Ugo (retailer) explained

UGO Stores
Parent:Haldanes Group (2011–2012)
Poundstretcher (2012–present)
Foundation:January 2011
Defunct:February 2012
Location:Grantham, Lincolnshire, England, UK
Key People:Arthur Harris (CEO)
Industry:Retail
Products:Groceries

UGO was a chain of convenience stores in the United Kingdom owned by the Haldanes Group[1] and was started in January 2011.[2]

It acquired twenty mid size Netto supermarkets in the North and Midlands of England from the chain Asda, and turned them into UGO stores; these stores were in: Athersley, Ashington, Blackburn, Boothferry, Bradford, Burnley, Bury, Carcroft, Eston, Hartlepool, Hull (two stores), Kirkby, Lundwood, Monk Bretton, Nuneaton, Retford, Rotherham, Stanley and Wavertree.[3]

Additionally, the Haldanes stores in Biddulph (Staffordshire) and Broxburn (Scotland) were converted to the UGO branding; these two stores remained in the ownership of Haldanes Stores, another company in the Haldanes Group.[4] [5] The UGO strategy was to double Netto's existing core range of branded grocery lines to around 3,000 more items, plus more fresher bakery items from the Haldanes acquired Woodhead Bakery.[6]

UGO have appeared twice on television in the United Kingdom. It appeared on Channel 4's Come Dine with Me[7] when a contestant was filmed shopping for the programme in the store in Blackburn, and appeared on Channel 4's Facejacker, which aired on 27 March 2012 at 10pm, in the Nuneaton store, when the self service checkout was 'taken over'.[8]

In June 2011, Haldanes Stores went into administration, and its stores closed, including the two stores branded as UGO. In February 2012, UGO Stores was itself placed in administration, and the chain was bought by Poundstretcher, in a pre-pack sale,[9] [10] with 18 of the twenty stores to become part of the Poundstretcher chain[11] and the other two (Nuneaton, Hull) to close as Poundstretcher already had stores nearby.[12]

In January 2021, the last remaining vacant Ugo Supermarket space in Nuneaton was purchased after sitting empty for nine years, by independent Midlands-based family-owned retailer, 365 Bargains.[13] [14]

Notes and References

  1. News: Phillips . Beth . Troubled discounter Ugo sold to 'established national name' . 26 February 2021 . . William Reed Business Media . 1 February 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120420005038/http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/companies/discounters/troubled-discounter-ugo-sold-to-established-national-name/225678.article . 20 April 2012 . Crawley.
  2. News: Soult . Graham . Haldanes pledges that UGO will be "the icing on the Netto cake" . 26 February 2021 . Soult's Retail View . 25 January 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110131001938/http://www.soultsretailview.co.uk/2011/01/25/haldanes-pledges-that-ugo-will-be-the-icing-on-the-netto-cake/ . 31 January 2011 . Gateshead.
  3. Web site: UGO – The discount store with a whole lot more . Ugo Shopping . 26 February 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111216172546/http://www.ugoshopping.net/ . 16 December 2011 . Haldane House, Grantham.
  4. News: All Haldanes' Nettos now trading as Ugo . 26 February 2021 . . William Reed Business Media . 4 June 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120726154059/https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/companies/all-haldanes-nettos-now-trading-as-ugo/218533.article . 26 July 2012 . . Haldanes has finished rebranding all of the 20 Netto stores it bought from Asda..
  5. News: Soult . Graham . Haldanes stores in Tattershall, Wigton, Crieff and Tranent may be saved . 26 February 2021 . Soult's Retail View . 10 June 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111203203620/http://www.soultsretailview.co.uk/2011/06/10/haldanes-stores-in-tattershall-wigton-crieff-and-tranent-may-be-saved/ . 3 December 2011 . Gateshead.
  6. News: Woodhead Bakery in double acquisition deal . 26 February 2021 . British Baker . William Reed Business Media . 19 April 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110422033525/http://www.bakeryinfo.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/8303/Woodhead_Bakery_in_double_acquisition_deal.html . 22 April 2011 . Crawley.
  7. News: Brooks . Beth . Ugo Stores stars in Come Dine With Me . 26 February 2021 . . William Reed Business Media . 21 January 2012 . https://www.web.archive.org/web/2016*/http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/companies/discounters/ugo-stores-stars-in-come-dine-with-me/225324.article . 13 March 2016 . Crawley.
  8. Web site: Facejacker – Clips – S2-Ep1: Cabbage or Cauliflower . . 26 February 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120325184938/http://www.channel4.com/programmes/facejacker/video/series-2/episode-1/s2-ep1-cabbage-or-cauliflower . 25 March 2012 . Testing supermarket customers resolve with Ugo self service checkouts.
  9. News: Assistant . Editorial . UGO sold to Poundstretcher in pre-pack deal . 26 February 2021 . Retail Gazette . 9 February 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031825/https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2012/02/22311-ugo-sold-to-poundstretcher-in-prepack-deal/ . 4 March 2016 . Marylebone, London.
  10. News: McAteer . Owen . Poundstretcher saves North-East UGO jobs . 26 February 2021 . . . 8 February 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210226081115/https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/business/9519750.poundstretcher-saves-north-east-ugo-jobs/ . 26 February 2021 . Darlington.
  11. News: Phillips . Beth . Poundstretcher snaps up troubled Ugo chain from administration . 26 February 2021 . . William Reed Business Media . 11 February 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120510054743/http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/companies/discounters/poundstretcher-snaps-up-troubled-ugo-chain-from-administration/226038.article . 10 May 2012 . Crawley.
  12. News: Soult . Graham . How Poundstretcher can learn a thing or two from its acquired UGO stores . 26 February 2021 . Soult's Retail View . 19 February 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130303062826/http://www.soultsretailview.co.uk/2012/02/19/how-poundstretcher-can-learn-a-thing-or-two-from-its-acquired-ugo-stores/ . 3 March 2013 . Gateshead.
  13. News: Harrison . Claire . Ghostly Blockbuster sign emerges as town centre firm moves . 25 February 2021 . . . 20 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210120051254/https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/ghostly-blockbuster-sign-emerges-town-19657163 . 20 January 2021 . . en . "Signage has appeared on a fenced off area at the front of the former Netto store, which reads: 'Opening soon here – 365 Bargains.".
  14. News: Moore . Mason . 365 Bargains open doors to new premises in former Ugo space . 25 February 2021 . Hinckley Free Press . 6 February 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210206235022/https://hinckleyfreepress.wordpress.com/2021/02/06/365-bargains-open-doors-to-new-premises-in-former-ugo-space/ . 6 February 2021 . . "They have quietly re-located to a more spacious and prominent former Ugo unit adjacent to Poundstretcher.".

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