Switching allegiances is a big thing in retail but sometimes it has to be done. Here, Paul Hudson, a new convert to SPAR, tells us why he's never looked back.
The new recruit
Paul Hudson's store in the seaside village of Seasalter in Kent had traded successfully with Londis for 12 years. However, 18 months ago Paul decided he needed to expand the business. “I wanted to turn the shop into a bigger, more modern convenience store with an emphasis on fresh produce and meal solutions. Every day I’d watch people get in their cars or get on a bus to go into Whitstable to do their shopping; I wanted them to do that shopping in my store.”
Paul’s plan was to double the sales floor to 2,500sq ft and to dramatically increase the emphasis on fresh and chilled lines as well as improve the off licence.
Unfortunately Londis could not give him the help he needed so he looked elsewhere. The extension to the store represented a massive investment for Paul so he needed to make sure he got his new partnership right.
“I looked at every single symbol group and visited loads of stores. I knew SPAR had won Symbol Group of the Year, so I looked at their range and their own-label development and realised that it would fit perfectly in my new store.”
Paul signed up with SPAR via RDC Capper & Co Ltd and Stuart Ware and his team immediately rolled their sleeves up and got to work.
Paul explains: “I had the finance in place, I had the planning permission, I just needed to get the work done. I put a lot of pressure on Stuart and his team because I told them the store had to be up and running by the start of the school holidays. They worked really hard and I only had to close for five days during all the work.”
Much of the extra space in the new store has been given to fresh fruit and veg, fresh meat and other meal solutions but there is also a store-within-a-store off-licence section. Paul also invested a lot of money in energy-saving equipment.
“We’ve got bespoke doors which look great and will save us money. Plus we’ve got low-energy refrigeration cabinets,” he says.
With Londis (and the smaller sales area) Paul had an average weekly turnover of £21,500, which reached a peak of £27,000 during the tourist season. His first week with SPAR saw Paul’s turnover hit £35,000. “It’s exactly what we wanted to achieve. I had a market to capture and I am capturing it,” he says.
Retailing according to Paul Hudson:
Best thing about retailing: “The social side – meeting lots of people.”
Advice I live by: “Invest regularly in your business. Look at your business through your customers’ eyes.”
Biggest challenge: “Every day is a challenge as you continually strive to improve your business.”