4 minute read
Cover Story: One Stop
by 55 North
One Stop opens 250th franchise store
Retailer Raj Paranthaban has opened his second One Stop in Aylesbury.
One Stop has celebrated a key milestone with the opening of its 250th franchise store. Franchisee Raj Paranthaban opened the 3,600sq ft store, which was previously the site of a charity shop, in Fairford Leys, Aylesbury.
Raj came to the UK from Sri Lanka in the early 1990s, aged just 19, and settled in Fairford Leys.
He was welcomed to his latest venture by town Mayor, Cllr Anders Christensen and Chairman of Coldharbour Parish Council, Cllr Andrew Cole, who cut the ribbon to declare the store officially open.
The retailer will be bringing between 20 and 25 new jobs to the area with the opening of the Fairford Leys site and is also looking to introduce other services including a fresh butchers and deli counter.
Raj said: “I can see why there are so many One Stops now; my experience has been nothing short of brilliant. I was previously with another symbol group, so I’m easily able to compare. The support you get from One Stop is fantastic, from the area manager to the new store team. They’ve all been so helpful and spent a great deal of time making sure that everything was ‘just right’. I’m really happy with everything.”
Raj also owns a local fish and chip shop, ‘Salt & Vinegar,’ as well as his first One Stop store which he opened last year.
He added: “Everything has been finished to a really high standard and we have a store that is very welcoming and open. Due to the pandemic we wanted everything to feel airy and safe so we’ve really opened it up with a high ceiling and plenty of room to move around in.
“My customers have already given us great feedback and were pleasantly surprised at how good the prices were compared to other local stores. 99% of the customers we serve come to my fish and chip shop, so I knew they would support me. In turn I want to do as much as I can for them. I know for example that there are no launderettes – they all closed down - so I’ll soon be setting up a drop off service to help people out.
“I’ve also started delivering to our more vulnerable customers who are still shielding. They have my mobile number and they call me if they need anything.
I’ll drop it off for free and they can pay me next time they’re in store.”
John Miller, Head of Franchise at One Stop, said Raj is similar to many of the symbol group’s franchisees who now run multiple sites and are a key reason why One Stop has seen an acceleration of new openings. He said: “Our brand-new state-of-the art EPOS and technology means that multiple sites can be run with ease, away from the stores – at home if necessary – and has always part of our long-term investment plans.
“Raj, like many, wants to grow his portfolio of stores and our offer supports this by providing a marketing leading EPOS system among other unique benefits that help save our franchisees time and makes their lives easier.”
Miller added: “We’ve got a number of new franchise stores opening imminently across the UK, so we should see our next milestone of our 300th opening soon; it’s certainly a very exciting time for us and our franchise community and we look forward to welcoming Raj back for his third One Stop store.”
