Conviviality sales top £1.5 billion
Bargain Booze owner Conviviality has said it traded in line with expectations in the year to 30 April with total group sales nearly doubling to £1.56 billion.
Retail sales grew by 6.1% to £374 million in the period with like-for-like sales in the second half of the year up 0.5%.
During the year, Conviviality’s plans to transform itself from its foundations as a franchised off licence business into a leading drinks wholesaler and distributor were boosted by the acquisition of wine, spirit and beer distributor and wholesaler Bibendum Group on 20 May 2016.
Conviviality also strengthened its management team and reorganised its activities into three business units of Conviviality Direct, Conviviality Retail and Conviviality Trading.
Sales at Conviviality Direct grew by 6.4% while Conviviality Trading saw an increase of 1%.
Diana Hunter, chief executive of Conviviality, said: “We have come to the end of an unprecedented year of change and I am pleased to report a strong trading performance for the group and for each of its business units. It is encouraging to see our customers and suppliers benefiting from the skills and the expertise of the enlarged group, its scale and reach and its positioning as the UK’s leading drinks wholesaler and distributor.
“We have made great progress on the integration of Matthew Clark and the acquisition and integration of Bibendum PLB Group. Our focus will continue to be on improving the business and ensuring that benefits are realised from our greater scale, as we drive efficiencies for the group and greater service for our customers.”
