Pulling Power

Premier’s pulling power

Sag Hussain’s innovation-packed Premier store is magnetising local shoppers.

LIVING THE DREAM: Sag at his shiny new Premier store.

Love and other good things often come when you’re not looking or least expect them, and that’s certainly true in the case of Sag Hussain’s brand-new Premier store in Stockton-on-Tees.

Situated on the high traffic Norton Road with ample free parking at the front and offering a perfect blank canvas for development, the site was almost too good to be true – and Sag hadn’t even been looking for it.

“I’d opened my first Premier in Middlesbrough four years ago which was going from strength to strength, and I wasn’t even looking for another site when I received an unexpected call from a local landlord in January 2022.

“He wanted to tell me about a former launderette unit that was about to become available.

“I went to have a look anyway and from the moment I saw it, I knew I had to have it and I literally said ‘yes’ on the spot!

“The site is attractive for a number of key reasons. Firstly, its location on a busy main road. Secondly, it has plenty of parking. Thirdly, it’s the perfect shape. It’s a perfect 1,200sq ft square, which allows full view of the whole store and makes planning the layout much easier.

“A lot of work was needed but I could see the potential. I knew even then it was perfect for creating a true destination convenience store that would pull shoppers in from all around. Every shopper who walks into your store is potentially going to spend money. To turn that potential into an actual sale, you’ve got to have that wow factor.

“My vision was to open a store that shoppers would not just want to visit, but rave about. I wanted shoppers to post about this store on Instagram and Facebook, for it to be a place that they wanted to be.”

Just six weeks after signing the new lease agreement, Sag’s vision became a reality when the doors to his brand-new Premier opened on 5 March.

“It was a super-quick turnaround but I don’t hang about!” Sag laughs. “The team at Premier were superb and the whole design process worked like a dream. Nothing was too much for them and without Premier’s

GO, GO, GO: The drinks to go station has been a huge hit.

FIT OUT: Shopfitting was to the highest standards.

support I would never have opened in the time frame that we did, or achieved the result that we have.”

With its custom-made beer cave and vibrant Refresh zone, that result is every bit as show-stopping as Sag envisioned.

“I was really keen to move away from a number of the traditional services offered by typical convenience stores such as bill payments and focus on novel categories such as Refresh and the beer cave to draw people in and give us a real return on our investment.”

SPECIALS: The best deals feature heavily in-store.

A 200sq ft custom-made beer cave offers a unique destination experience

CAVE MAN: A 200sq ft beer cave sets the store apart.

Average basket spend is already up to £13 and growing

Store CV:

Name: Premier Norton Road Stockton-on-Tees Retailer: Sagar Hussain Size: 1,200sq ft Staff: seven part time, twofull time. Key categories: BWS, drinks-to-go, Opening Hours: 7am-10pm Services: Lotto

At 200sq ft, the store’s dedicated beer cave is certainly doing just that. Positioned at the rear of the store, the custom-made cave is kept at a constant five degrees Celsius and offers Stockton’s shoppers a truly unique experience.

“Shoppers press a button to access the cave and once inside, are met with a vast range of chilled wines, beers, premium ciders and multi-packs, all ready to drink. We also specialise in beer kegs for home draught systems which is another great point of difference.”

Offering a range of brands from Stella to Becks, Bud and Leffe, Sag’s keg offer has already become a local talking point, with shoppers nicknaming him ‘The Keg King’!

“The beer cave is a big draw. Shoppers come here just to experience it and shop from it; we sell large volumes,” says Sag.

Sag also took care to install an automated system that allows shoppers back out of the cave without having to press buttons or manually open doors. “Shoppers tend to come out with their hands full so the sensor by the door means they don’t need to use their hands to open it. It’s important for reducing breakages and spills,” he says.

“On the outside of the beer cave we have another set of double doors that gives shoppers access to a secondary chilled display of our core chilled beer and wine lines without having to enter the cave.It’s like a fridge within a fridge and is also really popular. Not all shoppers have the time to enter the cave, or need to. Those who just want to grab a bottle of chilled Echo Falls can do so, while those who want to have a real experience and browse the full range can walk on into our beer and wine heaven!”

Featuring custom-made extra-deep shelves, the cave also performs an important practical role by allowing the store to hold lots of extra chilled stock – almost double the capacity of a normal fridge.

Premier Norton Road also offers shoppers a more premium-focused range of red wines and spirits. “We’ve deliberately moved away from cheap wines and spirits and targeted exciting higher end products that we can make more of on social media. On-trend products such as premium flavoured gins draw shoppers in and look the part on-shelf and online.”

At the front of the store, shoppers are also wowed by its large Refresh Zone which features Tango Ice Blast, Fwip, Snowshock, Hershey’s Freeze, Reece’s Hot Chocolate and a Costa Express machine.

“The Refresh zone is such an exciting proposition,” Sag says. “Prior to us opening, shoppers who wanted a proper gelato-style ice cream had to travel to a dessert parlour or to the seaside. Now, they can get a showstopping experience at their local store.

“It lends itself perfectly to posts on social media, and as anyone who checks out our Facebook page will see, I’m certainly not afraid of making an in-store video!” Sag laughs.

“We love to think outside of the box and have fun on social media, especially with new products that we make a big fuss of. We want shoppers to think of us as the go-to store for new products.

“You can’t just put a new product on-shelf and expect high volume sales. But with the right approach on social media, it will sell like lightning.”

WHIPPING UP PROFIT: Drinks to go generate high margin sales.

STRIKING DESIGN: The store was specifically designed to have the ‘wow’ factor.

Thanks to a strong chilled offer, the store is also developing a roaring evening trade. “We’ve got more than six metres of space for chilled food and that section is growing week on week,” Sag says.

“The chilled ‘2 for £5’ Meal Deals are very popular, as are the pizzas. I mean, £3.35 for a quality pizza is amazing value! We’re also seeing strong sales of chilled meats such as meatballs, mince and chicken, along with vegetables including peppers and potatoes, as shoppers increasingly come to us for their meal solutions instead of the supermarkets. They are saving money on fuel by walking here, or parking easily outside, and getting what they need quickly and easily. It’s handsdown a far better experience.

“We’re constantly monitoring the performance of the different departments to be sure everything is earning its place and we’ll tweak accordingly, but for now, all categories are performing exactly how we would like.

“Confectionery, soft drinks and toiletries are all performing very strongly. Toiletries in particular are huge, and I think that’s because shoppers who might previously have visited some of the larger High Street chemists or beauty stores are now shopping in their local convenience stores as they seek out better value for money. We offer a solid core range, which includes very competitive pricemarked products, and shoppers are spending more with us as a result.

“On confectionery, we have taken a solid core range approach, selling just the bestselling lines. We’ve done that as it gives us some key guarantees: no out of date stock and, crucially, we’re making a great margin of 30% plus on most lines.

“Our confectionery offer also includes a full bay of American sweets where we’ve picked out the core range of best-sellers. We’re not doing anything and everything, you don’t make money that way!”

Average basket spend is already up to £13 and growing, despite being open for less than two months.

“The overall customer reaction is ‘wow’,” he says. “The store is bright, clean and impeccably merchandised. One of the only rules I have with my team is that every day, the store needs to look as though it’s just opened for the first time. It’s not just first impressions that count, it’s every impression. Shoppers are critical and in their eyes you’re only ever as good as their last visit.

“Sales have grown week on week by 10% since opening, which we are more than happy with. The store is already paying for itself, paying for the staff and paying me.

“If it keeps on growing the way it is, the figures that I wanted to achieve in year two we will hit in the next month. Now that’s not bad for something I was never planning to do!”