Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Human content, AI powered search.
Latest Stories

A.F. Blakemore Appoints New Group Commercial Director

A.F. Blakemore Appoints New Group Commercial Director
David Cooke
Andy Marino
By Andy MarinoFeb 22, 2022
Andy Marino
See Full Bio

A.F. Blakemore & Son has appointed David Cooke to the newly created role of Group Commercial Director.

Cooke, who joined the business on 7 February, will create and implement a new commercial strategy aligned with the group’s five-year plan.

His role will entail end-to-end accountability for the company’s commercial function, with a focus on developing supplier partnerships, managing commercial trading terms, developing retail propositions and accelerating the rollout of A.F. Blakemore’s fresh food strategy.

He will report to Group CEO Jerry Marwood.

“I am pleased to welcome David Cooke to the Blakemore team," said Marwood. “He brings significant commercial experience in developing strategic relationships with suppliers as well as a background in the development of exciting food propositions.

“David is a great fit for our culture, having been attracted to A.F. Blakemore because of our values and approach to responsible business.”

Cooke has a background in trading, proposition and product development gained through stints with national and international organisations such as Sainsbury’s, Tesco, health & beauty retailer A.S. Watson and latterly Dutch store chain HEMA.

At HEMA, he was Director of Food, Health & Beauty, overseeing divisions with a combined turnover of circa 500 million euros.

Prior to that, Cooke was Head of Branded Goods at A.S. Watson (Europe) Group AG, where he was responsible for the management of the commercial A-Brand partnerships across 12 European markets.

a.f. blakemore & sondavid cookejerry marwood

Related News

Online Casino Games Laptop Concept 3D Illustration Pro Photo
Featured

The Future of Online Slots in the UK Market

More for you

Raj Patel

Raj Patel

National Lottery retailers help raise landmark £50bn for good causes

Today, on The National Lottery’s 30th birthday, operator Allwyn is announcing that, through selling tickets, National Lottery retailers have helped players raise a landmark £50 billion for Good Causes since 1994 – funding an incredible 700,000 individual projects across the UK.

Allwyn is also announcing that National Lottery retailers have now earned over £8 billion in sales commission since the first draw on Saturday 19 November 1994.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bacardi Cocktail

Brits ditch tea for G&T

Nearly half of Brits (44%) say they would prefer a G&T to a cup of tea when getting together with friends, according to a new survey by spirits major Bacardi Limited.

The UK consumer survey was conducted as part of the sixth annual Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report which anticipates the key trends redefining global cocktail culture and the spirits business in 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tractors take to the streets of Westminster as demonstrators attend a farmers rally on November 19, 2024 in London, England. Thousands of farmers descended on central London to protest against changes to inheritance tax announced in the budget last month. The farmers argue that the changes will destroy family farms and that the nation's food security is at risk, while the government says that the change will likely affect only around 500 larger estate farms. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Tractors descend on Westminster as farmers protest begins

Thousands of British farmers today (19) are set to march to Parliament Square to protest against the end of an inheritance tax exemption that has helped family farms pass down the generations, saying the move will threaten food production.

First unveiled in chancellor Rachel Reeves’s Budget, the plans to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1m have sparked fury among rural communities, who have contested the government’s assertion that small family farms will not be impacted by the changes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bestway launches Christmas 'Profit Express' campaign

Bestway launches Christmas 'Profit Express' campaign

Retailers are invited to board Bestway’s Profit Express’ train as Bestway Wholesale launches its major Christmas campaign to its B2B customers across its nationwide depots, allowing retailers to access to its leading festive deals to drive shopper footfall against the backdrop of the theatre. The campaign will be live until Thursday 2 January 2025 giving customers the elevated, engaging and high impact theatre they have become famous for over the last three years.

In collaboration with key suppliers, the ‘Profit Express’ festive campaign delivers all the magic of theatre and festive fun, ensuring exceptional visibility and engagement for its expected 80,000 retailers shopping the Christmas campaign.

Keep ReadingShow less
imperial brands

Pricing and Next Generation Products surge boost Imperial Brands revenue and profits

Imperial Brands has reported a robust performance for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, helped by strong cigarette prices and rise in its Next Generation Products (NGP) segment.

The group, whose brands include Golden Virginia tobacco, Rizla rolling papers, Winston cigarettes and the vaping brand blu, delivered a 4.6 per cent increase in tobacco and NGP net revenue on a constant currency basis. This was driven by strong pricing in the tobacco segment, which offset a 4 per cent decline in volume, and a remarkable 26.4 per cent rise in NGP revenue.

Keep ReadingShow less