? Job title: senior buyer
? Date you joined the company: 15th March 1993
? Previous employers: Landis & Gyr 1970-1980. Manufacturer of Electricity Meters
Sole trader 1981-1992 running a grocery store in Belgravia
? Responsible for: impulse category - soft drinks, confectionery, crisps & snacks
? Married/single/family: Married with three children - a daughter Saima, a secondary school maths teacher and sons Bilal, a doctor, and Reza, an analyst in investment banking
? Offer one piece of advice to help suppliers succeed with you: Bestway is investing heavily in this sector by upgrading the existing depots and opening new ones. My advice to suppliers is to invest with us and grow with us.
? The best promotion currently running with our customers is: McCoys 35x50g Buy 2 for £13.69 and Doritos 40x40g Buy 2 for £12.99
? My vote for the best current/recent TV/press advertising is: Don't get much time to see TV. In the press advertising I would mention two products: Nestle's launch of Heaven and Coca-Cola's Relentless.
? The best new product launch this year is: Trident chewing gum from Cadbury's.
? Gripe of the month: When the going gets tough, instead of finding ways to improve the situation and reverse the decline, the first reaction by suppliers is to reduce investment - a totally negative approach. Ever increasing demands by suppliers wanting more space and visibility. It's difficult to please everybody with only finite space available.
Will Government proposals to ban the display of tobacco in retail premises damage the wholesale sector?
