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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

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

A.F. Blakemore Wins at FWD Gold Medal Awards

November 28, 2022

A.F. Blakemore is celebrating after winning the Data and Insight award at the Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD) Gold Medal Awards

Meat Trader Bal Mehmi Wins National Award

November 22, 2022

Meat Trader Bal Mehmi from Blakemore Fresh Foods is crowned a winner at the national Women in Meat Industry Awards

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

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

Lisa James Crowned Sales Colleague of the Year

September 27, 2022

SPAR Beddau Supervisor Lisa James wins Sales Colleague of the Year at The Convenience Awards

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blakemore Retail Unveils New Concept Store at SPAR Aberystwyth

February 18, 2022

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

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

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

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

A.F. Blakemore & Son Well Positioned for Growth

November 17, 2021

Chairman Peter Blakemore announces a year of good progress for 2020/21 in his statement on A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd’s annual financial results

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

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

SPAR Retail Show 2021: Better Together

October 22, 2021

Blakemore Trade Partners lays on its annual show for suppliers, colleagues and retailers from across SPAR UK’s Meridian & Welsh Guild

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blakemore Retail Birthday Parties Raise More Than £35,000 for NSPCC

June 11, 2021

Blakemore Retail raises £35,212 for the NSPCC by hosting 16th birthday parties across its SPAR estate to celebrate the start of its 16th year of partnership with the charity

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

Blakemore Foundation Awards £313,257 to Good Causes in 2020/21

May 24, 2021

The Blakemore Foundation awarded goods and monetary donations worth £313,257 to good causes during A.F. Blakemore’s 2020/21 financial year

A.F. Blakemore to Launch Charity Campaign in Memory of Raj Aggarwal

March 16, 2021

A.F. Blakemore is set to launch a charity campaign in April in memory of much-loved SPAR retailer Raj Aggarwal

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

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

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

A.F. Blakemore & Son Invests for Growth with New Opportunities

February 08, 2021

Chairman Peter Blakemore reports a year of good progress for 2019/20 in his annual statement on A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd’s financial results

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

Hockenhull Garages Crowned Forecourt Trader of the Year

January 21, 2021

Independently owned SPAR forecourt site The Stage has been named Forecourt Trader of the Year

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

A.F. Blakemore Launches New Commission Operator Store Model

October 01, 2020

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

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

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

Philpotts Signs Up to Too Good to Go Food Waste App

July 24, 2020

Philpotts joins Blakemore Retail in signing up to the Too Good to Go food waste fighting app

Blakemore Retail Trials Self-service Checkouts

July 23, 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

A.F. Blakemore Partners with Disability Sport Wales

February 03, 2020

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

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

SPAR International Presents A.F. Blakemore with Special Recognition Award

December 04, 2019

A.F. Blakemore has been presented with a Special Recognition award by SPAR International for the contribution it has made to the community through its Branching Out education programme

A.F. Blakemore Signs Up to Refill Campaign

December 04, 2019

A.F. Blakemore has become the first convenience retailer to join the Refill campaign to help reduce plastic waste

A.F. Blakemore Relaunches First Company-owned SPAR as Flagship Store

September 09, 2019

A.F. Blakemore relocates its inaugural company-owned SPAR store to a forecourt site in Willenhall

Blakemore Foodservice Joins Country Range Group

June 14, 2019

Blakemore Foodservice joins the Country Range Group network of independent wholesalers

A.F. Blakemore Flagship Store Programme Wins Grocer Gold

June 12, 2019

A.F. Blakemore’s Flagship Store Programme has been crowned Business Initiative of the Year at the Grocer Gold Awards

Blakemore Retail Achieves Investors in People Gold Accreditation

June 06, 2019

Blakemore Retail’s commitment to developing colleagues is recognised with the highly prestigious Investors in People Gold accolade

A.F. Blakemore Acquires Philpotts Store Chain

February 27, 2019

A.F. Blakemore has acquired the Philpotts chain of prepared-food stores, adding an additional 22 stores to the company’s retail estate

Blakemore Retail Colleagues’ Daring Deeds Raise Over £200k for NSPCC

January 28, 2019

Colleagues from Blakemore Retail SPAR stores went above and beyond during the latter half of 2018 to raise more than £200k for the children’s charity

Blakemore Retail Praised for Disability Awareness Training

December 04, 2018

Blakemore Retail is recognised with an award for its innovative disability e-learning training by the charity Purple

New Eat 17 Hammersmith Store Reinvents the Market Hall

August 14, 2018

Multi-award-winning fine food store and restaurant chain Eat 17 opens a new store in Hammersmith, complete with an indoor street food market and yoga classes