This year, Checkout commemorates its 40th anniversary under its current ownership, and with this in mind, every week, Retail Intelligence is going to 'reel in the years' and publish a story from our extensive archives. This article from June 1983 looks back at the introduction of the 'Our Brand' private label range by Spar.
Spar has finally jumped on the generic bandwagon with the launch of Our Brand, a line-up of 22 products aimed at providing a really basic, cheap range of goods for its delivered business and cash and carry customers.
Introduced on May 30th, 1983, the range includes such staples as peas, beans, preserves, toilet rolls, tissues, kitchen towels, washing-up liquid and salt as well as vegetable oil, kitchen foil, bleach, 1.5 litre minerals, firelighters and dog food.
Unveiled initially by the Spar-operated Consort cash and carry group in the UK last July, within 16 weeks, Our Brand had met its first-year sales target of £1 million and, following this success, it was extended from 20 to 22 lines.
Presently the Our Brand range is coming in with only three exceptions (six products) from the UK, but, explains Spar’s marketing director, Aidan Morrison, “Our aim at all times will be to source products in Ireland, where possible. We’re in the business to help our trade customers compete more effectively, thereby increasing their sales and profits. Where we can do this with home-sourced products, we’ll certainly do so.”
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