HOW’S YOUR WEEK BEEN...

RETAILER INTERVIEW

SIVA THIEVANAYAGAN

NISA ST NEOT’S, CAMBRIDGESHIRE

AWARD-WINNING MULTISITE RETAILER SIVA THIEVANAYAGAN RECENTLY OPENED A STORE IN ST NEOT’SIN CAMBRIDGESHIRE, DEFYING CORONAVIRUS TO MORE THAN DOUBLE SALES IN THE FIRST WEEK.

HOW’S YOUR WEEK BEEN SIVA?

It’s been hectic, but hectic good. The new store in St Neot’s in Cambridgeshire opened at the end of last month and it’s been doing fantastically well, so I’m really pleased.

THAT MUST HAVE BEEN CHALLENGING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CRISIS.

Well, it took longer than I hoped it would to complete the project, with some problems early on and then the coronavirus, but I am really pleased with the result.

IT WAS A MAJOR PROJECT, WASN’T IT?

I actually bought the store last year along with an unused unit next door, so we had to completely transform the business from a small corner shop to a much larger destination store offering a full convenience offer.

The original store was less than 1,500sq ft with structural columns in the middle and varying floor levels. That meant restricted space for important categories like chilled, frozen and ambient and a layout that made it difficult to offer an adequate range.

It was doing an average of around £9k a week before I bought it and now it’s doing £20k a week.

Now, all the additional space from the neighbouring unit has been used to extend the shop floor to more than 2,500sq ft. I believe it offers the local community a much better store and one that can meet all their needs.

HOW HAS THE COMMUNITY RESPONDED?

In the first week sales were up 100%, so I think they like it! The store is in a residential area and it has access to a car park. It’s also close to a school and a busy train station so I knew it had potential. It was doing an average of around £9k a week before I bought it and now it’s doing £20k a week, so it’s been a big success – and I don’t think the growth has peaked yet. There’s more to come.

WHAT WHERE THE KEY IMPROVEMENTS YOU MADE?

We installed two self-service checkouts and a dedicated bakery with a deli counter to allow us to serve hot food as well as an extensive food to go offer including freshly made sandwiches, Costa Coffee and Tango Ice-blast and F’real milkshakes. The off-licence section has been significantly increased in size – from three to seven bays – and given a modern, fresh look within a dedicated area. The space given over to chilled produce has tripled in size from six to 18 bays and frozen has been doubled by replacing two chest freezers with five upright ones.

WHAT WAS YOUR GENERAL APPROACH TO THE REFIT?

Basically, I wanted to use the space to create a really welcoming store for our customers so that when they come in, they think how amazing it is and that’s exactly what they now get when they walk through the doors. We also stock local products and our staff are from the local community which has helped create a really local feel that makes our shoppers comfortable and want to come back.