This is a list of convenience shops in the United Kingdom.
In mid-September 2015 Booker Group announced it would acquire Musgrave Retail Partners GB, owner of the Londis and Budgens brands for £40m, adding Londis's 1,630 convenience shops and 167 Budgens franchise outlets to its estate.[1]
In December 2016, McColl's announced it would acquire 298 former Co-op shops[2]
In August 2017, Sainsbury's announced it had entered exclusive talks to acquire Nisa,[3] however talks were abandoned in August due to concerns over monopoly and competition inquiries.[4] It was then announced that the Co-operative Group has entered talks to acquire Nisa. In November, the Co-op announced that the Nisa board had recommended members accept the Co-op's £140m offer for the company.[5] [6] In 2022, McColl's was placed in voluntary administration and purchased by Morrisons.[7]
The list of current convenience stores has been split into those run by major retailers, and those that are symbol groups.
| Shop name | class=unsortable | Image | data-sort-type=number | Founded/ Came to UK | Owned by | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldi Local | Aldi | Smaller city centre c-store format, sized around 6,500 sq. ft.[8] | |||||
| Amazon Fresh | 2021 | Amazon | Chain of cashierless c-stores. Amazon also partner with several UK retailers including Morrisons, Booths and Co-op to sell groceries online through the Amazon UK website.[9] [10] | ||||
| Asda Express | Asda | Chain of smaller c-store shops within the wider Asda business started in 2022, with plans for 300 by 2026.[11] Asda also operate a petrol forecourt c-store estate and work with partners through the 'Asda On The Move' brand.[12] | |||||
| Circle K | Alimentation Couche-Tard | Leading forecourt and convenience retailer on the island of Ireland, with 49 sites in Northern Ireland.[13] | |||||
| Co-op Food | 1844 | Various consumers' co-operatives | Co-op Food is a brand used by a federation of approx. 15 UK consumers' co-operatives, together forming a supermarket brand which sources products from the Co-operative Retail Trading Group, and has the largest number of shops for a UK convenience shop multiple. The Co-operative Group is the largest member with around 2,400 owned and franchised stores (including larger supermarkets).[14] | ||||
| Heron Foods | B&M Group | Chain of approx. 300 convenience shops. | |||||
| Iceland Local | 2023 | Iceland | New convenience format launched in 2023.[15] | ||||
| Lidl | Lidl | Smaller store format for predominantly urban locations.[16] | |||||
| Little Waitrose | 2008 | Waitrose | Small convenience shops selling Waitrose goods; aim to have 300 shops by 2018 | ||||
| Marks & Spencer Simply Food | 2005 | Marks & Spencer and BP franchise agreement | 120 convenience shops based within BP Connect roadside fuel stations | ||||
| Morrisons Daily | 2019 | Morrisons | Convenience shop chain with approx. 480 company-owned and franchise stores[17] | ||||
| One Stop | Tesco | Approx. 1,000 owned and franchised stores.[18] [19] | |||||
| Poundland Local | Poundland | Chain of convenience shops | |||||
| Sainsbury's Local | 1998 | Sainsbury's | Chain of approx. 800 convenience shops run by Sainsburys[20] | ||||
| Tesco Express | Tesco | Second smallest shops in Tesco family; approx. 2,000 shops nationwide[21] |
| Shop name | class=unsortable | Image | data-sort-type=number | Founded/ Came to UK | Owned by | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bargain Booze Select Convenience | 1981 | Bestway Wholesale | Chain of franchised convenience shops operated by Britain's biggest off licence chain. Bargain Booze Purchased Central Stores in December 2017. | ||||
| Best-one | 1990 | Bestway Wholesale | A Symbol group with over 2,000[22] convenience shops located in England & Jersey, CI | ||||
| Blakemore Retail | 1917 | Privately owned | UK's largest family owned operator of convenience shops; operate as a member of Spar UK. Took on a number of My Local shops after the collapse of the chain. | ||||
| Budgens | 1872 | Tesco (Booker Group) | Symbol group in England and Wales founded in 1872. | ||||
| Central Convenience Stores | Bestway Wholesale | Central is a franchise based convenience shop chain based in the Dorset area.[23] | |||||
| Costcutter | 1986 | Bestway Wholesale | Symbol group and convenience shops supplied by Nisa; operates under the Costcutter, mycostcutter, Mace, Supershop and kwiksave brands | ||||
| Day-Today | 2003 | United Wholesale (Scotland) | Symbol group founded in 2003, there are now over 300 Day-Today convenience stores in Scotland. | ||||
| Family Choice | Tesco (Booker Group) | Symbol Group | |||||
| Family Shopper | 2014 | Tesco (Booker Group) | Discount symbol group set up by Booker to run alongside Premier and offer more discounted lines[24] | ||||
| Go Local Extra | A G Parfetts Cash & Carry | Symbol group for independent shops owned by A G Parfetts | |||||
| Greens Retail | Greens | Scotland's leading chain of Convenience Stores (formerly Eros Retail). Operating 16+ stores throughout Scotland as of March 2023, with substantial growth aspirations and plans to achieve a £100m annualised sales target from 50+ stores..[25] [26] | |||||
| GT Retail | James Retail Group | Chain of convenience shops located in the Midlands and North of England[27] | |||||
| HKS Retail Ltd | 1984[28] | Operator Petrol stations and convenience shops across the Midlands | |||||
| Jones Convenience Stores | 1911 | Privately owned | Chain of 16 convenience shops located in Somerset | ||||
| KeyStore | 1995 | J.W Filshill | A leading Scottish convenience symbol group. | ||||
| Lifestyle Express | Unitas Wholesale | Symbol group of independent shops, roughly 2000 in number operating | |||||
| Londis | 1959 | Tesco (Booker Group) | Symbol group and convenience shops | ||||
| Mace | Bestway Wholesale (United Kingdom) and Musgrave (Northern Ireland)[29] | Symbol group | |||||
| Nisa | 1977 | The Co-operative Group | Symbol group
| ||||
| Park & Shop | 1975 | Park Garage Group[31] | Own-brand | ||||
| Premier | 1994 | Tesco (Booker Group) | Symbol group with over 2400 shops that are independently owned | ||||
| Proudfoot Supermarkets | 1946 | Privately owned | Chain of supermarkets/convenience stores in the Borough of Scarborough | ||||
| Select & Save | Privately owned | Chain of 100 symbol group convenience shops supplied by Nisa[32] | |||||
| Shop'N Drive | 2012 | Rontec | Chain of convenience shops located at roadside fuel stations | ||||
| Simply Fresh | Bestway Wholesale | Symbol group of 25 convenience shops, affiliated to Costcutter | |||||
| Spar | 1957 | Owned by independent retailers, with five strategic wholesalers:
| Symbol group | ||||
| Today's Extra | 1985 | Unitas Wholesale | Retailers' cooperative & symbol group of around 400 convenience shops; formerly part of Nisa-Today | ||||
| USave | 2003 | United Wholesale (Scotland) | Symbol group founded in 2003, there are now over 200 USave convenience shops in Scotland. | ||||
| Welcome | Southern Co-op | Franchised convenience chain with approx. 69 stores focused on southern England.[33] | |||||
| Whistlestop | Select Service Partner | Convenience chain primarily focused on rail, coach and airport locations. Select Service Partner also operate Marks & Spencer Simply Food sites at major railway and motorway service stations. |
| Shop name | class=unsortable | Image | data-sort-type=number | Founded / Came to UK | Purchased by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberness | Bought by Somerfield in 2004[34] | Scottish convenience chain | ||||
| Alldays | 1991 | Bought by the Co-operative Group[35] | Convenience shop group set up in 1991 by Watson & Philip which went into receivership in 2002 | |||
| All 'Ours | Merged with Premier Stores | Symbol group within the Moffat company | ||||
| Bells Stores | Bought by Sainsbury's in 2004, branded as Sainsbury's at Bells before being converted to Sainsbury's Local[36] | Small chain of 54 convenience shops in the North East England | ||||
| Botterils Convenience Shops | c.1950s | Bought by Scotmid in 2010.[37] | Small chain of 51 convenience shops in Scotland | |||
| Central Shops | 2013 | Conviviality Retail in 2017 | ||||
| Circle K | Bought by Watson & Philip in 1993 for £21m and re-branded Alldays[38] | American-owned convenience shops | ||||
| Cullens | 2004 | Bought by Tesco from Adminstore | Presence in central London, operating since 1876; part of Adminstore group which also owned Europa and Harts | |||
| David Sands | 1812 | Bought by Co-operative Group in 2012[39] | Chain of 28 convenience shops located in Scotland | |||
| Dawn Til Dusk | 1986 | Went into receivership in 1999 | was an English chain of 90 convenience shops located throughout the North of England | |||
| Dillons | Symbol group. Rebranded as One Stop in early 2000’s | |||||
| Europa | 2004 | Bought by Tesco from Adminstore | Presence in central London; part of Adminstore group which also owned Cullens and Harts | |||
| Happy Shopper | Booker Group | Formerly a Symbol group but now a sub brand sold in Premier Stores after the purchase of parent company Nurdin and Peacock | ||||
| Harts | 2004 | Bought by Tesco from Adminstore | Presence in central London; part of Adminstore group which also owned Cullens and Europa | |||
| Healds Day & Nite | Bought by Tesco owned One Stip in 2000[40] | Chain of 98 convenience shops | ||||
| Jacksons Stores | 1991 | Bought by Sainsbury's in 2004, branded as Sainsbury's at Jacksons Stores before being converted to Sainsbury's Local[41] | Regional in Yorkshire and North Midlands | |||
| Local Plus | 2001 | Bought by the Co-operative Group[42] | Chain of 64 convenience shops created by a management buyout of South West Alldays shops | |||
| McColl's | Morrisons | Bought in 2022 and converted to the Morrisons Daily format by September 2024.[43] | ||||
| Loco | 2012 | The Co-operative Group (Nisa Group) | Symbol group run by Nisa, which had 50 shops nationwide by 2013[44] Fascia retired and replaced with Nisa Express format.[45] | |||
| Misselbrook & Weston (M&W) | Original operator of One Stop, later bought out by T&S Stores operator of Dillons | |||||
| Melias | Bought by Dee Corporation | Chain of convenience shops owned by Fine Fare; rebranded or sold after Gateway purchase | ||||
| Morning, Noon & Night | 1991 | Bought by Scotmid in 2004[46] | ||||
| My Local | 2011 | Went into administration in late June 2016, all shops closed by early July 2016. | Chain of convenience shops created by Morrisons initially under M Local name; sold as part of re-organisation and was renamed My Local in September 2015. | |||
| RS McColl's | Scottish McColl's stores, bought by Morrisons in 2022 and converted by September 2024. | |||||
| 7-Eleven | Taken over by Budgens[47] | Convenience shop chain[48] | ||||
| Sperrings | 1985[49] | Became Alldays | A chain of convenience stores founded by Bob Sperring[50] | |||
| Swift | Iceland Foods | Chain of convenience shops. Stores closed in 2023. [51] | ||||
| Ugo | 2011 | Owned by Haldanes Group | Chain of 22 convenience shops created by Haldanes after purchasing shops from Netto; went into administration in 2012 | |||
| VG | Shops rebranded either Spar or Alldays | |||||
| Wavy Line | Small chain of small supermarkets and convenience shops located in the South and South East of England | |||||