AF Blakemore started in 1917 as a single Wolverhampton store, set up in a space of 350 square feet by the grandfather of the present managing director, Peter Blakemore. It now employs almost 5,000 people and acts as a wholesaler to more than 800 Spar shops across England and Wales. It also runs 200 of its own Tates convenience stores and is building up a presence in other areas such as printing services, cash-and-carry and shop-fitting. The company’s sales reached £603m in 2006.