AF Blakemore & Son has acquired the business of fellow Spar wholesaler Capper & Co and will begin the process of merging the two organisations’ Spar wholesale and retail operations.
West Midlands-based AF Blakemore’s purchase of the South Wales business will take the turnover of the combined organisation to £1.1 billion.
AF Blakemore’s 5,572 employees and the 2,418 employed by Capper will forge a combined workforce of 7,990 people and create the largest Spar wholesaler in the UK, serving 1,096 Spar stores.
Following the deal, Capper & Co will trade as a separate division of AF Blakemore & Son, with Capper chairman Bill Capper and managing director Robert Upton joining the main AF Blakemore board of directors.
AF Blakemore’s group managing director Peter Blakemore said: “This is a great opportunity to bring two long-established, family-owned businesses together and allow us to move forward in the growing UK convenience store sector.
“AF Blakemore and Capper & Co are similar companies that already have a shared history and a common set of values.
“The two businesses currently operate in regions adjacent to each other and this will allow for many benefits to be realised, particularly in areas of trading and distribution.
Capper added: “I believe that integration with AF Blakemore & Son is the right way forward for Capper & Co. It will strengthen Spar in the UK and bring many opportunities and benefits to the business.”
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