Nisa

Total transformation

The retailer was a community champion in Dundee, raising money for local and national charities.

Retailer Shabaz Akram has launched a Nisa Local on the site of a derelict pub in the Welsh town of Abertridwr. The premises in Caerphilly had been standing empty for more than 20 years before Akram created a 3,000sq ft store beneath 10 luxury flats.

Akram, who has operated a convenience store in the area for the past two decades, said he made a “calculated risk” when purchasing the property, knowing it would be a huge project.

He said: “The building was in ruins really – it was like something out of a horror movie. There was a basement but no actual ground floor, just a gaping big hole. Every window was smashed and the structure of the building itself was unsafe.”

The five-year project has seen the premises completely re-built with a new timber frame erected within the existing building walls and the building carefully restored to its former glory.

“The building has quite a history in the village and has some meaning for the people who live here so it was important to me that we got it right,” said Akram.

He adds: “I had a vision in my mind and knew what I wanted to achieve. Everything in the store, it’s all my ideas: the colours, the shelving, the lighting, and the floor. I didn’t have drawings; I just could see in my head what I wanted it to look like.”

The store makes use of the latest technology, including automatic LED lighting, operated by an app.

Akram concluded: “I don’t think there are many shops now that have the real wow factor, there are lots of stores out there that look just like each other, but this is different – everything has been done to the very best standard and I am delighted with the finish.”