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Sales success for Premier Green End Stores

Store owner John Green credits his success to loyalty reward schemes, strong availability and strong investment in fresh and chilled

John Green, owner of Premier Green End Stores

NFRN member John Green, owner of Premier Green End Stores, has achieved an industry-leading level of sales per square foot in his 500sq ft site.

Figures from December shared in confidence with Better Retailing show the village shop in Sawtry, Cambridgeshire, has achieved better return on its shopfloor space than any of the Independent Achievers Academy’s most recent Top 100 independent stores.

Discussing the result achieved at the end of 2020, the former NFRN East Midlands district president said even Booker’s Premier brand director, Martyn Parkinson, had been shocked by the achievement. “When I said my target last year, he told me it was impossible, but when he visited last December and saw I’d hit it, he was amazed,” Green said.

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In total, the store saw 31% year-on-year sales growth. Asked about making every inch of the store count, Green chalked it up to loyalty reward schemes, strong availability and renewed investment in fresh and chilled. His EPoS provider, The Retail Data Partnership, provides a rewards scheme providing points on purchases.

“We have 800 loyalty card customers – 180 have more than £10 in points and 19 have more than £100. Asking customers if they have a card or would like to join is part of the sales routine. We also started running and promoting loyalty-customer-only offers in October,” he said.

He gave the example of Quality Street tins sold at Booker’s standard promotional price of £4, or £3.49 for his loyalty scheme members. In fresh, it’s offering home meal solutions delivering results. “We’re benefiting from the bigger range through Londis’ fresh deliveries. Stir fry stuff is a strong performer. Ever since we grew our range, our customers have really appreciated it,” he said.

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The success marks a change of fortunes for the store which came near to closure in 2016 following an attempted ram raid which caused severe structural damage. The incident ultimately sparked the business’ shift from a confectionery, tobacco and news-focused outlet to a full convenience offering.

“We had a choice between closing and investing. The first option just seemed unthinkable,” said Green.

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The store now features hot coffee, a part-bake oven and hot food unit, and nearly five metres of chillers while still retaining two metres of newspapers and magazines.

The next challenge, says the shop owner, is now on maintaining the current sales level as the Covid-19 pandemic recedes. “We have the option to expand back into the storeroom, in terms of fresh and chilled, there’s many more lines we’d like to introduce. We’re also working with Jisp to open up home deliveries and click & collect and introducing more in-store rewards as well,” he said.

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