Leading forecourt convenience retailer Maxol today announced the renewal of its £200 million deal with the Henderson Group, the company that owns the SPAR franchise in Northern Ireland.
The two family-owned businesses first announced their partnership in 2009 and the renewal of their arrangement will be effective for a further five years.
The collaboration will see 25 Maxol service stations display an exclusive co-branded Maxol SPAR shop fascia to complement Maxol's recently launched brand identity and new brand mark, known as the 'Brio'. In addition, facilities in each of these stores will be upgraded representing a combined investment of £500,000 and a valuable contract to the local signage providers.
A total of 20 SPAR service stations owned by the Henderson Group are contracted to Maxol for supplies of all petroleum fuels – six sites have already been re-branded with Maxol's new forecourt signage as part of the deal, with plans to reimage the remaining 14 service stations by the end of March 2015 with a contract value of £450,000.
The continued partnership will see the launch of 'Moreish' in Northern Ireland, Maxol's new fresh food brand, which boasts a deli and fresh ground coffee offering. Moreish will be available in select service stations which include Eglinton in Londonderry, Townparks in Antrim, Glenabbey in Newtownabbey and Scarva Road in Banbridge.
Brian Donaldson, Group General Manager, The Maxol Group, said: "We are delighted to continue our partnership with the Henderson Group. At Maxol we are committed to leading the way in the forecourt convenience sector and our alliance with the Henderson Group has been instrumental in developing our convenience offering and in working closely with our independent retailers.
"We recognise the changing shopping habits of consumers who are moving away from the bigger weekly shop in large supermarkets and are now 'topping up' in smaller, local outlets. Today's consumer demands choice, value and quality as well as convenience and we're confident that, with SPAR as our partner, our combined offering ticks all these boxes and more. Our company service stations are operated by independent retailers, providing a family approach to the offer, employing local people and positioning the station as a key destination point at the heart of the community. We want to continue to serve local communities across Northern Ireland and believe this partnership will lay down a strong platform for future growth."
Paddy Doody, Sales and Marketing Director, Henderson Wholesale, said: "The renewal of our long term partnership is an excellent strategic fit for both family owned businesses. Both companies share the same long term values as we continue to support local communities, invest with our retail partners and foster enduring partnerships with local suppliers. SPAR continues to perform exceptionally well in what is a highly competitive and challenging market. Our focus on fresh foods, delivered locally, while providing fantastic value for cost-conscious shoppers will help to ensure this Maxol SPAR alliance continues to deliver effective results for all."