Former Sainsbury’s boss joins Snappy Group

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Former Sainsbury’s boss Justin King has become a senior adviser to the Snappy Group, the technology platform that connects consumers with their local businesses, and has made a significant investment in the business.

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King was chief executive of Sainsbury’s between 2004 and 2014. Before joining Sainsbury’s, he was head of food at Marks & Spencer, and has held many high-profile roles in a 30-year career spanning consumer goods and grocery retailing.

The Snappy Group currently has partnership agreements with several regional Co-ops, Nisa and Spar.

King said: “I have been hugely impressed by the Snappy Group’s affordable solution, leadership team and rapid growth. The company is championing the needs of businesses in their local community. Its proprietary technology provides local businesses with an affordable delivery solution which enables them to compete in this fast-changing market segment. This not only caters to the trend for top-up shopping but also an increasing desire by consumers to access and support local enterprises.

“This is an exciting and pivotal time for the business and I believe that I will be able to add significant value. I look forward to working with the management team as the business continues its expansion and grows its market share further within the thriving UK convenience market and beyond.”

Mike Callachan, co-founder of Snappy Shopper, added: “We are very excited to have been able to attract Justin’s interest and investment. Justin is one of the UK’s most successful business leaders and brings a wealth of experience within the retail and FMCG sector, which will be invaluable as we expand further.

“Prior to the pandemic, the Snappy Group was already established in both hospitality and grocery home delivery. The lockdown has served to accelerate the online trend, but we strongly believe that the shift in consumer behaviour will persist in the long term. While we expect the rapid rate of growth in deliveries to slow slightly as lockdown eases through the summer months, the online market is a long way from maturation.”

The Snappy Group said it envisaged that King will join the board as non-executive director following the Series A fundraising that has recently been launched.