Size matters

SMALL AND MIGHTY Brothers Steve and Jassy Singh Dhinsa (r-l)are flying the flag for Premier’s new small store concept.

ROOM TO GROW: At just 600 sq ft the small store has been cleverly merchandised to feel much more spacious.

RISING STARS: Food to go and chilled produce are the stars of the show.

TOP OF THE STOCKS: The store has a strong promotional focus.

Small but perfectly formed

Steve and Jassy Singh Dhinsa are the first retailers to showcase Premier’s brand new small store concept – and it’s proving to be a smash-hit with local shoppers.

DDespite their youthful appearances, Steve and Jassy Singh Dhinsa are old hands when it comes to independent retailing, having worked in their family-owned store since boyhood.

They’ve witnessed a great many changes in that time, but none more so than the shift which took place in the summer of 2021 when, following the challenges afforded by the global pandemic, the pair decided to make the leap to join Premier. Up until that point, the store had been trading as an unaffiliated store but Steve and Jassy quickly recognised the benefits of becoming part of Premier, especially as part of its exciting new concept for small stores.

“Our parents established the business back in 1987,” Steve says “and we’ve always used Booker and know everyone in the local branch.

“Mum was always going on about how we should join Premier. She wanted the shop to be fitted out properly and to have a solid fresh range as she could see the opportunity there, but for one reason or another the timing just wasn’t right and we didn’t get round to it.”

Once restrictions eased, however, Steve knew the time was right. He explains: “We just felt that it was the right time to make the move and we just jumped! It was scary to make such a big change after so long but sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith.”

It may have been a daunting decision to

Small but perfectly formed

make but Steve says that Booker quickly made him feel that he had made the right move.

“We knew from the start that we would go with Premier, it was what mum wanted and you simply can’t fault the offer, especially the new concept for smaller stores which just felt like it was made for us!”

Armed with the knowledge that a compelling fresh and chilled offer was key to propelling footfall and sales, the store was fitted out with a striking five meter-long display of long life chill where Booker’s 330 lines are truly allowed to shine.

“The fit out was actually incredibly quick considering what a drastic change has taken place. In just over a week we had a totally new store, complete with the smart Premier fascia, floors and all new fixtures and fittings.

“The fit out itself took just over four days but the rest was just stocking the new store up. The range is totally different now and fresh is by far one of the biggest changes. All we really used to sell in terms of fresh before was potatoes, onions, ham and cheese and now we’ve got a really compelling offer of around 350 fresh lines.

“It’s wide but it’s tight and gives shoppers a totally new opportunity to top up locally.

POSTING SALES: Post Office shoppers are ringing up bigger baskets.

350

fresh lines available

BIG CHILL: The small store features fivemeters of chilled.

270%

increase in sales

RISING SUCCESS: Sales have rocketed with a new dedicated vape display.

REFRESHING SALES: The Refresh section is racking up £1,600 a week – in the winter!

Store CV:

Name: Premier VG, Wheatley Hill, Durham Retailer: Steve and Jassy Singh Dhinsa Size: 600sqm Services: Post Office, National Lottery, Phone Top Up, Coffee to go Staff: Three Opening Hours: 7am-8pm

GREAT VALUE: At £2.99 a drink the Jolly Rancher slush offers young shoppers great value for money.

We’re getting people in spending big baskets that we barely ever saw before, or if they came in it was just to visit the Post Office and grab a paper on their way out.

“We were nervous at first as fresh just wasn’t something our store was known for and we worried that we’d end up chucking loads away but boy were we wrong!

“Shoppers are delighted with the range, especially our many elderly customers as it saves them a much longer walk to the only other local competitor.”

The store’s younger demographic has certainly not been forgotten either, with a new ‘Refresh’ zone complete with Fwip ice cream, a Jolly Ranchers Slush offer and coffee to go.

“The Fwip offer and slush are so popular with our younger shoppers, they’ve never had anything like this on their doorstep before as we’re the only shop within walking distance, so it’s a real boon for them.”

Such a boon in fact that the Refresh@ Premier section is now taking up to £1,600 a week and attracting shoppers from neighbouring villages. With a margin of 65% the offer is also proving distinctly refreshing to Steve too!

“We’ve also introduced a comprehensive vape range which is totally new. We’d dabbled in vape before, with a small counter top display unit, but this is a serious commitment to the category, as vape is now stocked in a dedicated 1m cabinet on the shop floor.

“We’ve got some e-liquids and pod mod devices, but the vape pens are by far the biggest sellers, especially among our 25 to 35-year-old shoppers.

“I’m even seeing a growing number of smokers now dualling with the vape pens as they try to cut down on tobacco. The margins

SHELF LIFE: The frozen range has a strong focus on value.

ALL GOOD THINGS: The small concept store features a small yet perfectly formed range for modern convenience needs. SIGN OF THE TIMES: Categories are well signposted with striking black and yellow signage.

on vape products such as Geek Bar, which I get from Booker, are great at around 41% so that’s a big win in my book.”

From a standing start the store’s new vape offer is now generating £2,300 a week at a 45% margin.

“Booker’s support at introducing all of these new elements has been second to none. My RDM is constantly on the phone checking that we’re ok and if we have the slightest query, he’ll visit the shop in person.”

“Were not a large store and don’t have much storage space so since the refit we visit Booker every day, sometimes twice or three times to ensure that availability and quality remain tip top.

“The branch is just down the road and it’s something we both still really enjoy doing. Nothing beats walking around the branch in person if you can find the time. We know a lot of the other retailers there and we have a good craic with the staff too, it’s rare to leave without a smile.”

Another element contributing to that smile is the store’s new sales figures, which peaked at just under £24,000 the week of Christmas. Sales are now averaging a touch under £20,000 excluding VAT and services, while overall margin has grown from 18% to just under 25% and continues to improve every month as the higher margin departments sales keep building.

“The sales increases are obviously fantastic, but even better is the margin because the range we now stock offers far better margins that we were getting before,” Steve adds.

“My mum sadly passed away recently and she would have been so pleased too.”

“We have a picture of her on the wall right by the entrance so her presence is still very much felt in the store, you see her as soon as you walk in. I know she would be so proud.”

FLYING THE FLAG: American confectionery lines add further interest for young shoppers.

PERFECTLY BAKED: Freshly made sandwiches from the local Taylors Bakery are also popular with shoppers.

The height of ambition

The Johal family had big dreams for Premier Birnham but what they created was even bigger.

FAMILY AFFAIR: Brothers Josh and Guv Johal (l-r) are “so proud” of Premier Birnham. Ambition: it’s a quality that a great many people possess but few actually act on. Thankfully for the local community of Kirkcaldy, the Johal family are not among the latter set.

The Johal’s have ambition; in-fact, they have trolley-loads of the stuff and they aren’t afraid to let it fly.

The fruits of this ambition are clear to see should you take a trip down Kirkcaldy’s busy Birnham road.

At the end of a now thrumming parade of shops stands their “baby” – an innovation-crammed 3,300 sq ft Premier super-convenience store which is not just transforming the fortunes of the Johal family but that of Kirkcaldy’s community too.

With more than 31 years of successful convenience trading under their belts (The Johal family have owned a number of different stores over the years) the family were no strangers to refits and refreshes, but as eldest son Guv puts it: “this store was an entirely different beast.

“The store itself was more than double the size of any other stores we had operated. You could literally get four trolleys side by side down the aisles, it was massive, yet the weekly turnover when we first bought it was half what we were used to in our much smaller stores and no-where near where it should have been.

“We knew that big changes needed to be

made, we had big ambitions for the site and we needed a symbol group that was going to help us achieve them.

“When we first bought the store we sat down with all of the symbol groups but Premier just stood out.

“I still remember the RDM looking me straight in the eye and saying ‘whatever you need, you will have and this will be one of the best-looking Premier stores ever seen.’

“His enthusiasm and genuine passion for our business were just utterly inspiring so

ON THE BOIL: The store features a state of the art £70,000 kicthen.

SPACE RACE: The 3,300 sq ft store has a bright and spacious feel.

SHAKE IT UP: Freal milkshakes complement the ‘to go’ offer. there was never really any question about joining Premier.”

And the family’s faith certainly hasn’t been disappointed.

“The team at Premier have been integral to the success of this store. They are so enthusiastic, energetic and supportive. They are hungry for innovation and for the stores to be the best that they can possibly be and that fills us with confidence.

“Initially our refit was going to cost £150,000 but in the end the final plans came to £260,000.

“We weren’t phased though because thanks to the support of Premier we knew that it would pay back.”

“The refit needed at Birnham was going to be the biggest we’d ever done and with a store of this size we also knew that we had a golden opportunity to try new things and really push the innovation boundaries.

“All credit has to go to my youngest brother Josh at this point because during the planning stages he took it upon himself to travel all around the UK for months on end visiting as many new stores as he could for inspiration. He went to England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales; any new store that was creating waves he checked out.”

“It was that journey that inspired him

DRINK IT UP: The store’s 36-meter alcohol range has a rustic feel with feature lighting. LOCAL LOVELIES: Local eggs provide yet more USPs.