Over the period from 1994 to 1999, convenience store retailing in the UK has achieved a recognisable identity. However, with recognition has come change, and the sector is now consolidating with a number of recent acquisitions. In confectioner, tobacconists and newsagent (CTN)-based stores, T&S PLC has expanded rapidly; while in grocery-based specialist stores, Alldays is becoming increasingly dominant.


Most significant is the interest now being shown by the large food multiples, which, in addition to developing their own convenience stores, are very actively arranging joint marketing deals with some of the larger oil companies, intent on gaining increased access to sites on petrol station forecourts.


Key Note estimates that at the end of 1998 there were around 30,000 convenience stores in the UK with a selling area of 300 square feet and above. Total sales for 1998 are estimated at £14.92bn. In the period from 1999 to 2003, it is predicted that sales at current prices will increase by 25.6% to reach £19.62bn, an increase in real terms of 19.5% at 1998 prices.


By sector, the largest growth is predicted to come from the major food multiples. Starting from a low base estimated at 2.6% of the market in 1998, by the year 2003, they will have more than doubled their sales through convenience stores. The second largest increase in sales by value – predicted at 59.2% – is forecast to come from co-operative societies, now rebranding under a ‘Welcome’ banner.


As the UK population ages, it welcomes the personal service offered by convenience stores. There are more single households and an increasing appetite for snacks, fast food, and 24-hour shopping – especially in city centres.

In opposition to this, some studies point out that fewer people are visiting convenience stores than did so in 1995/1996. They suggest that one of the key challenges facing the new breed of convenience store retailers is to repair customer perceptions damaged by visits to expensive, poorly stocked and badly managed independent stores. They point out that today’s top-up shoppers still need convincing that things have changed and that convenience stores can offer a viable and reasonably-priced alternative to supplement superstore shopping.

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Executive Summary taken from ‘Convenience Retailing’ by Key Note Ltd, price £279, to order your copy click here.

Table of Contents



































































































































































































Executive Summary 1
1. Market Definition 2
INTRODUCTION 2
Market SECTORS 2
Product Mix 3
Table 1: Typical Sales Mix in a Typical Grocery-Based Convenience Store (% share), 1998 4
Number of Convenience Stores 5
Table 2: Estimated Number of UK Convenience Stores by Sector (number of stores and %), 1998 5
Table 3: Leading UK Convenience Store Groups by Sector and Number of Outlets, 1998 6
Petrol Stations at Supermarkets 10
Table 4: Number of Petrol Stations at UK Supermarkets, 1998 11
Symbol Traders – Grocery-Based Convenience Stores 11
Spar 12
Table 5: Typical Spar Convenience Store Formats 13
Specialist Chains 13
CTN-Based Convenience Stores 14
Off-Licence-Based Convenience Stores 15
Petrol Forecourt Convenience Stores 15
Convenience Tracking Programme 16
Table 6: Category Performances – Convenience Tracking Programme (%), 1998 17
Co-operatives 17
Major Multiples 18
Independents 18
GENERAL MARKET TRENDS 19
Demographic Change 19
2. Market Size 20
THE TOTAL MARKET 20
Table 7: UK Non-Specialised Food Store Outlets at Current Prices (£m), 1994-1998 20
Convenience Tracking Programme 21
Table 8: Convenience Tracking Programme (CTP) Performance Indicators (square feet and £), 1998 21
Number of Convenience Stores 22
Table 9: Estimated Penetration of Convenience Stores in the UK by Sector (number of outlets and %), 1998 22
Convenience Stores on Petrol Forecourts 22
Table 10: Estimated Number of Forecourt Shops on Petrol Stations in the UK (number and %), 1995-1998 23
TOTAL POTENTIAL UK MARKET 24
Table 11: Estimated Potential UK Market for Convenience Store Retailing Format by Number of Outlets and Value at Current Prices (number, £m and %), 1998 24
3. Industry Background 26
RECENT HISTORY 26
INDUSTRY CONCENTRATION 27
Share of Total UK Food Sales 28
Table 12: Convenience Stores and Other UK Food Sales (£m and %) 1998 28
DISTRIBUTION 29
TRADE ASSOCIATIONS 30
Association of Convenience Stores 30
National Federation of Retail Newsagents 31
Petrol Retailers Association 31
National Licensed Retailers Association 31
The British Retail Consortium 31
4. Competitor Analysis 33
THE MARKETPLACE 33
Table 13: Comparative Numbers of UK Convenience Stores by Sector (number and %), 1995 and 1998 33
MARKET Leaders 34
Alldays Stores Ltd 34
Financial Results 35
Budgens PLC 35
Financial Results 35
Costcutter Supermarkets Group Ltd 35
Financial Results 35
Londis (Holdings) Ltd 35
Financial Results 36
Spar Landmark Ltd 36
Financial Results 37
T&S Stores PLC 37
Financial Results 38


Other Companies
38

Star News Shops Ltd
38

Tesco/Esso
38

Safeway/BP
38

J Sainsbury PLC
39

Co-operative
39

Shell UK Ltd
39

Stores Scanning EAN Symbols
40

Table 14: Convenience Stores with EAN Scanning (number of stores and scanning lanes), July 1998
41

Advertising and Promotion
41

Table 15: Main Media Advertising Expenditure of UK Convenience Stores (£000), Year Ending December 1998
42

CONFERENCES AND EXHIBITIONS
42

5. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
44

STRENGTHS
44

WEAKNESSES
44

OPPORTUNITIES
45

THREATS
46

6. Buying Behaviour
47

DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES
47

Table 16: UK Population by Age, Sex and Productivity (000), 1996-2031

48

CHANGING EATING HABITS
48

SHOPPING HABITS OF UK ADULTS
49

Table 17: Shopping Habits of Adults in Great Britain (%), 1998
50

NEW SHOPPING PRACTICES
53

Table 18: New Shopping Practices of Adults in Great Britain (%), 1998
54

Table 19: Reasons for Shopping at Convenience Stores Versus Superstores (% of responses), 1998
57

Table 20: Frequency of Grocery Shopping for Adults in Great Britain (%) 1995 and 1998
58

EXPENDITURE
59

Table 21: Weekly Expenditure on Grocery Items by Female Housewives in the UK for Eating at Home (%), 1995 and 1998
60

7. Outside Suppliers to the Industry
61

INTRODUCTION
61

FOOD MANUFACTURING
61

DISTRIBUTION
62

Cash and Carry
62

Technology
62

8. Current Issues
64

SHELL
64

FOOD-TO-GO KIOSK
64

PRICING
64

STAFF
65

MURCO INCREASES OFF-LICENCES
65

EXPANSION FOR MACE
65

ICELAND EXTRA
66

ALLDAYS
66

BUDGENS
66

Association of Convenience Stores
67

FRESH EXPRESS
67

LOTTERY
67

FOOD STANDARDS LEVY
67

TESCO
68

COSTCUTTER
68

ANTI-COMPETITIVE SUPERSTORES
68

LONDIS
68

ELF
68

9. Forecasts
69

THE UK ECONOMY
69

FORECASTS 1999 TO 2003
69

At Current Prices
69

Table 22: Forecast Sales for Convenience Store Retailing at Current Prices (£m), 1999-2003
70

At Constant Prices
70

Table 23: Forecast Sales for Convenience Store Retailing at Constant 1998 Prices (£m), 1999-2003
71

10. Company Profiles
72

Alldays PLC
73

Budgens PLC
75

Costcutter Supermarkets Group Ltd
77

Londis (Holdings) Ltd
79

Spar Landmark Ltd
81

T&S Stores PLC
83

11. Further Sources
85

Associations
85

Periodicals
86

Directories
88

General Sources
88

Hoppendstedt Bonnier Information Sources
89

Government Publications
90

Other Sources
91

Understanding TGI Data
93

Number, Profile, Penetration
93

Social Grade
94

Standard Region
94

Key Note Research
95

The Key Note Range of Reports
96

Executive Summary taken from ‘Convenience Retailing’ by Key Note Ltd, price £279, to order your copy click here.