Alice Leader
Alice is the senior wholesale & convenience reporter. She covers major players in the sector including Booker, Bestway, and Co-op Wholesale, along with their associated symbol groups such as Premier, Costcutter, and Nisa.
Her remit also includes the Co-op Group and independent co-operative societies like Southern Co-op and Central Co-op, offering comprehensive coverage of the UK's diverse convenience landscape.
In addition, Alice tracks key services that shape the sector, including the Post Office, National Lottery, and home delivery, as well as the increasingly urgent issue of retail crime.
Contact info
- Tel:
- 01293 846503
- Email:
- alice.leader@thegrocer.co.uk
NewsMidcounties Co-op celebrates 20th anniversary with member deals and discounts
The society, which is one of the UK’s largest independent co-operatives, said the milestone marked two decades of growth, innovation and community impact
NewsCo-op shakes up leadership teams to accelerate growth and buying powers
Co-op said its new commercial and logistics division would be ‘a cornerstone of our strategy’
NewsAsda shakes up convenience leadership team
Asda’s chief supply chain officer David Lepley will take direct responsibility for the Asda Express division
NewsCo-op Wholesale renews tie-up with Griffiths Forecourts for five more years
The wholesaler has been supplying Griffiths, which runs three Nisa Local stores in Llantwit Fardre, Bridgend and Miskin, for over 10 years
NewsCo-op Wholesale cuts fuel levy for Northern Ireland retailers
The move follows the wholesaler’s decision to ditch the fuel levy for retailers operating across England, Scotland and Wales in January
NewsEconomic headwinds hammering convenience sales, investment and jobs, says ACS
The trade body’s 2025 Local Shop Report, published today, showed the total projected sales this year had fallen
NewsShop theft in Scotland up 17% in the past year
The SGF is calling for long-term support to help Police Scotland tackle the deluge of shop theft
NewsAsda Express expansion resumes with up to 20 store openings in October
The 20 new stores will add to the nine Express sites that Asda already operates
NewsSnappy Shopper launches 24/7 delivery feature for convenience retailers
The new service offers dynamic pricing, giving retailers the option to apply a surcharge on out-of-hours orders, as well as operational flexibility
NewsGreens Retail launches foodservice concept store ‘Greens on the Go’
Greens Retail said it marked a ‘clear shift’ from traditional convenience towards an almost entirely food for now and food for later proposition
NewsCo-op boosts health offer with Holland & Barrett range
Co-op has created ‘Health and Wellness’ bays to support Holland & Barrett’s range
NewsSewell On The Go switches supply from Londis to Co-op Wholesale
Co-op Wholesale has signed a five-year deal to supply Sewell On The Go’s 12-strong convenience stores
Analysis & FeaturesWhy the latest co-operative merger is ‘quite different’
Central Co-op is absorbing Chelmsford Star – but management is determined the smaller society will not disappear from view
Analysis & FeaturesBestway MD Dawood Pervez on 50 years of wholesaling
Last month, the wholesaler marked the milestone with a glittering celebration at the Royal Albert Hall
NewsAllwyn starts rollout of 30,000 new National Lottery terminals following systems upgrade
The new terminals include a high-speed processor for faster transactions, a bigger and tilt-adjustable LCD screen, wireless 1D barcode and 2D code scanners, and a play slip reader
NewsMidcounties Co-op launches range of value initiatives, including Aldi Price Match
The Aldi Price Match initiative is only in stores that directly compete with the discounter in a five-mile radius
NewsAF Blakemore extends partnership with Relex into company-owned stores
AF Blakemore is now bringing Relex’s planning capabilities into the retail side of the business, helping to unify in-store planning
NewsCentral Co-op and Chelmsford Star Co-op to bring more value for members upon merger
Debbie Robinson will lead the enlarged society. Barry Wood, Chelmsford Star Co-op’s CEO, will move on to a new venture
NewsCo-op Wholesale starts stocking halal food-to-go supplier Express Cuisine
The range consists of wraps, sub rolls, and sandwiches that are fully certified by both the Halal Monitoring Committee and the Halal Food Authority
NewsPost Office: postmasters boost footfall with TikTok content
The Post Office trialled a social media training day in March at TikTok’s HQ in Farringdon, London, which involved 15 postmasters