Some months after this column forecast that it would be put on the block, Pernod Ricard has now officially put BWG, owner of the Spar chain, on the market. If and when the sale goes through, it will result in a major shake-up in the Irish grocery market, especially in the so-called "symbol" convenience store sector, where the Spar chain is involved in a price battle with Musgrave's Centra.

Financial information on BWG is pretty scant, but in 1999 it had operating profits of P35 million (£27.5 million) on sales of P938 million. Last year it had sales of P1.26 billion. If BWG only maintained its 1999 operating margins, it would have had operating profits of more than P46 million.

While a sale of BWG in its entirety is one possibility and one that would undoubtedly be preferred by Pernod for its simplicity, trade sources believe it is more likely that BWG may be broken up and sold to a number of buyers.

BWG is a combination of businesses. It is a wholesale distributor in Ireland; it has the Spar franchise in Ireland and the Mace franchise in Northern Ireland and in Leinster; and also has the Spar franchise in south-west and parts of southern England.

These elements could all be sold separately if no single buyer were to emerge for BWG in its entirety.