Park Garage Group (PGG) has gone live this week with the first of its 80 forecourts to switch to Co-op Wholesale supplies, in a move to give greater emphasis to chilled ’eat now and later’ products.
The Top 50 Indie’s Shrewsbury Services site in Thieves Lane was chosen as the trial location to see how the new range fits with the outlet’s host of services including fuel bunkering, valeting, food to go, and EV charging.
Its next site to move to Co-op Wholesale supplies will be the flagship petrol station in Rushden, Northamptonshire. This will be in June, once the new offering is bedded in at Thieves Lane. All of the sites will be on board, ending the previous supplier agreement with AF Blakemore, by the end of July.
Until now PGG has not had an own-label offer and it says that the well-regarded Co-op branded range was a big factor in its decision to change suppliers after five years.
Its head of operations Ian Cawley believes that the transition will help PGG forecourts become more of a destination, by reducing their reliance on impulse products.
Currently Cawley says that around 8% of store turnover across PGG’s estate comes from chilled. He hopes this will increase to around 15% by the end of the year.
At the 2,750sq ft Thieves Lane shop, Co-op own-brand accounts for some 80% of the chilled range, 70% of the frozen line-up, and up to 20% of ambient grocery.
The 24-hour Shell site, just off the A458, is launching with three chilled and two ambient deliveries a week. It is keeping its Park & Shop fascia, with ‘Proud To Stock Co-op’ imagery on the forecourt apron and in-store.
“It’s a step change for us,” says Cawley, “redefining the usual model for a forecourt”, with hand made Co-op Irresistible sandwiches, sushi, and deli lines now in the mix. There is also a greater emphasis on convenient ’meals for tonight’ such as ready-meals.
Cawley adds: “We hope that by offering more ’eat later’ products this will increase our alcohol sales, and will also benefit other parts of the store.”
For now, PGG’s direct to store agreements for vaping products, greetings cards, and American confectionery will stay in place, although it is “exploring options” with Co-op Wholesale.
Cawley says that converting Shrewsbury Services to being supplied by Co-op Wholesale was relatively inexpensive with the biggest outlay going on internal signage.
The business spent £15,000 on the Thieves Lane re-launch, but that included the introduction of its first hot and ambient unit for its Bakery 79 food to go concept. This alternative to the ubiquitous Bake & Bite offer – which features Planet Doughnuts, cookies, and pain au chocolat, beside heated chicken goujons, steak bites and sausage rolls – is next to its serve-over Subway area with seating, and near a Starbucks coffee machine.
Also new at the site is an end of aisle flowers display, a Monster Energy drinks machine and a Rollover hot food cabinet.
Winning Park Garage Group’s shop business will be seen as a massive coup for Co-op Wholesale, representing its strongest foothold in the forecourt sector to date. It follows an earlier significant signing with Sewell on the go last summer, with the Hull-based operator also retaining its own shop fascia.
Other key forecourt players to have recently signed up with Co-op Wholesale include Tom Highland and Tankerford.
Co-op Wholesale’s managing director Katie Secretan says that the partnership with Park Garage Group “is a powerful demonstration of how wholesale innovation can transform the forecourt convenience landscape”.
She adds: “By combining Co‑op’s trusted products with Park’s market-leading presence, we’re not just unlocking new possibilities for customers, we’re working alongside a true sector leader to redefine what success looks like in forecourt retail.”
