Londis Chesterfield We give everyone a smile and a meet and a greet and that’s what people are looking for round here. You just don’t get that from the multiples 30 Musgrave Group Plc <strong>Annual</strong> Report & Review <strong>2006</strong>
Different & better – retailers & local suppliers Londis – best value locally Terry Caton is a Londis retailer who in March <strong>2006</strong> took over a local post office and convenience store in Chesterfield when the existing owners wanted out. ‘I’m a local lad who’s aware of the importance of a business like this to the <strong>com</strong>munity,’ he says. The strength of local feeling over the post office was reflected in the flurry of campaigns and petitions against its closure. And this time the neighbourhood got its way and under Terry’s stewardship within ten months the store’s turnover was up by 90 per cent. ‘It’s about listening and responding to the needs of customers,’ Terry explains. Terry owns two other Londis stores in Chesterfield – a small news extra business with a thriving home delivery service and an 1,800 sq ft convenience store in the heart of the town’s Grangewood <strong>com</strong>munity. There’s strong <strong>com</strong>petition from all the major multiples, but Terry believes he’s <strong>com</strong>e up with a simple, winning formula. ‘We’ve run the Grangewood store for ten years now and in that time more than doubled our business,’ he says. ‘The focus has always been on a strong range and targeted offers, excellent standards and customer service, plus intelligent value-adds like our PayZone service, that means people can top up their gas, electricity and mobiles.’ Terry is totally <strong>com</strong>mitted to his <strong>com</strong>munity. For example, he helped organise other Londis retailers in the area in sponsoring his local radio station Peak FM with its cheeky nude calendar to raise money for cancer charities. He also drummed up funds for a production at the local theatre in aid of two hospices. Terry believes that small businesses can survive and prosper if they recognise the need to earn the loyalty of the neighbourhoods in which they operate. Providing newspapers for the local drop-in centre and food baskets for the homeless are some of the ways Caton’s stores give something back to the <strong>com</strong>munity. ‘I genuinely believe we have something unique to offer this town,’ says Terry. ‘We employ local people who customers know and are <strong>com</strong>fortable around. Some elderly people are un<strong>com</strong>fortable in large supermarkets. We give everyone a smile and a meet and a greet and that’s what people are looking for round here. You just don’t get that from the multiples.’ Local food for local stores – Kit’s Kitchen Headed by Tim Caldicott, Kit’s Kitchen has been supplying farm shops primarily with produce grown on the family farm in Egdon, Worcestershire since 2000. More recently, Tim and his team have expanded their business and developed a production kitchen and now supply Budgens stores in the Heart of England catchment area. Kit’s Kitchen fare includes award‐winning chutneys, pickles, BBQ sauces, salad dressings and pickled shallots (watch out for their kick), all of which are made using unique, tried and tested family recipes. The oldest of these is the Apple and Onion Chutney which was brought over by Tim’s great grandparents from India. In <strong>2006</strong> the range was selected for the launch of the Warner Budgens store in Broadway and the business continues to supply local stores in the area. Local food for local stores – Mash Direct Having grown vegetables and potatoes on their farm in Comber, Co. Down for almost 20 years, Martin and Tracy Hamilton (right) decided to supply ultra‐fresh, chilled, convenient vegetable products to meet consumer demand. The vegetables <strong>com</strong>e into their state-of-the-art factory, fresh off the farm in the morning, where they are washed, peeled, steam-cooked, mashed gently, chilled rapidly and packaged – all in the space of a few hours. All Mash Direct products are free from additives and preservatives. ‘There’s no secret to avoiding preservatives,’ says Martin. ‘The key is the freshness. Our products have a good shelf life because potatoes that are in the field in the morning can be cooked, mashed and delivered by the afternoon.’ The Hamiltons also make sure that all their additional ingredients, such as butter and cream, are sourced from local farmers. 31 Musgrave Group Plc <strong>Annual</strong> Report & Review <strong>2006</strong>
Change language