Haldanes
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | November 2009 |
| Headquarters | Grantham, Lincolnshire, England, UK |
| Key people |
Arthur Harris (Chief Executive), Chris Laud (Finance Director), Richard Collins (Operations Director), Stuart Eaton (Facilities Director) |
| Products | Groceries |
Haldanes was a chain of mid-sized supermarkets that operated in the United Kingdom. Established in 2009, the company was the first mid-sized supermarket chain to start business in the UK in 27 years,[1] having been buying stores from the Co-operative group, which was forced to sell some shops following its acquisition of Somerfield.[2] The chain was keen to promote their intentions towards supporting local communities, such as committing to sourcing at least 35% of its food and drink from local producers at each store[2] and by supporting community events,[3] a statement reflected in their tagline, "Refreshingly Local". The first of the Haldanes stores began trading from mid-November 2009. Haldanes went into administration on 10 June 2011 and ceased trading a few days later.[4] Under competition commissions rules, Asda were forced to let go of some of the stores that they had acquired during their takeover of Netto. 20 of these stores were purchased by Haldanes and rebranded as UGO stores.
History
The chain was founded in 2009 and began trading in November 2009 with five stores, with a further 13 outlets across the UK planned for Easter 2010.[5] The company's first stores were purchased from the Co-operative group, which was forced by the Competition Commission to sell some stores following its acquisition of Somerfield. Although most of the initial stores were based in Scotland, the retailer has stated that they intend to acquire stores "the length and breadth of the UK",[6] with their first store in England set to open in January 2010 in Tattershall, Lincolnshire.[5]
The first store opened on Wednesday 18 November 2009 in Prestonpans, East Lothian. In the same week, the company announced that its first store in England would open in January 2010 in former Co-operative Group premises in the Lincolnshire village of Tattershall.[7]
On 10 June 2011 Haldanes went into administration and announced the closure of 21 supermarkets. No luck has been had in finding a buyer which could result in hundreds of jobs lost. A support forum for ex Haldanes/UGO employees has been set up at www.larkhall.biz/haldanes [4]
On 26 June 2011 The owner of Haldanes Arthur Harris pulled the plug on the business due to Haldanes being unable to find a buyer and having debts of over £8 million.
Management
The Chief Executive of Haldanes was Arthur Haldane Stuart Harris.[8] The retail operation was headed by Operations Director Richard Collins and Chris Laud was Finance Director, managing the financial and administrative side of the firm. Stuart Eaton was the Facilities Director responsible for the physical assets and buildings used by the company. Other members of the board included Steve Back, former chief executive officer of Somerfield.[8]
Operations
The company had two operational bases. Its headquarters were in Grantham, Lincolnshire; a regional office was being established in Broxburn, near Edinburgh at the time of closure.[5] The buying group Nisa-Today's supplied most of the chain's goods, except those sourced locally.[9]
Haldanes operated small and medium-sized supermarkets, between about 3,000 square feet (280 m2) and 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2) in size.[8]
References
- ↑ "New supermarket chain Haldane expands business". BBC News. 2 December 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "New supermarket opens four stores". BBC News. 1 November 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
- ↑ "New chain Haldanes launched by industry veterans". The Grocer. 31 October 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Job fears as supermarket chain set to close shops". Scotsman.com. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Haldanes hits expansion trail". Talking Retail website. Metropolis International Group Ltd. 2 December 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
- ↑ "Haldanes steps up its store acquisition hunt". The Grocer. 5 December 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
- ↑ "Haldanes supermarket secures first store south of the border". The Grocer. 21 November 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Barnes, Rachel (28 November 2009). "Haldanes, Asco & Alworths: counting on counter-intuition". The Grocer. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
- ↑ "Haldanes News Release 18/11/2009" (Press release). Haldanes Stores Ltd. 18 November 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
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