Somerfield has bought Aberness for an undisclosed figure.
Aberness owns and operates 36 Mace symbol group grocery stores in Scotland.
It also has five franchised shops and distributes wholesale grocers to another 130 Mace stores.
Analysts say the deal is too small to put Somerfield out of the race to buy Londis, another symbol group. The purchase cements the supermarket chain’s ambitions to expand into the convenience sector.
Meanwhile, Londis directors have agreed to drop their rights to a controversial bonus scheme, paving the way for smoother negotiations with potential buyers.
References: Financial Times 19/03/04 page 28, The Times (Broadsheet) 19/03/04 page 29, page 30 (Business Big Shot, Need to know), page 34, The Daily Telegraph 19/03/04 page 33, The Independent (Tabloid) 19/03/04
