Lioncroft Wholesale has taken over the develop­ment and expansion of the Lifestyle Express symbol group across England, with other fascia brands to potentially be added to a new retail club.  

The Birmingham-based wholesaler’s chief execu­tive, Jason Wouhra, told Better Retailing the firm manages 150 Lifestyle Express sites across the Midlands, mak­ing it the largest operator of the fascia across the region within the Unitas Wholesale buying group. United Wholesale Grocers still manages the brand in Scotland.

Although Unitas had previously overseen its de­velopment, Lioncroft’s fel­low members, Blakemore and Time Wholesale, also had sites within their estate. Wouhra said: “Unitas said it’s better to let its members deal with the fascia because they’ve got the direct relationship with the customers.

“They’ve chosen us as we’re the biggest operator and it’s become our own brand. We’ve spent time and money developing it into something which consumers expect from convenience stores today.

“It’s looking a little bit tired, and we’re looking to refresh the whole thing. The people who are really making good money out of this game are those investing in food to go, home delivery and services.”

Wouhra added the development would mean changes to the inside and outside of the stores, with the rollout already underway. Retailers who join the fascia will be part of Lioncroft’s new retail club, with other brands also being potentially added in the future.

Asked about the criteria for joining Lifestyle Express, Wouhra said the firm was looking for “re­tailers at the higher end who are disciplined”.

Lioncroft’s takeover of the Lifestyle Express brand marks a new strat­egy from its parent com­pany, Unitas. Earlier this year, the wholesale group notably gave member Dee Bee Wholesale control over the Today’s fascia.

Read the 25 August issue of RN for the full story