Spar and Mace operator signs €2.5m comms deal


17 May 2006

BWG Foods, which operates more than 500 Spar and Mace shops around Ireland, has signed a €2.5m deal with RocTel to provide all of the outlets with voice and data communications services.

Dublin-based RocTel, a business telecoms supplier, was awarded the preferred telephony supplier contract following a competitive tender with several other telecommunications companies. The deal is to last for three years.

It is anticipated that the Spar and Mace shops will be able to benefit from reduced operational expenses on call costs as a result of the agreement.

BWG Foods is a division of BWG Group Ltd, an Irish and UK wholesale business that supplies goods and services to the retail grocery trade. The company operates the Spar, Mace and Value Centre Cash and Carrys franchises throughout Ireland.

Melanie Hunter, sales director of RocTel, said: “All too often small and medium businesses do not have the time or manpower to investigate possible savings in utilities such as telecommunications. Being able to satisfy the high standards of the overall buying group means we can offer a high-service low-cost quality alternative to individual retailers — making a changeover to RocTel a pure administrational decision. Already RocTel has expedited over €500,000 of this agreement.”

By Gordon Smith