How much profit is enough?
Convenience store owners are often unsure how much profit is good profit – how does 3p in the pound sound? What’s a good benchmark figure?
What have the supermarkets done for us?
The supermarkets are so big that everyone has a view on whether they are a good thing or a bad thing and shoppers’ tend to make judgements through the prism of the world…
Demand to buy c-stores is up as property values stabilise
Period-on-period sales of convenience stores are up 21%, according to Tony Evans, who heads up business agent Christie + Co’s retail sales operations. His press release, issued earlier this month, says that buyers…
Sales up across convenience sector but future remains uncertain
Food and drink sales during June were very strong, increasing optimism among retailers. But the long-term picture remains uncertain. On Tuesday this week the CBI said that more than half of retailers taking…
What to do to make (or keep) your store successful
While the Grocer indulged in its usual agenda of knocking CTNs through the medium of Jerry Marwood, boss of Spar, two weeks ago, his rather more insightful interview in the same issue provides…
What is the cost of display space?
Knowing how much your store costs to keep open every day will allow you to work out which products are profitable. Steve takes us through the maths
IGD report shows re-invention important
Stefan looks at news that convenience stores grew by over 6% in the last year and how independents are uniquely positioned to re-invent and take advantage
Local sales growing faster than grocery sector
Demographics suggest that as people get older and as households get smaller, then local convenience stores will prove more attractive for more shoppers. On the surface this is good news for local shops…
The resilience of tobacco
Higher taxes give tobacco companies the “cover to raise prices” which means the tobacco industry is in rude health, an analysis in the FT’s Lex column today shows. For local shops, which depend…
What advice would you give a new retailer?
I received an enquiry from a prospective retailer asking for tips recently. This got me thinking – what are the top things a new shop owner must keep in mind?
