A symbol group is a form of franchise found mainly in the convenience-store sector of the United Kingdom and Ireland, in which the group itself does not own or operate any shops but instead acts as a supplier to independently owned shops that agree to trade under its common brand name. This sets it apart from a conventional franchise, where the franchisor typically also controls the building or opening of new outlets: a symbol group instead grows mainly by persuading existing independent shopkeepers to switch to its branding and supply arrangements rather than by building new stores of its own. Well-known examples in the UK and Irish market include Spar, Londis, Nisa Local and Centra, and as of 2014 the sector was valued at 15.5 billion pounds and controlled roughly 42 percent of the UK convenience retail market across about 17,080 shops.
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A symbol group, a voluntary trading association of independent convenience store owners operating under a shared brand and supply arrangement, is a distinct retail industry structure most established in the United Kingdom.
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