Symbol group explained

A symbol group is a form of franchise of convenience shops, found primarily in the United Kingdom and Ireland. They do not own or operate shops, but act as suppliers to independent shops which then trade under a common banner.

Unlike other forms of franchise, they have expanded primarily by selling their services to existing shops, rather than by actively developing new outlets. Examples of such franchises are Spar, Londis, Nisa Local and Centra.

Groups

Symbol groups include:

• Centra
• SuperValu
• Mace
• Spar
• Londis - 1,800 shops^[1] (part of Booker Group)
• Costcutter - 2,600 shops^[2]
• Premier Stores - 3,400 shops^[3] (part of Booker Group)
• Gala
• Nisa - 2,400 shops^[4]

Booker Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tesco.

Market

In 2014, the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) reported that the symbol group market is worth £15.5bn, with a 42% share of the UK convenience market through 17,080 shops.^[5]

In the 2010s there was significant consolidation in the sector, as Tesco purchased Booker and the Co-operative Group purchased Nisa.

See also

• Co-op Food which has a similar corporate structure, although is not usually considered a symbol group.
• Edeka, a German grocery chain which has a structure similar to a symbol group

Notes and References

1. Web site: About us | Londis. www.londis.co.uk.
2. Web site: About Us | Costcutter Supermarkets Group. www.costcuttersupermarketsgroup.com.
3. Web site: What Tesco's merger with Booker could mean for your Premier Store or Londis. Owen. Hughes. January 27, 2017. North Wales Live.
4. Web site: 2017-11-13 . Co-op buys Nisa for £143m after members back takeover . 2022-11-15 . the Guardian . en.
5. Web site: Symbol groups: market overview. The Institute of Grocery Distribution. 5 October 2015.