Welcoming Warner’s Budgens Stores

For this week’s blog, I am delighted to announce we’ve agreed a deal to purchase four of the Cotswold-based Warner’s Budgens food stores, a deal that will complete this summer.

We welcome the 200 Warner’s Budgens colleagues into our Midcounties family, as they have an excellent reputation for great customer service and product knowledge which will be a valuable addition to the Society.  With the four stores located in Bidford-on-Avon, Broadway, Moreton-in-Marsh and Winchcombe; they are currently owned and operated by the independent retailer, Guy Warner.

Warner’s Budgens stores: Bidford-on-Avon, Broadway, Moreton-in-Marsh and Winchcombe

The quality of the stores that Guy Warner has built up over a number of years will now provide us with a fantastic base to build upon and the acquisition will strengthen our presence in the Cotswolds. Guy Warner, who opened his first supermarket in Broadway in 2006 under the Warner’s Budgens brand, has just notched up its two best years of sales since 2006.

Guy has commented: “These four stores have developed highly successful food markets, reaching a turnover of £20 Million in 2017-18 and they are operated by 200 colleagues.  As we already share our strong community values as well as a total commitment to supplying more locally-sourced food and drink products, our members and customers will benefit from the Co-op’s extensive own brand range.”

Guy Warner, Store Owner

Our plan

This is an exciting time for our society, as we pride ourselves on supporting local producers and suppliers. I foresee this will complement our flagship Bourton-on-the-Water and Chipping Norton stores perfectly who operate across a number of counties within the Cotswolds. Last year, our store at Bourton-on-the-Water was selected by the Institute of Grocery Distribution as one of the top stores of its type in Europe thanks to its local sourcing programme which we are immensely proud of.

I believe this will not only strengthen our stores but also our relationships with our Cotswolds producers, allowing us to continue to develop and grow our Best of our Counties range of locally produced artisan food and drink. In addition, we will offer an increased range of own brand products to provide even more choice for our members and customers.

As for the summer integration we will dedicate a small but knowledgeable team to work with the business in the lead up to completion. Our team will handle all contact points and work closely with colleagues from G.W Budgens to plan all aspects of the business integration activities including holding colleague council meetings where colleagues have a voice and can raise concerns or put forward ideas.

I am extremely appreciative of the support from Guy Warner in our understanding of the business but also for agreeing to assist us in the early days of operation.

The Radstock Co-operative Society visit

Also to add this week I made the last of my visits to the smaller Co-operative societies - The Radstock Co-operative Society. Based in Somerset, their first preliminary meeting was held in March 1868 at the Workingman’s Hall, Radstock to establish the Radstock Co-operative and Industrial Society and recently celebrated 150 years as a Co-operative.

Myself and Don Morris CEO at The Radstock Co-operative

Having the opportunity to meet with the CEO, Don Morris, they are a Society comprised of nineteen convenience stores, a large supermarket, food hall, travel agency and dairy farm! Very much like Midcounties, Social Responsibility is part of the fabric of the organisation which has its roots based on the found principles of the co-operative movement. The Society boasts a 1,000 acre dairy farm at Hardington on the outskirts of Frome, Somerset. Known as Manor Farm, it produces in the region of 3.5 million litres of milk per year supplying Co-operative stores throughout the UK.

That’s all for this week’s blog, if you enjoyed reading our topics this week please feel free to drop me a comment below.