Leading forecourt retailer Ascona Group extends partnership with Co-op Wholesale in new five-year deal
Leading independent forecourt retailer Ascona Group has signed a new five-year contract with Co-op Wholesale, cementing a partnership that has grown significantly since it began in 2020.
The agreement will see Co-op Wholesale continue to supply all 62 Ascona forecourts across the UK with grocery products, including access to Co-op’s award-winning own-label range.
Founded in 2011 by CEO Darren Briggs, Ascona Group has grown rapidly from just two sites in Pembrokeshire to become the UK’s seventh largest independent forecourt operator, serving more than 300,000 customers every week. The business has been recognised among The Sunday Times 100 fastest growing companies and is shortlisted four times at the upcoming Forecourt Trader Awards.
Ascona has invested heavily in its estate, including the £3m redevelopment of Machynlleth Service Station in North Wales in 2023, the group’s largest single investment in Wales to date. The business has also recently expanded with acquisitions at Kirkburn Service Station in Driffield, East Yorkshire, and Ridgeway Service Station in Hastings, East Sussex.
Alongside its growth, Ascona continues to make a difference in the communities it serves, having now reached a £50,000 donation milestone through Co-op Wholesale’s Making a Difference Locally (MADL) charity. These contributions have supported a wide range of local causes, underlining the group’s commitment to delivering positive social impact as well as high-quality roadside retail.
Darren Briggs, founder and CEO of Ascona Group, said: “Ensuring our forecourts provide our customers and the local communities in which we operate with a first-class roadside retail destination is at the heart of what we do at Ascona, which is why we choose to partner with operators like Co-op Wholesale.
“We have had a long-standing relationship with Co-op Wholesale, who are one of our key suppliers to our forecourts across the country. Today, all of our 62 forecourts are supplied with grocery and Co-op branded products by Co-op Wholesale. Our partnership has gone from strength to strength over the years, and we look forward to continuing our work together to serve our customers.”
Paul Webster, Sales and Partnerships Director at Co-op Wholesale, added: “Ascona has been one of the standout growth stories in the forecourt sector over the last decade, and we are delighted to extend our partnership for a further five years. Our shared focus on quality, value and community makes this a natural collaboration, and we look forward to supporting Ascona’s ambitious plans as they continue to expand and invest across the UK.”
Our partnership has gone from strength to strength over the years, and we look forward to continuing our work together to serve our customers.
