SPAR UK wholesaler for the North of England, James Hall & Co. Ltd, has seen significant milestones reached across its independent and company-owned store network which operates in local communities across the region.

Driven by independent retailing

Independent retailers form the backbone of the SPAR brand worldwide. In the North of England, James Hall provides ongoing support to local entrepreneurs to help them continue developing and growing their businesses.

At the beginning of June, two independent SPAR retailers in the region celebrated the opening of new stores. The Karavandra family opened their second store in Greater Manchester, opening with a new modern SPAR convenience store in Bryn. The store is run by siblings Janak and Daxa Karavadra and their uncle, Ranmal Karavadra, and offers a comprehensive assortment, including food-to-go options.

In Liverpool, independent owner Kent Gu opened his first SPAR store at the heart of the city, between Liverpool Lime Street central train station and the University of Liverpool. The SPAR Monument Place store features a comprehensive convenience offer with excellent fresh food and ambient ranges. The store’s location is at the heart of major redevelopments in the city, with the instore offer tailored to the needs of local customers.

The Gregson family in Kirkby Stephen celebrated a different kind of milestone – 50 years of operations under the SPAR brand. David Gregson, store owner, is the sixth generation to run stores locally, with the first family store opening all the way back in 1829.

Growing through company-owned stores

James Hall & Co. Ltd’s company-owned store division opened a new SPAR forecourt store in Longtown, located just three miles from the Scottish border in Cumbria. The store offers an optimised product assortment for those travelling through Longtown, including a coffee offer and delicatessen. The forecourt includes six pumps offering standard Shell fuel and V-Power, and a two-pump AdBlue dispenser. Two EV charge points, an air, water, and vacuum machine, ATM, and a Parcel Pending locker are also on site. There are 16 dedicated parking spaces for customers, two of which are designated disabled bays.

Optimising the instore offer

Continuing to provide more choice for its retailers, James Hall & Co. Ltd has innovated its portfolio of food brands, including Ann Forshaw’s, Clayton Park Bakery, and Fazilas. The brands took home a total of 13 Great Taste Awards across products including pies, yoghurt, samosas, curries, and sausage rolls. All of the winning products are available in SPAR stores across the North of England.

Source: James Hall & Co. Ltd

Read more about SPAR UK

About SPAR UK

The United Kingdom joined the SPAR retail network in 1956, when SPAR International granted a licence to operate the brand to a group of independent wholesalers. There are five regional organisations in the UK, continually building the brand’s presence through a strong collaborative system. A central office in London provides national marketing and buying services for the group. SPAR UK comprises independently owned, licensed retailers and company-owned stores.