NISA LOCAL THOMAS FOODMARKET, NORTON

STORE PROFILE: 70 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

SEVEN DECADES AND COUNTING

STOCKTON-ON-TEES RETAILER DAVID THOMAS IS CELEBRATING THE70TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS STOREWHICH WAS FIRST FOUNDED BY HISGRANDFATHER IN 1950.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of Nisa retailer David Thomas’s store in Norton near Stockton-on-Tees, a remarkable milestone and a fantastic achievement by three generations of David’s family. Things have changed beyond recognition in those seven decades but David believes that the one thing that has never been changed has been the vital role of providing customer satisfaction.

The Nisa Local Thomas Foodmarket was founded in 1950 by Arthur Thomas, David’s grandfather, yet David says he sticks to exactly the same principles as those applied when the shop first opened.

“I don’t want our customers going anywhere else and so I do everything I can to make sure they have no need to,” he says. “We are a family business and have been here for a long time by offering the personal touch and it’s something we take real pride in.”

David puts the long term success of the 2,500sq ft store down to regular investment to keep it up to date and ensuring he offers the best possible price for his customers. Like many retailers, David has seen sales climb significantly over the last seven or eight months.

Licensed is a key category for Thomas Foodmarket, with Covid impacting sales positively by more than 20% and it is this area that David focuses much of his attention.

He comments: “We recently re-fitted the spirits gantry behind the counter with back lit panels which has had a fantastic effect and spirit sales have absolutely soared – almost tripling. We add in bespoke, individual lines and our customers know they can come here, and I’ll get pretty much anything they want. It’s a service they have come to expect, and we are happy to provide.”