Nearby store profile: Roisin

Opened on 8 October 2021, Nearby Glenties is already impressing locals with its range and service

In the hills of Donegal

The Nearby store in Glenties, Co. Donegal has only been open a short time but has ambitions to offer unrivalled service to the local community. Fionnuala Carolan spoke to manager Roisin Harkin about her experience so far and their plans for the future of the business

The duo running Nearby Glenties, owner Salindar Kumar and manager Roisin Harkin are relatively new to the world of convenience retail but already seem to have a keen understanding of what is needed to make this store a success. Having the support of a wholesaler like S&W Wholesale is a huge advantage and something they don’t take for granted.

The store officially opened its doors on 8 October 2021 during a challenging time with the ongoing pandemic. It had previously been another symbol brand after changing hands before closing down. Kumar made the decision to open in March but it took until October to have the shop fully functional. With the help of his manager Roisin Harkin, Kumar has had a busy few months but already the store has become a familiar part of the streetscape and has already amassed a strong repeat custom base.

Kumar comes from New Delhi in India. He had studied in the UK before moving to Ireland to pursue various business ventures. He saw potential in the shop in Glenties and decided to engage with S&W who agreed also that it was a promising site and could see the bigger picture for both the retailer and the local community.

There are already a number of retail outlets in this small Donegal town including close competition. However they remain unfazed by the competition and already have a point of difference in that they have longer opening hours than any of the other shops. The shop is open from 8am to 9pm Monday to Saturday and 8am to 6pm on Sundays.

STORE PROFILE Retailer: Nearby Glenties, Co. Donegal Owner: Salindar Kumar Manager: Roisin Harkin Staff: Four staff members Opening hours: Monday to Saturday: 8am - 9pm; Sundays: 8am - 6pm

Staff

At the moment they are managing with four staff but are keen to recruit at least two more as soon as possible to cover the long hours that the shop is open. However, as is the story the length and breadth of the country, staff are hard to come by especially in rural towns where a lot of people are still availing of the Covid unemployment payment. “It’s hard to find people who want to work in retail at the moment because of the government supports. Hopefully in the new year, things will change there,” says Harkin.

While they never knew what it was like to operate outside of Covid, they are thankful that they have had no issues with customers refusing to wear masks or keeping their distances so far. Opening during Covid has had its challenges though. These include looking to implement certain services in the shop like the Lotto or in obtaining a wine licence. “We have been waiting months for the Lotto licence. Because people are working from home, often there is no one physically in offices to collect post and process it. This has been our experience. It’s the same with the wine licence,” says Harkin.

Glenties is a small town that is generally quiet in the winter but has become ever-more quiet since the onset of Covid. They are hoping that the store will really come into its own in the summer as they are in a prime location to benefit from tourists, being located between a number of popular beaches and well-known Burtonport Pier.

Range

While they are still refining their offering, confectionery and household cleaning products are their best categories at present. Firewood and kindling are also popular. There is a strong ambient line but they don’t currently have a deli and are waiting a little while before they look to implement one as it would involve

“We aim to always make the customer our priority. We are always looking to improve what we do for the customer.”

some structural work and they feel this would be too distracting for them at present. However they are hoping to have an ice-cream machine set up by St Patrick’s Day and are already enjoying the trade from the school children next door who come in for their hot chocolates at lunchtime and after school. S&W’s exclusive coffee concept – Cuppa is proving a popular choice too. Cuppa provides convenient, quality coffee, teas and hot chocolate for people on the go with a competitive loyalty scheme.

Harkin explains that they are also planning to introduce a toy range. S&W are behind this and working to add some new toy suppliers to their range. In the lead-up to Christmas they were also selling a range of gift sets including toiletries like Lynx sets, which have been moving “very well” according to Harkin.

S&W

There has been great support from S&W Wholesale when opening the store especially with advice on decorating and arranging stock on shelves, organising training for staff and helping with labelling. Their BDM (business development manager) Stephen Vincent has been with them throughout their journey and visits the store every week. Speaking about the S&W support, Harkin says: “This has been hugely important as we find our feet. We think Stephen’s advice is invaluable. Stephen has a wealth of knowledge within the sector and already works with many stores so he has the benefit of seeing how other retailers do things and can advise us on how best to do it.”

According to Harkin, one of the initial most attractive elements of S&W is the absence of a franchise fee. This is especially important to a start-up business that has so many costs and needs to plough all the money they have back into the business. While this lack of franchise fee is certainly attractive, the real draw to S&W seems to be the unrivalled value and exceptional service levels. “The pricing and delivery is very strong,” explains Harkin. “They are extremely competitive and have a great range of stock. We love the look and feel of the Nearby brand. The customer feedback has been really positive; commenting on how the colours stand out and how attractive it looks.”

Confectionery and household cleaning products are the store’s best performing categories at present

Community

Local businesses and customers have been very supportive and welcomed the new addition to the town which meant a lot to Kumar and Harkin. While many local businesses are frequently asked for money to support different initiatives, it is generally accepted that they need to get on their feet first. However, keen to show their support for the community they have already donated prizes for the local Comprehensive school’s Christmas raffle.

Another focus of the store is to support local suppliers as much as possible. They have local bread, milk, chicken fillets and yoghurts and they say that there is no limit on how many suppliers they will use.

“We use Molloy’s Milk and have a few other local suppliers like Donegal Country Products for other chilled products like natural yoghurt and turkey breasts.” They also use Gallaghers in Ardara for their bread and this is a huge draw for customers and in fact, they have had to increase the delivery from every three days to every day due to demand. “We want to support local as much as we can. By working alongside some of our local suppliers we are supporting the local economy and providing our shoppers with the local brands they know and love,” says Harkin.

Challenges

Some retail businesses in small towns have experienced difficulties over the past 20 years as larger out-of-town retailers have dominated the landscape. Harkin says that adding to this problem is the closing of the banks in smaller towns. “The Bank of Ireland closed in the town around the same time as we opened. This has taken customers away from the town and meant that they are travelling to bigger towns like Donegal and Dunloe in order to bank and shop.” There is no bank left in Glenties which is another reason for prospective customers to travel further afield to shop now. These challenges are being felt nationwide but these local shops are the heartbeat of these towns and it is vital that they survive.

Background

This is Harkin’s first role as a manager but she has worked in retail for many years as a retail sales assistant so she has a strong knowledge of the trade. However, there is a lot to take on as a first-time manager between ordering stock, rosters, getting to grips with the till systems and a host of other responsibilities. “Thankfully, Stephen and the team at S&W have been very much at hand to support me on this journey. Their support has been invaluable,” she says.

Harkin adds they want to be known as very customer focused and this is something they are striving for. “This means having a smile and a welcome for everyone that comes in the door. But also it means that if a customer asks us to source a product for them, we will endeavour to do that.”

She explains how they try to source any products that people request. “Recently a customer was looking for Savlon antiseptic cream,” she says. “We didn’t have it but we got it in and that made a big impact. We want our customers to know that customer service is at the essence of this store.

“We aim to always make the customer our priority. We are always looking to improve what we do for the customer,” adds Harkin. With an attitude like this, they can’t go far wrong. ■