Soult's Retail View

A new UGO tour: positive signs as I go supermarket spotting in Barnsley and Hull

Graham Soult November 01, 2011 Brands, Interiors, Marketing, Supermarkets, Supply Chain 9 Comments

Tags: Arthur Harris, Asda, Barnsley, Boothferry, Boulevard, Charles Hollywood, Eston, Haldanes, Hartlepool, Hessle Road, Hull, Lundwood, Monk Bretton, Netto, UGO, Woodhead Bakery

Signage at UGO Lundwood (11 Oct 2011)

The emergence of UGO as Britain’s newest discount supermarket chain has been one of the most interesting retail launches of 2011 so far.

Back in January, I reported on Asda’s OFT-instigated divestment of 47 Netto stores, and the news that Haldanes would be … Continue Reading

Harris: “We believe, long term, UGO has a good future”

Graham Soult June 28, 2011 Supermarkets, Supply Chain 5 Comments

Tags: 3663, Arthur Harris, Co-operative Group, Haldanes, Haldanes Xpress, Leeds, Morrisons, Netto, Nisa, Richard Collins, Stop 24, The Pie People, UGO, Woodhead Bakery, York

UGO offers leaflet

Interview headlines:

UGO stores need to “trade better” but are not “at danger level”
IT and ordering issues will be addressed
More UGO stores planned – new Leeds store “in negotiations”
Own-brand bakery products to be stocked at UGO imminently
Admits that “full weekly shop” idea was a mistake – “fine-tuning” required on product and price
Main plan now is to “bed down” UGO

The first part of my interview with Arthur … Continue Reading

Haldanes’ Arthur Harris interviewed: “I’ll carry on the action against the Co-op”

Graham Soult June 28, 2011 Co-operatives, Supermarkets 1 Comment

Tags: Arthur Harris, Biddulph, Broxburn, Co-op, Co-operative Group, Crieff, Folkestone, Haldanes, Kelso, P&A Partnership, Prestonpans, Stop 24, Tattershall, Tranent, UGO, Wigton

Arthur Harris, Haldanes CEO

Interview headlines:

Three Haldanes stores could still be saved
Harris pledges to carry on his legal action against the Co-op
Blames collapse on Co-op’s alleged failure “to come to the table”, but admits some “mistakes” with Haldanes
Haldanes estate was losing £100,000 a week
Uplift in trade at ex-Haldanes stores converted to UGO – more would have followed

As boss of the collapsed Haldanes supermarket chain, which finally … Continue Reading

Work starts on converting Tyneside Netto stores to Asda Supermarkets

Graham Soult June 15, 2011 Property, Supermarkets 7 Comments

Tags: Adelaide Centre, Asda, Benwell, Gateshead, Haldanes, Iceland, Lemington, Mill Lane, Morrisons, Netto, Old Fold Road, PayPoint, Somerfield, Stainforth, Steve Dresser, Tamworth, UGO, Westerhope

Netto, Old Fold Road, Gateshead (28 May 2010)

Less than six months after the carve-up of the Netto estate was confirmed, the Danish supermarket fascia is well on its way to disappearing from the UK retail landscape.

Haldanes – currently distracted by the … Continue Reading

Haldanes stores in Tattershall, Wigton, Crieff and Tranent may be saved

Graham Soult June 10, 2011 Independent Stores, Supermarkets 2 Comments

Tags: Biddulph, Broxburn, Co-op, Crieff, Dunbar, Haldanes, Hemsworth, Home Bargains, Pwllheli, Tattershall, Tranent, UGO, Wigton

Haldanes store interior (28 Apr 2011). Photograph by Bryan Roberts

Following on from yesterday’s news regarding Haldanes filing for administration, I understand that the four stores … Continue Reading

Store closures loom as indie grocer Haldanes calls in administrators

Graham Soult June 09, 2011 Independent Stores, Supermarkets 11 Comments

Tags: Alworths, Arthur Harris, Asco, Booths, Co-op, Haldanes, Kelso, Netto, Safeway, Somerfield, Steve Dresser, UGO, Woodhead Bakery

Haldanes logo

The independent supermarket chain Haldanes looks set to become the latest retail casualty, after filing for an administration order today.

In a statement this afternoon, Arthur Harris, the CEO of Haldanes Stores Ltd and Ruston Retail, said:

“Following advice from our lawyers and an insolvency practitioner, we have made the decision to seek an administration order for Haldanes Stores Limited and Ruston Retail Limited … Continue Reading

Will UGO back? Checking out Britain’s newest supermarket chain

Graham Soult May 08, 2011 Advertising, Brands, Customer Service, Independent Stores, Marketing, Supermarkets 21 Comments

Tags: Aldi, Biddulph, Broxburn, Charles Hollywood, Eston, Haldanes, Hartlepool, Heritage, Lidl, Morrisons, Netto, Nisa, Tesco, UGO

Signage at UGO store, Eston (4 May 2011)

Since first meeting them at the UGO launch press conference back in January, it’s been a pleasure to develop a really good relationship with the key people at both the … Continue Reading

Haldanes not ruling out purchase of “great” Netto Birtley store

Graham Soult January 25, 2011 Property, Supermarkets 3 Comments

Tags: Aldi, Asda, Birtley, Chester-le-Street, Gateshead, Haldanes, Iceland, Lidl, Morrisons, Netto, Richard Collins, Sainsbury's, Somerfield, Team Valley, Tesco, UGO

Netto, Birtley (24 Jan 2011)

When Asda’s sale of 39 surplus Netto stores was announced a couple of weeks ago, I noted that Birtley – a small town close to here, within the Borough of Gateshead – was home to one of the eight remaining Netto stores that Asda is still required to divest by the OFT.

As … Continue Reading

Haldanes pledges that UGO will be “the icing on the Netto cake”

Graham Soult January 25, 2011 Advertising, Brands, Campaigns, Marketing, Supermarkets 10 Comments

Tags: Arthur Harris, Asda, Biddulph, BrightHouse, Farmfoods, Geoff Capes, Haldanes, Haldanes Xpress, Heron Foods, Kwik Save, Leeds, Netto, Richard Collins, Tattershall, UGO

UGO cake

Following my recent post about Asda’s divestment of 39 surplus Netto stores, I had the pleasure of being invited to my first press conference last Friday, in Leeds.

Appropriately held just a short distance from Asda’s corporate HQ, the event was organised by Haldanes, the fledgling independent grocer who, as I blogged before, … Continue Reading

Asda’s sale of surplus Netto stores: who gets what in the North East

Graham Soult January 13, 2011 Supermarkets 74 Comments

Tags: Asda, Ashington, Bedlington, Birtley, Castletown, Co-op, Eston, Haldanes, Hartlepool, Iceland, Morrisons, Netto, Ocado, OFT, Safeway, Shildon, Somerfield, Spennymoor, Stanley, UGO

Netto store in Gateshead

As I blogged earlier, Asda’s acquisition of Netto’s UK business moved a step closer yesterday, with the news that it has reached agreement to sell most of those Netto stores that overlap with existing Asda sites.

Back in May, when Dansk Supermarked A/S … Continue Reading

Belper’s fine mix of supermarkets and indie retailers

Graham Soult January 06, 2011 Independent Stores, Market Towns, Woolworths 4 Comments

Tags: Belper, De Bradelei, G O Cooper, Haldanes, Hall of Frames, Iceland, Midlands Co-op, Morrisons, Somerfield, Sweet Memories, Tesco, Wilkinson, Woolworths

Former Woolworths (now Iceland), Belper (23 Dec 2010)

Following on from my 2009 visit to Alfreton, Heanor and Ripley in Derbyshire, I was able to pay a fleeting visit this festive season to the nearby town of Belper – famous for its history of textile making, and today part of the … Continue Reading

Alworths lined up for non-Woolies site in Alloa?

Graham Soult June 25, 2010 Property, Supermarkets, Variety Stores, Woolworths 2 Comments

Tags: Alloa, Alworths, Arthur Harris, Co-operative Group, Dunbar, Ethel Austin, Haldanes, Hemsworth, Poundland, Somerfield, Tesco, The Co-operative Food, Wick, Woolworths

Alworths fascia

Just a week after its first two Scottish stores opened in Forfar and Cupar, the variety store chain Alworths is now “recruiting for enthusiastic, customer focussed individuals to work at its newest store opening in Alloa in July 2010.”

Alloa, in Clackmannanshire, is exactly the type of location that we are getting used to Alworths opening stores in – a small town … Continue Reading

Site for sixth Alworths store announced…

Graham Soult January 24, 2010 Property, Variety Stores, Woolworths 1 Comment

Tags: Alworths, Co-op, Cosham, Haldanes, Portsmouth, Somerfield, Woolworths

Alworths fascia

…and it’s going to be in Cosham, a northern suburb of Portsmouth, Hampshire.

Due to open in February, this will be the first new Alworths store since the initially flurry of five stores that launched back in November. With a total of 22 stores slated to open during Alworths’ first year, one assumes that further announcements will be forthcoming over the coming months.

So … Continue Reading

Soult's Retail View

A new UGO tour: positive signs as I go supermarket spotting in Barnsley and Hull

Harris: “We believe, long term, UGO has a good future”

Haldanes’ Arthur Harris interviewed: “I’ll carry on the action against the Co-op”

Work starts on converting Tyneside Netto stores to Asda Supermarkets

Haldanes stores in Tattershall, Wigton, Crieff and Tranent may be saved

Store closures loom as indie grocer Haldanes calls in administrators

Will UGO back? Checking out Britain’s newest supermarket chain

Haldanes not ruling out purchase of “great” Netto Birtley store

Haldanes pledges that UGO will be “the icing on the Netto cake”

Asda’s sale of surplus Netto stores: who gets what in the North East

Belper’s fine mix of supermarkets and indie retailers

Alworths lined up for non-Woolies site in Alloa?

Site for sixth Alworths store announced…

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