A.F. Blakemore, the largest Spar wholesaler in the UK, operates 263 Spar stores in England and Wales, and supports its independent Spar estate through Blakemore Trade Partners. Additionally, they have recently partnered with MealTrak, a continuous tracking programme for food-to-go and out-of-home consumption.
MealTrak surveys 36,500 consumers annually, gathering information about their food-to-go/out-of-home eating occasions from the previous day. This powerful dataset allows subscribers to quantify the out-of-home market and track performance over time. It also provides valuable insights into consumer behavior, allowing businesses to understand the “why” behind the trends.
Nick Blake, founding partner of MealTrak, expressed his excitement about welcoming A.F. Blakemore as a new client. He looks forward to demonstrating the value of the MealTrak dataset to Blakemore and their suppliers.
David Cooke, the Group commercial director at A.F. Blakemore & Son, also voiced his enthusiasm for the partnership. He believes that working with MealTrak will accelerate their journey to blur the lines between convenience stores and food-to-go retailing. This vision is exemplified by their recent Spar store launch at Brindley Place in Birmingham, where they introduced the Philpott’s food-to-go concept. Cooke notes that they have witnessed a significant uplift in like-for-like sales since implementing these changes.
Tom Fender, development director at TWC – MealTrak’s data partner, highlighted the expertise and strategic importance of MealTrak’s market intelligence on food-to-go. He expressed TWC’s excitement about working with the Blakemore team, given their deep understanding of the wholesale route-to-market.
Overall, A.F. Blakemore’s partnership with MealTrak is seen as a perfect fit, as it offers valuable insights in an area of great strategic importance to the company. This collaboration is expected to further enhance Blakemore’s ability to provide customers with delicious food-for-now and food-for-later solutions. With the support of MealTrak’s comprehensive data, A.F. Blakemore is poised for continued growth and success in the fast-paced food-to-go industry.
