Mace is a name used by two convenience shop symbol groups in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It previously had stores in Great Britain. The shops are independently owned and join the groups, paying a fee for marketing and branding support and purchasing their stock from the brand owners.
Great Britain
The Mace brand had several owners in its history in Great Britain.[1]
In 1999, Palmer and Harvey acquired Booker Wholesale Foods from Booker plc, giving P&H control of the Mace symbol group in England and Wales. A large number of retailers were unhappy with the change and 80 shops left soon after the takeover.[2] Initially they were unable to satisfy customer expectations with one stating "I don't think they're geared up to serve our type of trade. They're more used to being 'a supplier', rather than 'the supplier'."[3][4]