Mace was a convenience store symbol group in the United Kingdom, operating as a franchise brand for independent retailers. The brand changed ownership several times over its history, passing from Booker to Palmer and Harvey, then to Costcutter Supermarkets Group, and finally to Bestway Wholesale.[1] By 2025, the Mace brand had disappeared from Great Britain, though it continued to operate in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.[1]
Design and History
Mace’s visual identity underwent several documented changes, each tied to a change in ownership or a strategic refresh. In 2000, Palmer and Harvey acquired the rights to Mace in England and Wales from Booker.[1] By 2002, the company introduced a new “M” logo for Mace own-label products, replacing the full wordmark on packaging.[2]
In 2005, Palmer and Harvey gave Mace stores in England and Wales a facelift, unveiling a new blue, white and stainless steel logo.[3] That same year, the company rebranded its Northern Irish convenience brand Your Store to mirror Mace’s branding on the UK mainland, replacing the old green, diamond-shaped Your Store logo with a blue and silver lozenge-shaped logo similar to the new-look Mace brand.[4]
The most significant visual refresh came in 2009, when Palmer and Harvey unveiled a rebranded Mace symbol at its trade show Pro-Retail. The old blue and silver Mace fascia was replaced with a blue and white version featuring more modern lettering, along with a new strapline.[5] The revamp, which followed a trial earlier that year, included a contemporary fascia, a new logo and updated in-store graphics.[6]
Following Bestway Wholesale’s acquisition of Costcutter Supermarkets Group in 2021, the Mace brand’s future in Great Britain became uncertain. Bestway’s managing director described the Mace fascia as “less important” due to overlap with its Best-one symbol group.[7] In December 2022, Bestway confirmed plans to consolidate its symbol portfolio and focus solely on the Costcutter, Best-one, Bargain Booze and Wine Rack brands, with Mace among the fascias being phased out.[8]
Meaning and Symbolism
Documented symbolism for the Mace logo is limited. The 2009 rebrand introduced a new strapline alongside the blue and white fascia, though the specific wording and intended meaning were not detailed in available sources.[5] The shift from blue and silver to blue and white in 2009 was described as featuring “more modern lettering,” suggesting the update was primarily a stylistic modernization rather than a change in brand meaning.[5]
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