Spar's largest wholesale company, AF Blakemore & Son, is to introduce a guaranteed investment scheme to encourage retail members to refurbish their stores.
The scheme was announced by Dennis Evans, managing director of Blakemore Distribution, at a two-day retail show at the NEC in Birmingham.
Under the terms of the scheme, Blakemore will repay the money spent on refurbishment and the interest on borrowings if sales increases do not cover the cost within five years. The offer will apply to retailers who agree to join Blakemore's compliance scheme, agree the level of spending and have all work carried out by CSL, the shop fitting company owned by the wholesaler.
"No-one else gives this guarantee to retailers and we are doing so because we are confident that clean, modern stores drive sales and profit," Evans told the audience of 500.
Another announcement was the establishment of a Guild Academy to facilitate the development and training of Spar members and their staff. The Academy, which will be funded by Blakemore and Spar's Central Meridian Guild, will allow retailers and their staff to have free training and training equipment.
Blakemore is also opening a 29,000sq ft recycling and waste centre at a cost of £600,000. The facility at Willenhall collects paper and plastic from Spar stores and will eventually process all waste from Spar stores serviced by AFB.
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