SPAR UK Partner, A.F. Blakemore & Son, has raised funds for a leading children’s charity and honoured SPAR retailers at their annual Retail Trade Show. This SPAR Partner is celebrating their 100-year anniversary this year with a diverse range of activities.

SPAR store St Fagans raises over £30,000 for the NSPCC

SPAR St. Fagans in Cardiff has raised £30,379 for the NSPCC, which is the leading children’s charity fighting to end child abuse in the UK and Channel islands. The funds were raised during a six-year partnership with the charity, through an array of fundraising events such as dress down days, raffles, book stalls and instore sale markets.

The store reached this figure after hosting a charity birthday party on 1 September in celebration of A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd’s 100-year anniversary. The SPAR store manager, Allen Collett, said: “It is important to involve colleagues in the fundraising activities so that fundraising becomes a fun thing to do and not just another chore. After all, the better the event, the better the fun and the more money raised for the NSPCC.”

Since 2006, Blakemore Retail employees have raised more than £2.7 million for NSPCC services through fundraising activities.

SPAR Retail Show 2017: The Customer at Heart

The Customer at Heart was the key message from this year’s Blakemore Trade Partners SPAR Retail Show, which was attended by more than 1,100 guests. The  event took place at the Telford International Centre on 7 September and encompassed a Conference, Trade Show and Guild Dinner, focusing on how A F Blakemore and its retailers can best prioritise the needs of the shopper.

At the conference, representatives from A F Blakemore and SPAR retailers spoke about the importance of developing store formats to meet the needs of local shoppers, product development in the award-winning SPAR brand range and how the Blakemore Foundation can help retailers engage with their local communities. Blakemore Trade Partners Sales Director, Neil Mercer, explained: “We have always focused on a customer-first strategy, whether through store format developments, category management or marketing activities.”

SPAR Sleaford crowned Baldwin Trophy winners at SRS 2017

Hockmeyer Motors SPAR Sleaford were crowned best SPAR store in their region, thanks to Rachael Hockmeyer and Christian Slingby’s relentless focus on driving their retail business, and their incredible commitment to the local community. In addition to developing their business, such as refitting and refurbishing their store, great support has been given to numerous local organisations