AF Blakemore stores ‘enjoy’ strong sales throughout pandemic

By Liz Wells in Industry News 8th February 2021

Spar wholesaler AF Blakemore has reported a year of “good progress” despite the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the wholesaler posted a 7.2% fall in overall sales to £1.05bn for the year ending 30 April 2020, having been impacted by the conclusion of the company’s cash & carry disposal and Covid-19-related reductions in its foodservice business.

AF Blakemore’s pre-tax profits remained stable at £6.1m, up from the previous year’s figure of £6.0m.

Chairman, Peter Blakemore, said: “This was an excellent result, as the company incurred many increases in costs and provisions to meet the challenges posed by the pandemic.

“The company has enjoyed strong sales throughout the pandemic in the supply and operation of convenience stores. Great customer service, strong availability, and an investment in retail pricing within our managed estate have resulted in like-for-like sales consistently outperforming our competitors.”

The wholesaler said it has continued to develop its Store Cluster strategy, which aims to deliver “store propositions aligned to the needs of consumers”, with a focus on ‘food for now’ and ‘food for later’.

AF Blakemore said it has also “significantly” increased investment in its wholesale pricing structure, making a further £2.4m available to maintain retailers’ ability to compete.

The company said the strong performance of its convenience retail divisions has helped to balance the reduction in sales across its foodservice and wholesale distribution divisions, which have been impacted by a significant decline in business across the travel, tourism, leisure, and educational sectors due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Blakemore said: “Whilst the Covid-19 pandemic is causing market volatility, I believe the company is well-positioned to take advantage of new opportunities as a result of an increased capability to change and respond to these fluid market conditions.

“I would like to thank colleagues, customers and supply partners for their hard work and support throughout the past year, ensuring that we have continued to supply food and essential services to the communities we serve.”