Booker celebrates its 500th Premier store opening in Scotland
KEEPING convenience stores fresh and modern can be a challenge for retailers.
This has to be doubly so during the current cost-of-living crisis, as a pricey refit may seem like a financial risk with prices still skyrocketing.
But a well-timed refit can be the key to driving up sales in a local c-store, help to bring in more customers than ever and ensure a retailer can help to turn a local shop into a destination store.
And that’s what Booker’s ambition has been lately with its Premier symbol, as the firm said it has been working to support the retailers under its umbrella to weather this financial storm.
The latest efforts from the wholesaler has resulted in the opening of its 500th store in Scotland – Ali’s Convenience Store, in Tranent, East Lothian.
Complete with updated lighting, a fresh modern look and a welcoming atmosphere brought by the store owners, the new Tranent outlet is certainly one worth celebrating for Booker.
The refit has allowed the shop to feel more open for customers, according to store owners Anila and Zalfiqar Ali, who both mentioned the positive feedback from customers in the local area.
And there’s plenty to choose from in the store, too, whether that be a choice of hot or frozen drinks from the stores Refresh @ Premier Station or from a range of chilled multipacks of beer from the store’s Beer Cave – which keeps its temperature set at a cool 10°C.
There is also a heavy emphasis on chilled and fresh produce that Booker noted has tripled in the number of products available, with the firm working to ensure that as many products as possible from the section have a shelf life of over 20 days, helping to match consumer demand.
And to help bring in more consumers to the store, Booker shouted out about its new social media set-up Social Content.
The firm said it will help retailers to reach new audiences across a range of platforms by allowing them to schedule posts that can go up across a whole host of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Booker said it intends to use the new Tranent store to help identify what is most popular with consumers at the moment and go on to apply these learnings across its entire suite of stores, further supporting retailers that join the symbol.
Martyn Parkinson, sales director at Booker, said: “The opening of Premier’s 500th store in Scotland is a very special moment for us.
“Helping to celebrate this landmark moment, we have had celebrations and promotions to help show retailers the benefits of working with the Premier symbol.
“We’re even offering retailers the chance to win a new Refresh @ Premier station worth up to £10,000 if they join up with the symbol in the next six months.
“And we’ve been pushing the sustainability side of the business here too, with 500 trees planted in Scotland as well as 500 meals donated to the charity FareShare.”
