Trivia: Retail/food chains that don’t cover the entire UK

[GusB]

Scotmid was mainly a central belt retailer until fairly recently. It expanded when it took over Morning, Noon and Night stores, which brought Scotmid into this area. The shop in the neighbouring village was previously a Spar and seems to have been acquired separately.

When my dad first moved to Nairn (before Sainsbury's opened) he would grumble that all four supermarkets sold Coop-branded goods; there was the original High Street Coop, Scotmid, the larger ex Presto/Safeway/Somerfield store and on the other side of town there was a former Alldays. I suppose you could call it a Co-opoly!

 

[SteveM70]

I guess that explains why some Premier corner shops now have Co-Op branded items? Although I thought they were served by Tesco wholesale.

A single-store independent in Greater Manchester, Unicorn Grocery, appear to have a policy of using their relationship with Co-Op to source anything which they really want to offer, but can't get from anywhere else. They carry only a very few lines of Co-Op goods. Most of the rest of their stuff appears to come through one on one relationships with producers or Suma.

I wasn't aware of Premier stores stocking Coop ranges, but then there aren't any near where I live.

The Coop bought the supply chain and logistics operations of NISA about 5 years ago, which is why you see Coop stuff in those stores. But the commercial deal for the NISA store owners gives them access to Coop and other branded stock from the Coop supply chain, but without any obligation to buy. When I worked there, that caused a load of pain for supply chain in forecasting demand, as if something like Budweiser was on offer a NISA bloke might order two whole pallets, but then not reorder it for years as he could get it cheaper somewhere else. Luckily this volatility would be diluted by the volumes in the wider estate

I don't know what the Premier contract with franchisees is

 

[156421]

Special mention to "Mr. Booze Express" in Derby which has 2 outlets, about 200 yards apart from one another.

 

[GusB]

I don't know what the Premier contract with franchisees is

It's difficult to keep up because the shop owner has switched to different buying groups a few times, but the post office in the village was recently Premier and the own-label goods were generally Happy Shopper, which I believe is Booker (Tesco again?). It's now Keystore and some lines are Safeway-branded.

 

[SteveM70]

It's difficult to keep up because the shop owner has switched to different buying groups a few times, but the post office in the village was recently Premier and the own-label goods were generally Happy Shopper, which I believe is Booker (Tesco again?). It's now Keystore and some lines are Safeway-branded.

Yes, Happy Shopper is a Booker brand, as is Farm Fresh, Euro Shopper, Chef's Larder / Essentials, and Lichfields (which is positioned as being a bit high end but in reality is the same crap as the other ranges. You see it in cafes, B&Bs etc)

 

[urbophile]

The only geographic area of the UK where there is no tCG representation is the Channel Islands,

The Channel Islands are not part of the UK I believe.

 

[SteveM70]

The Channel Islands are not part of the UK I believe.

Good point. But my point still stands - all the Coops there are the Channel Islands society

 

[Starmill]

Yes, Happy Shopper is a Booker brand, as is Farm Fresh, Euro Shopper, Chef's Larder / Essentials, and Lichfields (which is positioned as being a bit high end but in reality is the same crap as the other ranges. You see it in cafes, B&Bs etc)

The Birmingham New Street First Class lounge used to have Lichfields in their temporary location. Very odd given they usually have expensive big name branded snacks and no other as was Virgin Trains lounge had anything like them. Maybe they had to send a staff member to a Nisa shop to get things!

Very interesting indeed the way names get around.

 

[Butts]

Good point. But my point still stands - all the Coops there are the Channel Islands society

Known as Co-op Locale and Grand Marche, prices make the UK ones look cheap !!

 

[richw]

Heron Foods doesn't appear to be countrywide - I entered a London postcode in the search facility on their website, and the nearest branch to London that it found was in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.

And what about Londis? There's one in Sheffield, and according to their website they appear to have branches all over the UK, but apart from that one most of their branches that I've seen have been in London.

Never heard of heron foods. (Cornwall). We have plenty of Londis, Spar, coop and premier as our main convenience providers.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Never heard of heron foods.

It's a bit like 'Iceland' in that it sells mostly frozen goods, but with arguably cheaper prices. Owned by B&M since about six years ago. Almost 300 stores, the majority either up North or in the Midlands. Nearest 'Heron' stores from Cornwall will probably be in Bristol or South Wales.

 

[route101]

In Southampton there is two types of Co - Op. The Southern Co op in older green branding and the regular co op in blue. I find the standards of Nisa and Premier stores vary so much.

 

[SteveM70]

I find the standards of Nisa and Premier stores vary so much.

I guess that's an inevitable consequence of them being independent businesses, rather than franchisees where the "mother" company can impose standards and hold them to account for any failures (eg McDonalds)

 

[boyaloud]

Until about 5 years ago there was one in Giffnock (South Glasgow) which is now Lidl.


Pretty sure TJ Hughes was in the old C & A store in Trongate. Lewis's store became Debenhams.

Just thoroughly enjoyed looking at google streetview for that and finding out it also used to be a safeway!

Think there was one in Bradford at one point too.

There were stores in Blackburn and Oldham too.

 

[nw1]

Our town (in 1970s) also had Fine Fare and International and Target (all small supermarkets), all the small stores eventually closed once Safeway build a medium size store (which I worked at in early 1980s as a sixth former), but don't know if these brands were regional.

Remember Fine Fare from way back in the day, Altrincham in around 1979.

Also remember International, but this was down south. A new one opened in Haslemere around 1980/81. It later became something else, ISTR it was Somerfield by the 90s but don't quote me on that. Not sure if the same store is still there, nor what name it has nowadays, but it's adjacent to the main town centre car park.

 

[Bishopstone]

Remember Fine Fare from way back in the day, Altrincham in around 1979.

Also remember International, but this was down south. A new one opened in Haslemere around 1980/81. It later became something else, ISTR it was Somerfield by the 90s but don't quote me on that. Not sure if the same store is still there, nor what name it has nowadays, but it's adjacent to the main town centre car park.

I believe International became Gateway, which became Somerfield, which was acquired by Co-op, although some stores were divested to other retailers. My (then) local Somerfield in Upminster became a Waitrose, and the one in Barking became an Asda, then closed.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Remember Fine Fare from way back in the day...

They were sponsors of the Scottish Football League in the mid 1980's.

 

[Altrincham]

Remember Fine Fare from way back in the day, Altrincham in around 1979.

Can you remember whereabouts Fine Fare was in Altrincham? It rings a bell. I remember when the area opposite the station and at the lower end of George Street was redeveloped in the mid to late 70’s and the various new shop units were occupied at one time or another by Caters, Prestos, Cordon Bleu, Legs of Man among others.

 

[nw1]

Can you remember whereabouts Fine Fare was in Altrincham? It rings a bell. I remember when the area opposite the station and at the lower end of George Street was redeveloped in the mid to late 70’s and the various new shop units were occupied at one time or another by Caters, Prestos, Cordon Bleu, Legs of Man among others.

It was somewhere on the main street (looking at the map, this looks like it was George Street) I think. Towards the north end, I think. Not completely sure, it was a long time ago and I was still a child

I think it was just south of the re-development in fact. I remember that happening, I think that was in 1979 and just before we moved down south.

Caters and Cordon Bleu ring vague bells from the dim and distant past, also. But so far back that I can't remember exactly what they sold.

I believe International became Gateway, which became Somerfield, which was acquired by Co-op, although some stores were divested to other retailers. My (then) local Somerfield in Upminster became a Waitrose, and the one in Barking became an Asda, then closed.

Ah, possibly, yes. I remember Gateway being about, but can't remember the exact chronology of this specific shop.

Just checked the status of this shop (International, Haslemere, opened very early 80s) on the map. It looks like it's still there, and is a Waitrose.