Following this morning’s game-changing announcement that Tesco is set to buy Booker Group in a £3.7bn deal, Booker Group CEO Charles Wilson has offered his thoughts on the deal.
Wilson said: “Booker is committed to improving choice, prices and service for the independent retailers, caterers and small businesses that we are proud to serve.
“We believe that joining forces with Tesco offers the potential to bring major benefits to end-consumers, our customers, suppliers, colleagues and shareholders.”
In a statement released alongside the announcement of the deal, Booker Group said that it believes this deal will:
- Delight consumers with better availability of quality food at attractive prices across retail and eating-out locations
- Serve better the faster-growing ‘out of home’ market
- Help independent retailers, caterers and small businesses by further improving choice, price and service, with enhanced digital and delivery service options
- Present a broader market opportunity for our suppliers, with strong growth prospects and a clear opportunity to develop better own-brand and fresh ranges
- Cut food waste and increase efficiency by creating a broader, multi-channel partner who can work with producers across their full agricultural crop
- Create significant opportunities for synergies while retaining market-leading retail and wholesale expertise
- Create attractive innovation opportunities to serve customers and consumers better in a rapidly-evolving marketplace
A flurry of independent retailers have expressed their concerns on Twitter about the deal between Booker Group – which owns Budgens and Londis – and the UK’s leading supermarket.
The deal still needs to be given the green light by the Competition and Markets Authority.
My personal opinion is that this meregr will be detremental to all independent retailers, small newsagents type shops in particular. Dont ever believe that Tesco have an interest in helping small independent retailers succeed and make more profit. They are only interested in getting bigger and grabbing as much of everyone elses business as they can. This is another nail on the coffin of family business.