Retailer goes shopping for its West Midlands rival

A CONVENIENCE store group has bought a West Midlands rival in a deal that will see the company become one of the largest operators of home news delivery in the UK.

Jonathan James, based in Derbyshire, has bought First Stop News, the holding company of Rippleglen trading stores as Supernews and Arden News across the UK, taking the group to 100 stores across the UK.

James Retail was formed in 2015 following the acquisition of the GT Retail business by Conviviality.

Jonathan James, owners of James Retail, acquired the GT Retail stores from Conviviality through a 10-year franchise agreement to operate convenience stores and newsagents under their Select Convenience brand.

Mr James said: “The acquisition of Rippleglen further strengthens our convenience store business and plays an important role in our ambitious growth plans.

“We look forward to working with our new colleagues and serving the communities in which the stores operate.”

The news comes as figures from the Local Data Company (LDC) and British Independent Retailers Association (bira), shows the number of independent shops opening has fallen from 11 a day in 2010 to just one a week last year.

The data showed that independent shops saw an increase of just 117 shops in 2015 versus a peak of growth of 3,949 shops in 2010.