Former MRH retail chief takes helm at Bestway Retail

The former managing director, retail of MRH, Andrew Cresswell, has been appointed chief retail officer of Bestway Retail, which comprises the company’s owned and franchise stores including Bargain Booze, Select Convenience, Central Convenience and Wine Rack. Central Convenience Stores has 20 forecourt sites.

Cresswell was appointed managing director, retail, of MRH in February last year, having worked as interim strategy consultant with the forecourt group for a year before that, and left after it was taken over by its rival MFG.

He also held multiple senior positions while working at Midcounties Co-operative for 14 years, prior to which he worked in store management at Somerfield, Tesco and Safeway.

Cresswell takes over from David Robinson, who announced that he will leave Bestway Retail in 2019. Robinson joined Conviviality Retail in July 2016 and has been instrumental in supporting the transition to Bestway Retail since the acquisition in April last year, helping to stabilise and strengthen the business, improve availability, retail margin and introducing an enhanced franchisee incentive plan.

Tony Holmes has been appointed to a new role of retail director, Bestway Wholesale, overseeing the retail sales proposition for best-one Symbol Group, retail multiple accounts and Bestpets, the pet retail division of Bestway Wholesale. The new role has been established to give independent retailer and pet retail facing teams, a clearer focus. 

Holmes, who joined Bestway Wholesale as sales director in February 2016, also assumes responsibility for retail business development from James Hall who announced retirement from his role as business development director at Bestway Wholesale as of June 2019.

David Livingstone has stepped up to a new role of head of catering , and Ashar Rehman has also moved to the role of head of operations, from his previous role as regional operations manager.

Dawood Pervez, managing director, Bestway Wholesale said: “We’re committed to ensuring we always deliver the best service to our customers, thus providing a clear solution for everyone; whether that’s a Franchise proposition through Bestway Retail, Symbol Group and Retail Club through Bestway Wholesale and Bestway and Batleys Cash & Carry’s, full-service delivered catering through BB Foodservice and Drinks Express or a collect catering range for customers in depot.

“At the end of the day, we want to provide customers great service and excellent prices on the products they need, and splitting the retail and catering elements into two separate teams, and having Bestway Retail reporting into me, will enable all of our brands to be aligned and focused for the benefit of customers. It’s also great to have been able to both attract new talent and to have recognised our employees by appointing from within.”