Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

SPAR independent retailers enjoy James Hall & Co weekend social

SPAR independent retailers enjoy James Hall & Co weekend social

SPAR independents from across the North of England enjoyed a weekend social with James Hall & Co. Ltd.

Held at the Queens Hotel in Leeds over two nights, retailers first had the opportunity to display their darts talent on the Friday evening at Flight Club. A competitive evening at the oche was followed by a day of exploring the city for some and retail therapy for others on the Saturday.


The social weekend concluded with a three-course gala dinner on the Saturday evening and a live band and dancing. A Marie Curie fundraiser was also held as part of the gala dinner raising £3,060 for SPAR UK’s principal charity partner.

Peter Dodding, Sales Director at James Hall & Co. Ltd and Chairman of the Northern Guild, said, “Our weekend social was a fantastic get together with our independent SPAR retailer family, with a successful charitable fundraiser for Marie Curie as part of the celebrations.

“Since our last social in Chester in 2022 we have had a brilliant year at SPAR and James Hall & Co. Ltd that has featured lucrative campaigns such as Win With Every Goal and £10K To Getaway driving customers into stores.

SPAR James Hall Retailer Social 1

“We have also had exciting new product launches such as the Clayton Park Kitchen home replacement meals and a string of convenience store exclusives with SPAR including Prime, MrBeast Feastables, and Vimto Energy that have delivered fresh opportunities for trade.

“It’s always great to recognise these achievements in an informal setting before we push on in the second half of the year to support our SPAR retailers to achieve their business objectives.”

James Hall & Co. Ltd serves a network of independent SPAR retailers and company-owned SPAR stores across Northern England six days a week from its base at Bowland View in Preston.

More for you

A woman enters the Selfridges department store

A woman enters the Selfridges department store on December 13, 2024 in London, England

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail faces mixed fortunes in 2025 amid cost pressures, AI opportunities, and high street revival


The UK retail sector is bracing for a challenging but opportunity-filled 2025, according to Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM UK. While the industry grapples with rising costs and heightened crime, advancements in artificial intelligence and a revival of the high street offer potential pathways to growth, she said.

Keep ReadingShow less
unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Photo: Southend-on-Sea City Council

1,100 unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend safety crackdown

Southend-on-Sea City Council officials have secured food condemnation orders from Chelmsford Magistrates Court, resulting in the seizure and destruction of 1,100 unauthorised soft drinks.

The condemned drinks, including Mountain Dew, 7-UP, Mirinda, and G Fuel energy drinks, were found during routine inspections of food businesses across Southend by the council’s environmental health officers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London

A customer browses clothes inside Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London on, December 17, 2024

Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images

Brits kindle Christmas spirit with second-hand gifts

Bursting with customers one afternoon the week before Christmas, a second-hand charity shop in London's Marylebone High Street looked even busier than the upscale retailers surrounding it.

One man grabbed two puzzle sets and a giant plush toy as a present for friends, another picked out a notebook for his wife.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Lancashire Mind’s 11th Mental Elf fun run was its biggest and best yet – a sell-out event with more than 400 people running and walking in aid of the mental charity, plus dozens more volunteering to make the day a huge success.

The winter sun shone on Worden Park in Leyland as families gathered for either a 5K course, a 2K run, or a Challenge Yours’Elf distance which saw many people running 10K with the usual running gear replaced with jazzy elf leggings, tinsel and Christmas hats.

Keep ReadingShow less
A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale, on December 13, 2024 in London, England.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail sales disappoint before Christmas

UK retail sales rose less than expected in the runup to Christmas, according to official data Friday that deals a fresh blow to government hopes of growing the economy.

Separate figures revealed a temporary reprieve for prime minister Keir Starmer, however, as public borrowing fell sharply in November.

Keep ReadingShow less