Spar stores are to see improved stock availability on fresh and food to go as part of a new relationship between wholesaler AF Blakemore and supply chain specialist Relex. 

The partnership will see Blakemore use Relex’s service at three distribution centres serving 1,000 stores. 

Using store and wholesale sales data, Blakemore will be able to forecast which lines to stock for retailers and their specific quantity. 

Within convenience, Relex also counts CJ Lang, Henderson Group, One Stop and East of England Co-op among its other partners. 

Relex strategy director Mike Taylor told RN stores would see their availability improved. 

Read more: EXCLUSIVE: More Spar-Philpotts hybrid retail and foodservice stores on the cards

He added: “Typically, we’ve seen availability for customers improve from 95% to 98%. 

“In some cases, the improvement has reached a percentage-point increase of 10. 

“We’ve also helped identify food waste by forecasting the right levels of stock. There are examples of stores that have reduced waste by between 20% and 40%. 

“Within convenience, we’re seeing a lot of growth in categories such as food to go, and supporting this can be complex. 

“These categories require more urgency when being delivered and we’ve previously helped our partners improve the shelf life on their fresh and food-to-go ranges.” 

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