Wholesaler Parfetts is supporting its growth plans with the appointment of Antony Downing to the new role of Store Development Manager.
He joins the wholesaler from Costcutter, where he was Retail Design Manager. Downing has worked in store development and the convenience retail sector for over 33 years.
At Parfetts, he will lead the development of new store formats for Go Local as the symbol group aims to reach 1,000 retailers in the next two years.
Guy Swindell, Retail Director at Parfetts, said: “Antony brings a huge amount of experience to this new role. We continue to invest in and evolve our Go Local fascia with new talented people that are dedicated to supporting retailers, along with new technology and services such as our innovative GOLD delivery service.”
Go Local is planning a range of new store formats developed over the coming months to provide “industry-leading levels of flexibility”.
Parfetts saw its turnover in the last financial year jump by 26% to £474m. It said it was currently trading “strongly” and expects sales to exceed £500m in 2021. It is investing £1.5m in its infrastructure and extending its Aintree and Sheffield depots to increase capacity for its delivered operation.
Downing said: “Parfetts and Go Local have built an enviable reputation in recent years and its focus on supporting retailers is second to none. I look forward to working closely with our retailers to optimise their store performance and help take their businesses to the next level.”
