Blakemore Colleagues Donate Over £25,000 During Coronavirus Crisis

April 21, 2020

Colleagues from across A.F. Blakemore donate more than £25,000 to local communities during the coronavirus crisis

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A.F. Blakemore Partners with Royal Voluntary Service

April 15, 2020

A.F. Blakemore partners with the Royal Voluntary Service to help vulnerable people and NHS workers during the coronavirus crisis

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SPAR Partners with Royal Voluntary Service

April 08, 2020

SPAR stores in England are to be the first convenience retailer to partner with Royal Voluntary Service on its NHS Volunteer Responders programme

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Blakemore Retail Launches Standalone Greggs and Subway

March 04, 2020

Blakemore Retail launches its first standalone Greggs and Subway store as part of its strategy to expand retail spaces across the business

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A.F. Blakemore Partners with Disability Sport Wales

February 03, 2020

A.F. Blakemore becomes the national community partner of Disability Sport Wales

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A.F. Blakemore Trials Food Waste Fighting App

January 24, 2020

A.F. Blakemore is the latest convenience store retailer to trial the food waste fighting app Too Good to Go

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