COMMISSION OPERATOR STORE

TRADING MODELS: AF BLAKEMORE

AF BLAKEMORE UNVEILS ‘COMMISSION OPERATOR’ MODEL

SPAR WHOLESALER AF BLAKEMORE HAS ANNOUNCED THATSPAR LEOMINSTER TODAY BECOMES THE FIRST STORE SERVEDBY THE GROUP TO BE RUN UNDER A ‘COMMISSION OPERATOR’MODEL, WHERE THE STORE IS OWNED BY THE GROUP BUT RUN BYINDEPENDENT RETAILERS.

Spar wholesaler AF Blakemore has unveiled a new alternative to the traditional symbol / fascia model with the launch of a ‘commission operator’ structure. The first store to open under the new model structure is Spar Leominster in Herefordshire, which relaunches today.

Formerly operated by Blakemore Retail, AF Blakemore’s company-owned store division, the site is now being run by MIH Traders, owned by Dasitha Gamage and Janaka Watowita.

Under the commission operator model, retailers will be self-employed but the store will be owned by AF Blakemore with the commission operators responsible for developing sales and profitability within their stores. It’s a similar model to the one already used by the likes of forecourt giant MFG and has proven to be successful and mutually beneficial.

AF Blakemore will now have three Spar trading models: independent, commission operator and company owned. The company’s estate currently consists of 277 companyowned stores and 689 independently run stores.

Blakemore Trade Partners Sales Director Louis Drake commented: “We are delighted to be embarking on this new partnership with Dasitha and Janaka and working alongside them to grow and develop their business.

The commission operator store model is a great opportunity for retailers like us who want independence but extensive backing from a big business.

“AF Blakemore’s new commission operator trading model will enable entrepreneurial independent retailers to operate their own businesses and will provide a platform for growth and expansion in the coming years by broadening our scope of retail outlets.

“The model will provide us with new opportunities to acquire sites that would not have fitted our previous trading models and therefore will bring us greater flexibility.”

The store is about to undergo redevelopment, which will enhance the existing food-to-go proposition and enable the operators to build on the sales growth achieved over the last six months of trading.

Retailer Dasitha Gamage commented: “AF Blakemore’s new commission operator store model is a great opportunity for retailers like us who want independence but extensive backing from a big business.”

Dasitha went on to say AF Blakemore “have a flexible approach to working in partnership and have provided us with all the support we need to drive our business forward and make it a success.”