Ali’s Convenience Store, located in Tranent, East Lothian, has just completed a £210,000 renovation to become a flagship Premier store. The 1,400 sq ft store is now equipped with the latest industry trends following the footsteps of other successful Premier stores such as Premier Talbot Village in Bournemouth, Dorset.
Anila and Zulfiqar Ali have owned the store for the past 17 years, initially becoming a Premier retailer 16 years ago. The renovation lasted for four weeks, during which the shop closed, and the retailers managed to trade successfully from a shipping container outside.
The upgrade saw an increase in their fresh and chilled food section, which now offers over 320 products in comparison to their previous selection of just 70. They’ve installed a refreshment station which includes Tango Ice-Blast and Coca-Cola frozen slush machines and a Costa Coffee unit. Alongside this, there is a milkshake dispenser achieving combined sales of £3,500 weekly. The store’s chilled section expanded from two to seven metres, with the creation of a “beer cave” from the old store room, leading to a 50% reduction in electricity costs compared to a traditional chiller.
Martyn Parkinson, Booker’s sales director for retail, emphasized how challenging it was to fit everything into the 1,400 sq ft store, but “the encouraging thing is that based on what we are doing with the Premier model, retailers are willing to invest in refurbishing their stores.” Parkinson expects members to see their payback within 12 months, with margins increasing by six to seven percentage points.
Tranent store sales increased by 50% during the 10 weeks since its reopening. Despite the expansion of the refrigeration space, the store’s electricity bill came in at £100 less per month than previously due to more energy-efficient units. They’ve also implemented 500 electronic shelf-edge labels, saving an additional seven staff hours a week.
One of the store’s most significant transitions was the increase in fresh and chilled food products, leading to a more significant amount of waste to manage. However, their newly installed smart system aims to manage profit margins in key categories efficiently.
Ali’s Convenience Store continues to maintain a focus on value with their range of Jack’s and Euro Shopper products, as well as gondola-end “Mega Deals” and point-of-sale promotions. They’re now also providing a home delivery service through Snappy Shopper, which is generating £6,000 weekly.
In addition to investing in their store, Ali received social media support to communicate their latest deals, resulting in their Facebook following increasing from 200 to 1,200 in recent months and driving additional footfall.
Anila Ali expressed her delight in the success of their renovation, remarking that “it’s beyond what we thought we could achieve with this store.” Despite the additional features, the store’s layout, higher shelving, and tighter range now make the store appear more spacious than ever. They’ve also taken steps to make the store more accessible to disabled customers.
Overall, Ali’s Convenience Store is an inspiring example of how dedication to customer service, adaptation to industry trends, and investment are significant drivers of retail success.
