SPAR LOWDHAM

STORE PROFILE: DUNCAN & LISA BETTS

LOWDHAM GETS A SHINY NEW SPAR STORE

CAR DEALERSHIP OWNERS DUNCAN AND LISA BETTS HAVE TEAMED UP WITH BLAKEMORETRADE PARTNERS TO OPEN A BRAND NEW SPAR STORE AND FORECOURT IN THENOTTINGHAMSHIRE VILLAGE OF LOWDHAM.

Duncan and Lisa Betts have operated a car dealership in the village of Lowdham, between Nottingham and Southwell, for nearly 20 years and have now ventured into convenience retailing for the first time with the opening of a new Spar store last month.

The couple decided to invest in a massive project to convert their old workshop into their dealership showroom and their old showroom into a 2,000sq ft Spar store with a Gulf-branded forecourt.

The project took only five weeks to complete, and Duncan and Lisa have invested a total of £300,000 into the site, which includes coinvestment of £60,000 from Blakemore Trade Partners.

“We have worked in this area for 20 years and we knew there was a great opportunity for convenience,” says Duncan. “We always had a kiosk and a forecourt on the site, but we were really keen to create something special. Spar is a well-known trusted brand and has a fantastic range of bespoke and everyday products. We are thrilled to see all our plans delivered and through a pandemic. It has been a total leap of faith, but we are very confident of the future.

“Lowdham is an affluent village and there is a big demand for quality fresh produce. Our store and forecourt are in a great position to supply both core range and high-end products to serve the need of all our customers.”

The store features a new County Bridge fresh meat range and an extensive selection of chilled meals together with a bespoke licensed section. A Daily Deli, Costa Coffee and F’real Milkshakes have been added. The home delivery app Snappy Shopper is also available to local customers.

The refit was undertaken by Blakemore Design & Shopfitting and included a massive electrical upgrade. The site includes a large parking area with 20 parking spaces and a community space for hire, something which is currently missing from the local area. “When things get back to normal, we hope the store will become a local hub with plentiful car parking, in order for our customers to linger and use the facilities without car parking pressure,” says Betts.

The fuel side of the business has also undergone a makeover with four new pumps added together with Gulf branding. The site also boasts air and water facilities. Electric charging is being considered for the future.

“Since opening on 3 November, there has been a great reaction from shoppers,” said Oliver Walters, Business Development Manager at Blakemore Trade Partners. BTP’s Store Cluster strategy which is aimed at helping retailers differentiate their stores for different locations and markets is built on customer insight and is ensuring that the investment made by Duncan and Lisa is really delivering on what customers want and need. Together with the new Spar store and Gulf forecourt, social media advertising and the contacts Duncan and Lisa have acquired over the years from their dealership, we have no doubt this is going to be a huge success for them. The first two weeks of trading have been great. Lisa and Duncan are very brave to embark on this new project – especially during a pandemic, and we look forward to supporting them every step of the way.”