Four stores in Tom Dant’s multi‑site estate will remain Spar after a new long-term deal is signed

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Tom Dant and sister, Lois who runs ulceby cross

Tom Dant and his sister Lois, who this week re-signed their deal with Spar for four of their stores.

Wholesale and distribution company, A.F. Blakemore, has announced respected Lincolnshire retailer Tom Dant, MD of Gill Marsh Forecourts, has re‑signed a long‑term agreement with Spar, reaffirming the symbol group as “the brand of choice across his largest and best‑performing stores,” it said.

Tom operates a five‑site estate across Lincolnshire, with four of these Spar stores. His portfolio includes a mix of forecourt and standalone convenience stores, with each tailored to its local community. His Spar sites include Bilsby Filling Station, Partney Filling Station, Ulceby Cross and Louth, all supplied by A.F. Blakemore.

Store performance

After reviewing the market and each store’s performance, Tom chose to continue his long‑standing partnership with Spar. He said this decision was “driven by sustained sales growth, strong commercial terms and the flexibility Spar offers independent retailers.”

Tom said: “Spar has consistently delivered - commercially, operationally and through the well-received refit programme. Our Ulceby redevelopment pushed the site beyond £60k a week, which gave us huge confidence in what Spar and A.F. Blakemore can help us achieve.

”Re‑signing was absolutely the right decision for our business.”

”Re‑signing was absolutely the right decision for our business. We’ve built a strong partnership with A.F. Blakemore and I’m looking forward to continuing this relationship.”

Diverse formats

Tom’s estate includes diverse formats, with Bilsby operating as a village convenience store with a Post Office, the Partney store serving coastal traffic, Louth as a standalone convenience store, and Ulceby Cross the flagship site with seating, wi‑fi and a high‑performing food to go offer.

Tom Blakemore, retail sales director at A.F. Blakemore, concluded: “Tom is a highly respected operator across both forecourt and convenience retail, and we’re delighted he’s chosen to continue his journey with Spar.

“His decision to keep his largest and highest‑performing stores under the Spar fascia shows the strength of our partnership and the confidence he has in our commercial model. We’re committed to supporting Tom’s growth for the long term.”