One Stop

COVER STORY

Raising the bar

A new One Stop store in Swansea, formerly the Carriage House pub, is already takingmore than £700 a day on fresh and chilled alone.

Twenty-two-year-old retailer Harman Basainty has converted a derelict pub in Swansea into a state of-the art 2,000 sq ft One Stop store.

The former Carriage House pub closed about 15 years ago and the Basainty family has owned the property for many years, renting it out as a café and takeaway. However, it never really worked as a successful venture.

Harman and his family are no strangers to retail, having already run convenience stores for many years. However, the new One Stop at Rheidol Avenue, Swansea is his first foray into the One Stop offering, as he explains: “The offers and promos are superb for our customers and things are much simpler for us to manage as everything runs through the EPoS system. We know where each product is and what’s on the shelf and it’s proving to be a much more efficient way to run a store.

“What we’re able to offer the local community now is amazing. We’ve never been able to get such a huge range of products before and customers can actually do a full shop. The chickens for £5 look really appealing and taste amazing and are so reasonably priced. I just never thought we’d be able to stock this much. I looked at my sales from my old store and we’d take around £1,200 a week on chilled and fresh items. We’re now already selling over £700 a day.”

The new One Stop is located minutes away from the DVLA Head Office, near to three local schools, next to a busy housing estate, and near a new house development. Subsequently there is a lot of passing trade, from teachers getting their lunch to builders popping in for a £3 Meal Deal.

Harman continued: “We’ve got so many great things to attract all our different customers including a fully-fledged open plan 300sq ft Beer Cave, which offers space and range in a fully chilled environment. It’s actually less labour for us as we don’t need to refill it multiple times like the chiller and of course customers love it as they can pick up beer, wine and multipacks all chilled.

What we’re able to offer the local community now is amazing. We’ve never been able to get such a huge range of products before . Customers can actually do a full shop.

“Customers are also loving our large vending bar we’ve installed which includes Costa – which is available with all the different flavours and syrups, just like their coffee shops. Hershey’s is flying out. Tango Blast arrives next week, so that’ll attract customers too.

“Our £3 Meal Deals are certainly very popular and provide such an exceptional choice and the best quality. We’re starting to get more locals in who buy them for the whole week as the regular retail price would normally be about £7 or £8 for some of the choices. You just can’t beat it.”

The store opened three weeks ago – with a huge party with hundreds of guests there to enjoy a DJ, surfing machine, bouncy castle, food, raffles, and an appearance from Iron Man and Spiderman – and Harman is keen to remind people that they are there. “I’m really active on social media and I create online adverts and events to help market the store and tell people about the promotions and what to look out for. I love coming up with ideas that customers will like,” he said.

“I recently made a promotional video for the store and really concentrated on the quality and detail to help boost store visits and sales. I know people watch it and go: ‘Wow, look at all the things they offer’ and this brings them into store. Lots of people used to drink here when it was a pub and they’ve been intrigued see what we’ve done. Luckily, they’re really impressed with how much we’ve turned the place around.

“My next focus will be on home deliveries where I’ll be able to offer my customers everything in store but in under 30 minutes, straight to their front door. Traditionally with larger supermarkets they’d need to wait a week or two to get a slot. Times are changing in convenience retailing and the opportunities are huge. It’s an exciting time for me to have my own business and with One Stop behind me I’m even more confident on where this will take me into the future.”

John Miller, Head of One Stop Franchise, said: “Hats off to Harman and his team who are driving such strong sales and have brought life to what was an iconic building for the local community but had fallen into disrepair. During the building’s major refit into a store, Harman worked closely with One Stop to get all the right ingredients for what the area needed. This has proved very successful and is now evident in the short time he has been open.

Hats off to Harman and his team who have brought life to what was an iconic building for the local community but had fallen into disrepair.

“Harman may be young, but he’s worked in his parents’ store virtually all his life. Coming back from school or in the holidays he’d work for them and started full time when he was 16. At One Stop we’re thrilled to be able to help him develop his business and help him capitalise on his wealth of experience, local knowledge and the respect he’s garnered in the community, driving the family business forward to the next generation. He now employs 12 colleagues, most of them from the local area.”

● One Stop currently has 21stores in Wales, with more setto roll out in the coming months,and is encouraging potential franchiseesto get in touch.