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Cut-price Cigarettes - Mr Value / Supercigs

ziksby

ziksby

Old Malvernian
Another company I worked for in the mid-80s was Buy-Wise, a CTN operation with 90 branches in the Midlands/South Wales. They traded under several names, the most notable being 'Mr Value' and 'Mainly Cards'.
There were shops in most Birmingham suburbs and in the city centre.
This is not a complete list, but in 1987 there were branches in the City Centre, Piccadilly and Great Western Arcades, plus .....
Bearwood, Cape Hill, Erdington, Great Barr, Handsworth, Harborne, Kings Heath, Kingstanding, Newtown, Northfield, Perry Barr, Rubery, Sheldon, Small Heath, Washwood Heath and Yardley.
In 1987 they were taken over by Supercigs(T&S Stores) who in recent years have become part of the Tesco chain. Now branded Supernews with no cigs advertising allowed.
Shopfront photos to follow .....
 
Photos attached are of Piccadilly Arcade and Northfield together with 2 other unknown suburban locations.
 
The shop interiors were rather sparse ... this was retailing in its basic form.
Just a notch above diy shelving - crisps on the bottom shelf straight out of the box - hand written price tickets. But cheap ... cheap sweets, cheap fags, cheap cards.
 
Ziksby
what a great little business they where. They where one of my customers at there new HQ in Small Heath.
Lorraine was their buyer a loverly, senseuouse beautifully woman, She deffinatly had a way with us rep's she certainly could turn the screw, with a passion!!
They certainly moved my gear crisps, snacks, nuts and biscuits, as well, thanks for the memory!
Who was the owner I met him but cannot remember the name?
 
The owner of Buy-Wise was Ray Ridgely, but to the best of my knowledge their offices were always in Bromford Road, West Bromwich.
Ray sold the business in 1987 to T & S Stores (Supercigs) which was run by Kevin Threlfall from their H.O. in Brownhills.
 
ziksby said:
The owner of Buy-Wise was Ray Ridgely, but to the best of my knowledge their offices were always in Bromford Road, West Bromwich.
Ray sold the business in 1987 to T & S Stores (Supercigs) which was run by Kevin Threlfall from their H.O. in Brownhills.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info Ziksby but they did move to a new office and distribution depot in Small Heath by the Coventry Road prior to the sell off to T&S
 
hi, i was the main driver for buywise, started working at mr. value in stourbridge in 1982 and was taken over by buywise in around '82 0r early '83, buywise was originally in park road oldbury and moved to bromford lane in around 1983, next to the railway pub ( hilda's)....they definatley did not move to sheldon, but went directly to brownhills after the takeover by t&s stores.....buywise also had stores as far afield as wellingborough and corby, rushden swindon and abingdon.....
 
Hi Dazzhill,
I was retail operations manager with Buywise from 1987 till they were taken over by T&S. I stayed at Brownhillls for 6 months but was made redundant. I remember Ray Ridgeley and his son Ian and daughter Niki, Doug Flello the buyer, Andrew Salter the accountant. You might remember these names: Brian Rayner, shops liaison. Rita Rayner, Carola Saunders, Rita Cox regional managers, Butch Ward, warehouse mgr., with B Smith and D Allen goods in and out, Doreen Petch, Anne Kiernan security. Val Evans office manager. Some of the supervisors; Mandy Whitehead, Pauline Watkins, Doreen Sheriff, Natalie Jinks, Lynne O'Conner.
You are correct; they were never in Sheldon.
 
yes, i remember most of those people. dave allan and i were drinking partners, barry smith lives a couple of miles away, doug flello came from mr. value to buywise, he lives local also, not seen him for years though....i also remember paula and lesley ( i think she and butch got married)from the warehouse, butch's brother was there for a while, cant remember his name though....ray simkin was the original driver, i think he retired due to illl health?....when i started it was ray and dave allan on the one van and paul oconnor and i on the other one, there were only 2 vans at that time, i think there were half a dozen or so in the end....i left a couple of months before the move as i found a job eleswhere, didnt fancy the commute from stourbridge to brownhills........i think ray ridgley started a similar but scaled down venture a few years later....
 
Seem to remember Buy Wise (or b wise) had a store in Oswestry. Back in the early nineties I received a call to inform me of a heating oil spill in the basement of the store caused by a split storage tank, organised a tank cleaning company to uplift the spilt oil and clean up the basement. Bit of a panic as the store had to close until the cleanup was completed.
 
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