Refit

REFIT OF THE YEAR

SPAR FALKIRK

Anand Cheema’s first venture into owning his own store was always likely to be high pressure but he has responded in style with an intelligently designed store perfect for today’s shoppers.

As the son of Scottish Grocers’ Federation Chief Executive Pete Cheema OBE, himself a former successful multi-site retailer, Anand Cheema has had an interesting journey into the world of owning and running his own store. Yes, he has been able to call on the support and experience of his family, but has also had the additional pressure of being in the spotlight to deal with in his first year as a retailer. He has delivered in fine style however and has delivered what the judges termed “a truly exceptional Spar store that his become the heart of the local Falkirk community he serves. The store is very, very pretty but, more importantly, the quality of thought that has gone into designing the store is exceptional. A large food to go island, a hot food counter and a full range across every important category means Spar Falkirk can cater for every requirement.” SLR Publisher Antony Begley commented: “Anand’s exposure to the convenience retailing environment for most of his young life has clearly helped him develop a sense of what a great store looks like. “When he got the chance last year to become a retailer for the first time, it was irresistible to him – and it’s easy to see why. It was a real challenge and it carried real risks, but Anand has risen to every challenge and his store is simply excellent. He has a very long and successful career ahead of him.”