UK | A brand-new SPAR store has opened in Liverpool city centre with an ambitious independent owner taking his first steps into convenience retail.
Kent Gu has opened SPAR Monument Place at the heart of the city, between Liverpool Lime Street central train station and the University of Liverpool.
The store, which is serviced by James Hall & Co. Ltd, features a comprehensive convenience offer with excellent fresh food and ambient ranges. There is a particular focus on grab-and-go, with a Cheeky Coffee machine and a Clayton Park Bakery hot food unit central to this.
A broad range of chilled sandwiches and snacks is available alongside a large, refrigerated drinks cabinet, with a small seating area enabling customers to meet, eat, and drink in store if they wish.
SPAR Monument Place’s frozen section is under the Iceland Foods branding following the recently announced agreement between SPAR and Iceland, and there is a corner dedicated to chilled beers, ciders, and wines.
Gu first moved to Liverpool in 2012 and has a background in food retail going back to 2013 with eJoy Asian Foods supermarkets in Liverpool’s Myrtle Street and Devon Street. This is felt in-store too, with a strong range of Oriental foods and delicacies to support the significant Chinese and Asian population residing in the city.
Reflecting on the opening, Gu was delighted with the store’s range and appearance. The store is also opening at the cusp of transformational change in Monument Place, which is undergoing a renaissance through major investments in public space improvements and transport links.
“Kent’s recruitment to SPAR as an independent retailer has been a slow burner, with a complete change of plan for his first store during the process. What has been key to Monument Place’s opening has been the professionalism of our recruitment and sales teams here at James Hall, acquired through years of knowledge and experience in convenience retail,” said Peter Dodding, Sales Director at James Hall & Co. Ltd and Chair of the SPAR Northern Guild.
“This has led us here to Kent’s store, which looks fantastic and is a smart addition to a busy corner of Liverpool city centre. The store’s range has the capability to support different shopping missions, and with the improvement work to come in the locality, there is the promise of even higher footfall to take advantage of in the future.”
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