SPAR independent retailers Nigel and Sue Masters are retiring from convenience retail after 44 years in business.
The couple, who have owned SPAR Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire for 40 of those years, first joined SPAR through Preston-based SPAR distributor James Hall & Co. Ltd in 1982, acquiring a SPAR store in Clayton-le-Moors after selling their independent store in Nelson.
Nigel and Sue began with just one unit in Oswaldtwistle in a parade of shops in 1986. Over the course of 40 years, they have gradually expanded across more units to today’s 3,000 sq. ft. SPAR store which occupies the whole building.
As they move into retirement, the SPAR Oswaldtwistle business has been acquired by fellow SPAR North of England retailer and Northern Guild Committee member Phil Bridge who also has stores in Blackburn and in Clitheroe.
Always keen to move with the times, Nigel and Sue’s approach to retail has been to consistently balance supporting local people with capturing passing trade. The store is well placed among the town’s housing estates while located on Thwaites Road, a busy throughfare which connects both of Oswaldtwistle’s main roads.
This has seen SPAR Oswaldtwistle become a hub of the community. It has a comprehensive convenience offer, particularly fresh products, supported by traditional grocery lines and a strong beers, wines and spirits range, sitting alongside a footfall driving Post Office counter and dedicated Parcel Hub.
There is a strong presence of Clayton Park Bakery products – playing to a home audience with the bakery’s home of Accrington a stone’s throw away – while passing trade is catered for by a hot food to go unit and Cheeky Coffee machine, the latest development installed this year.
Nigel and Sue have also done their utmost to put back into Oswaldtwistle what they have received in support from customers. This includes sponsorship of four local football teams, a darts team, school discos, sports days, Oswaldtwistle Carnival, and many other local charities and good causes over four decades.
The couple’s support for Marie Curie, SPAR’s national charity partner, places them as the leading independent SPAR North of England store for funds raised since the partnership began in 2017. Far from simply fundraising, they have actively participated in SPAR and Marie Curie events including a Yorkshire Three Peaks trek in 2024 and a Hadrian’s Wall challenge in July.
Nigel said: “It has been one hell of a ride, and this week is one of mixed emotions. I don’t think there is a word to properly define how we both feel. Retail is in our blood, and it has been my life since I was 17.
“Looking back, retail has changed beyond recognition. The early years were very different from where we are today when we priced products using a label gun which was a long-winded task and I would get up at 3am to source fresh produce from Preston wholesale market.
“We now have fresh deliveries six days a week, an air-conditioned store, home deliveries, and modern store technology – we have seen it all. We are proud to have been part of it every step of the way.”
Retirement has given Nigel and Sue a chance to reflect on their years in convenience retail and the support they have received from James Hall & Co. Ltd across 44 years.
Nigel said: “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Hall family and everyone at James Hall & Co. Ltd for their continued support over the past 44 years. Looking back, it has been one incredible journey, and we would not change it.
“Over the years we have seen competition intensify in the area with big name competitors and countless independent retailers. Despite those challenges, SPAR has continued to help us adapt, grow and increase our turnover. That says a lot about the strength of the SPAR brand, the people behind it, and the partnerships we have built together.
“It has been an absolute pleasure to serve the people of Oswaldtwistle for four amazing decades, and we have some fantastic memories that we will cherish. We also extend our best wishes to Phil Bridge, a well-respected SPAR retailer as he takes on the store.”
Phil Bridge said: “I wish Nigel and Sue well in their retirement and congratulate them for an outstanding 44 years in retail, and 40 years at SPAR Oswaldtwistle. It is a proud day for me to take on this much-loved community store, and I am delighted to take it forward into the future.
“My family have been with SPAR for a similar length of time to Nigel and Sue and we previously had more stores than the two I currently operate in Blackburn and Clitheroe. SPAR Oswaldtwistle is a perfect fit to increase my store portfolio to three, and I cannot wait to get started.
“From a continuity perspective, Nigel and I share the same Retail Sales Advisor at James Hall in Amanda Wilson who is brilliant and has helped hugely with the change of ownership together with the company’s Sales Director Peter Dodding.
“I am going to make few changes in store right away. A new SPAR fascia will be going up, and electronic shelf edge labels (ESELs) will be installed. I am going to switch a few things around in-store too to refresh the feel of it ahead of a planned full store refurbishment in the near future.”
James Hall & Co. Ltd is a fifth-generation family business which serves a network of independent SPAR retailers and company-owned SPAR stores across Northern England six days a week from its base at Bowland View in Preston.
Comments are closed.