Young Scottish Local Retailer of the Year

ANAND CHEEMA, SPAR FALKIRK

It may be only his first year as a local retailer but what a year it’s been for Anand Cheema, who has done himself and his mother and father proud in his little corner of Falkirk.

Anand Cheema has retailing in his blood, not least because he’s the son of Scottish Grocers Federation Chief Executive and former multi-site retailer Pete Cheema OBE. Consequently, Anand spent his formative years in and around his mum and dad’s stores soaking up a lot of knowledge – all of which he has put to good use in his very first year of running his own store.

Anand only bought his first store last year but has succeeded in creating a truly exceptional Spar store that his become the heart of the local community. While having the invaluable support of his mum and dad to draw on, Anand also had the additional pressure of being in the spotlight to deal with in his first year as a retailer. As the judges commented however, “he has come through that test with flying colours. 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: “I have had the privilege of knowing Anand for many years. He has always been hungry to learn and ambitious, and his previous roles with Spar Scotland and Envipco have clearly helped him develop a sense of what a great store looks like. Buying his own store was a real challenge and carried real risks, but he has risen to every challenge and his store is simply excellent.”