Retailers in Wolverhampton are being encouraged to take on Tesco by revamping their stores.
Landmark Wholesale member AF Blakemore believes the group's Hot House programme can help them fight back against a barrage of Tesco Express openings in the city. An open day at the Wolverhampton depot to demonstrate the store redevelopment programme's benefits led to another 30 retailers signing up for the scheme.
Hot House offers retailers impartial advice on store refits, range rationalisation, layout, merchandising, pricing and technology, backed by key
suppliers.
Landmark Wholesale retail controller Raj Krishan said the multiples' increasing moves into the c-store sector were hitting independent retailers hard, but he added: "The convenience sector is in growth and there is no reason that independents shouldn't be taking their share - and this is where Hot House can help."
He added: "We can offer all the key points of a symbol operator without weekly charges."
Krishan said Landmark Wholesale had now converted 900 stores and aimed to increase this to 1,500 by 2008.