Spar has hired its new managing director from Card Factory, where she was executive commercial director.

Louise Hoste managing director of Spar UK

Louise Hoste

Louise Hoste will replace Debbie Robinson, who is leaving Spar to join Central England Co-op. She has previously worked for Walmart in the UK, Canada and Chile and was director of customer offer at the Co-op, where she relaunched the brand across food ranges. She will join the business by October.

Spar reported an 8.5% increase in UK sales to £2.84bn in 2016, its, as new retailer members joined the c-store group.

Hoste said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for me to work with the leading convenience symbol group championing independent retailers and the local communities within which they serve.

“My focus will be to continue to drive the Spar brand forward, increasing its relevance with customers and developing the offer to drive sales and profit.”