Find out how one Nottinghamshire local store owner revamped his offer and revenue, with the help of Nisa.
An expanded fresh offer, recognised own-label range, major increase in chilled and a store refit have provided a winning combination for a local store entrepreneur in Nottinghamshire, who has nearly doubled his basket spend as a result.
Sunny Mann is an ambitious businessman who saw the opportunity to offer local customers something different. His vision was to transform his store and offer better-quality fresh foods, so local people didn’t need to travel to the supermarkets.
Sunny first opened an independent store in Blidworth, just on the outskirts of Nottingham, around eight years ago but more recently took the decision to move over to the Nisa fascia. He realised the potential of his store after looking through the Nisa Consortium Magazine and seeing how shops that had started off small developed into amazing businesses. So, he decided to grow his business by offering what he viewed as a best in market fresh proposition as well as the Co-op Own Brand range.
Rapid expansion of chilled
Using the advice of Nisa’s retail development managers (RDMs) and store development managers, Sunny started with a store refit. He drastically expanded his chilled categories, going from 150 cases of chilled a week to more than 500, and is selling all with minimal waste.
He says: “Chilled is flying. We can’t keep up with it. Fresh meat and fresh fruit and vegetables are selling really well. We like to get new things in and give them a try, and our customers are really enjoying the larger range.”
While a major part of the development was focused on expanding the range of chilled products, increasing chilled bays from two to seven, the growth in sales spans all categories.
Sunny says: “Our shoppers rely on the store; they come in every day, so it’s great that we can now stock everything they need. They start with chilled and then build their basket for their meal for tonight.”
Sunny also grew his business by extending his fresh range, as well as stocking quality Co-op Own-Brand products. “We stock 900 Co-op lines, and fresh has completely changed our business.”
With 2,400 Co-op products across all categories, he has access to a UK brand that shoppers recognise and trust and that drives footfall.
Basket spend doubled
Customers visit his store for the broad range of fresh produce on offer, so everything in-store is planned around that. And because they’re stocked at Sunny’s store, his customers don’t need to go to the supermarkets. As a result, basket spend has almost doubled. His store used to average around £4.84 a basket, and that jumped to about £8.12 after he extended his fresh range, and the refit was complete.
“We always had the potential sales. Customers were coming in and asking for products, but we did not have the space or the facilities to stock the goods. Now we have the room, and we are continuing to expand our range to meet demand,” he says.
Communication and the help of his store development manager and RDM have been key to his success, he adds. “Our store development manager, Chris, was here every day before the refit and planned every item on every aisle.
“Any issues that I have in-store or any problems that I’m finding with stock levels, I just pick up the phone and my RDM is always there to help me.”
Sunny’s success doesn’t end here. Thanks to insight and support, he’s able to look ahead towards this summer and continue to grow his business. Convenience plays a pivotal role in summer spending, so the flexible opening hours of a shop like Sunny’s will draw in lots of customers. And with the unpredictable weather in the UK, outdoor get-togethers can sometimes be spontaneous. So, a last-minute trip to the local is where Sunny comes in. His extended range of fresh produce, as well as own-brand, means he will meet these shopper needs and give customers what they want, when they want it.
Sunny’s first store in Blidworth has been so successful that he has now expanded, opening another Nisa Local store in Mansfield in December 2022. He says: “Staying with Nisa was a no-brainer for me really. I’ve developed a really good working relationship with the retail managers who couldn’t do enough for us. I know where I am with Nisa, and I’m impressed with the offering they can provide to me, so I’d recommend them to anyone.”
For the full story visit Nisa’s Sunny Mann case study; https://www.nisalocally.co.uk/retailers/case-studies/nisa-local-mansfield
