Following the closure of Sainsbury’s wholesale division and partnership with Simply Fresh, independent retailer Ajay Odedra has decided to switch his store in Boreham, Essex from SImply Fresh to Spar.

The Spar store relaunched on 20 September with a host of activities and freebies celebrating the vast range of Spar own label products which can now be purchased.

Odedra shared that the process to switch his store was “quick and efficient with supply being switched within a week”, Odedra has previously worked with Spar and A.F. Blakemore before so knew that he could “rely on their systems and processes”.

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“I am looking forward to working with the team at A.F Blakemore again and together developing and growing my business”, he said.

Stuart Ware, new business manager at Blakemore Trade Partners, said: “As an independent family business and one of the UK’s leading wholesale food suppliers, we understand the needs of other independent businesses.

“We are very happy to welcome Ajay and his team into Spar and we look forward to a long-lasting working relationship.

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“When an independent retailer joins Spar, they immediately benefit from a better range, quality and margins on ambient, fresh, core branded lines and a huge range of award-winning Spar own brand products.”

More than 60 stores supplied by A.F. Blakemore have moved across to Spar this year and another 80 stores are due to join within the next six months.

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