AF Blakemore Taps AI to Overhaul Workforce Across UK SPAR Stores

WILLENHALL, UK – January 08, 2026 – AF Blakemore & Son Ltd, one of the UK's largest family-owned food businesses and a major operator of SPAR convenience stores, is embarking on a significant technological transformation of its retail operations. The company has partnered with Logile, a provider of AI-driven store operations solutions, to implement a new Labour Planning suite across its extensive retail estate.

This strategic move will replace the company's long-standing manual processes with an intelligent, unified platform designed to standardize workforce management. The initiative aims to enhance labour consistency, improve customer service, and drive operational efficiency across more than 240 company-owned SPAR stores in England and Wales. The agreement, signed in September 2025, has now entered its initial implementation phase, marking a pivotal step in the retailer's modernization journey.

A Strategic Shift from Manual to AI-Driven Operations

For years, AF Blakemore managed its workforce of over 7,000 employees using a manual, Excel-based labour model. While functional, this system presented significant limitations for a business of its scale and complexity. The model struggled to account for crucial variables such as business seasonality, the diverse formats of its stores, and evolving performance trends. This resulted in inconsistencies and challenges in optimizing staff deployment.

The company's leadership recognized the need for a more sophisticated approach. "We had a limited and very manual approach to managing labour consistently across our estate, which meant we weren’t always achieving our goal of having the right people doing the right things at the right times,” said John Gallifant, Head of Central Operations at AF Blakemore. The partnership with Logile is intended to provide the clarity and control necessary to align staffing decisions directly with key business metrics. Gallifant added, “Logile gives us the clarity and control to make better decisions, align labour with key business metrics, and ultimately create a consistent and exceptional experience for both our customers and our teams.”

By adopting Logile's advanced platform, the retailer can now link labour decisions directly to real-time operational data. This shift from manual spreadsheets to an AI-powered system is designed to improve accuracy, accountability, and agility at every level of its retail operations, from individual store managers to central planning teams.

Modernizing Amidst a Challenging UK Retail Landscape

AF Blakemore's investment in workforce technology comes at a critical time for the UK's convenience and grocery sector. The market is characterized by intense competition from supermarket giants and hard discounters, coupled with significant economic pressures. Retailers across the country are grappling with rising operational costs, including increases in the national minimum wage, fluctuating fuel prices, and supply chain inflation.

In 2024, AF Blakemore itself navigated a challenging period, experiencing a sales decline following the loss of a major supply contract with EG Group. These market dynamics have underscored the urgent need for operational excellence and efficiency. While some in the sector have reportedly delayed investments due to financial strains, AF Blakemore's move signals a proactive strategy to strengthen its core business through technology.

This investment is not merely a cost-cutting measure but a strategic pivot towards building a more resilient and data-driven organization. By optimizing its largest controllable expense—labour—the company aims to better manage financial pressures while simultaneously improving the in-store experience, which has seen an increase in footfall. The adoption of AI is a clear indicator that heritage businesses are increasingly turning to innovation to secure their competitive edge.

The Promise of a Connected Workforce and Consistent Experience

The core of the Logile platform is its ability to create a "connected workforce." The Labour Planning suite enables retailers to accurately model workforce requirements based on demand forecasts, sales data, and other operational inputs. It allows for the creation of optimized staffing plans that carefully balance service quality, operational goals, and budgetary constraints.

For a company like AF Blakemore, which operates a diverse portfolio of stores in over 900 communities, this capability is crucial. The technology is designed to scale across multiple locations and formats, ensuring that each site—whether a small high-street convenience store or a larger neighbourhood hub—operates efficiently and profitably. This standardization is key to delivering the predictable, high-quality customer experience that builds loyalty.

Beyond the balance sheet, the implementation is expected to have a profound impact on employees. More accurate and data-driven scheduling can lead to more predictable shifts, clearer task management, and a better alignment of staff with peak customer traffic. This focus on creating a superior experience for team members is a central part of the strategy, based on the principle that engaged employees lead to satisfied customers.

A Data-Driven Future for a Century-Old Business

Founded in 1917 as a single counter-service grocery store, AF Blakemore has grown into a £1.2 billion enterprise. This latest move demonstrates a commitment to blending its rich heritage with forward-thinking innovation. By embracing AI, the company is future-proofing its operations for the next century of retail.

Purna Mishra, Founder and CEO of Logile, commented on the partnership's strategic importance. “AF Blakemore’s investment in modernising its labour planning represents a strategic step towards building a more connected, data-driven retail organisation,” he stated. “We’re proud to partner with such a respected name in UK retail and look forward to helping them drive sustainable performance improvements and workforce engagement.”

As the implementation progresses, AF Blakemore anticipates a range of long-term benefits. These include more accurate sales and demand forecasting, improved labour productivity, and the establishment of a scalable framework for continuous optimization as business needs evolve. This digital transformation positions the company not only to navigate current market challenges but also to set a new standard for operational agility and intelligence within the UK's competitive convenience store sector.