Retailer and site manager Adam Hogwood’s name has long been synonymous with the Budgens group, but he’s announced that the store - in Broadstairs, Kent - has just moved over to Spar in a move that has surprised the industry.
Speaking to Convenience Store, Adam said the decision to switch - after 23 years - had not been taken lightly, but came after looking at his fuel options first, which he described as something the store regularly did: “Traditionally, we always look at other fuel suppliers once our contract is coming to an end to see what else is out there, but we never really did that with the shop side.
“Our contract was nearing the end and having been with Budgens for many years, we thought it was worth seeing what other symbol groups have to offer. We spoke to Spar and their range and the way they operate seemed like a really good fit for us.”
“Spar even managed to fit in some trips to stores to meet teams and look around…”
The decision to change was only recently taken, Adam added. “It was only a few months ago - all of the symbol groups we spoke to were very accommodating - Spar even managed to fit in some trips to stores to meet teams and look around, which was invaluable.
“While we spoke to most other symbol groups, we felt that one stood out above the rest and understood how we wanted to move forward with our business.”
The store’s first day as a Spar took place last week (30 June), and Adam says the process to shift over completely to the group is still ongoing: “We’re currently adjusting our range accordingly and are ready to introduce the Spar lines.”
But after retailing as a Budgens store for so long, was the move a difficult one for Adam? “It was hard emotionally in the fact that we’ve been with Budgens for a long time! We were one of the very first franchised Budgens stores and have a lot of history with them.
“We looked carefully at all the opportunities that were available to us and felt that Spar offered us the best balance in terms of range coupled with a strong brand and many years of experience.
“With any big decision, you go with the best option with the information you have, and that’s exactly what we’ve done.”
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