Knowledge is power for retail empire
Winner: Jay Javed, of PGNJ Group
Entrepreneur Award supported by JTI
Interview with Jay Javed, director of PGNJ Group
DRAWING on his years of experience in independent retail, extensive market knowledge and insights gained along the way, Jay Javed has transformed his family’s business in recent years.
Showing truly innovative vision across all aspects of PGNJ Group’s operations, Jay certainly isn’t afraid to continually invest in the business to turn his aspirations into reality – with plans for three new stores, refits of three existing outlets and exciting new fast-food and coffee-to-go propositions.
By the time the judges for the Scottish Grocer Awards 2023 went to visit him for the Symbol Store of the Year (Multiple Stores), he had already more than doubled the firm’s store estate in just a few years.
That was no mean feat given the turmoils of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis – something that the judges for the Entrepreneur Award also recognised as they looked for a thriving business with a plan for the future and the courage to invest.
So, as well as PGNJ Group walking away with the Symbol Store gong for its string of Nisa outlets across the greater Glasgow area at the glittering awards ceremony, a delighted Jay also went on to pick up the entrepreneur honours.
But while he might be the brains behind the growth strategy, he was quick to thank industry colleagues present on the night and “everyone within our company and beyond for helping us achieve these prestigious awards”.
That sentiment remains the case – because with Jay’s brother, Saj, in charge of the day-to-day running of the stores, helped by other senior managers, Jay is able to concentrate on further innovation and expansion.
And Jay certainly hasn’t rested on his laurels after the awards victory last year, as he outlined to Scottish Grocer when he took time out of his hectic schedule for a catch-up recently.
Just weeks after winning his entrepreneur accolade last November, he opened his 11th store in Rutherglen. He took what was a former pub and turned it into a sleek Nisa Local. It seems fitting that a c-store based in a former a pub should have a great off-trade proposition.
So there’s a beer cave sited in the area once used by publicans for off-trade sales. It features the Tennent’s sign that used to hang outside the pub, adding a nice touch of theatre.
Jay said: “The Rutherglen site made sense for us. It was an available spot to open up a new store and, since it was an old bar, getting the proper licences sorted was a lot easier as it already had some existing ones.
“And it’s ideal for the elderly customers, as well – there aren’t many local c-stores near here, so it gives them an option without having to travel to far.”
Indeed, this retailer makes sure that each of his stores are uniquely tailored to the community it serves.
For example, while one city store in Hope Street caters to the needs of students, as well as cinema and theatre-goers, the flagship store in Cambuslang includes a well thought-out food-to-go offer to meet the wishes of nearby office workers.
The shops also have the finest standards of convenience layout, store development and overall consumer experience within the independent retail network.
Jay said: “Because of the different areas where our stores are sited, our customers come from all walks of life – we cater to a wide demographic.”
With a focus on what’s coming next and a great ability to analyse market trends, he was among the first retailers to move away from traditional convenience through food to go development, local bakery usage, the expansion of impulse drinks and takeaway.
And this continues to be the case. Jay said: “We’ve recently introduced self-serve Lavazza coffee at six of our stores – it’s a very well-known brand, the coffee is fantastic and the machines are easy to maintain.
“More importantly, we get a lot of support from the Lavazza team and, in this business, you need to know you are working with good partners.”
Excitingly, Jay has also secured the franchise rights for Scotland and Ireland for Slamburger.
It is a halal fast-food chain established in the UK since 2012 that offers a wide range of burgers, breakfast options, shakes and desserts. Starting with a standalone fast-food outlet at Victoria Road, Glasgow, Jay then plans to introduce it to his stores.
He explained: “We’ll be vacating our existing office at the Cambuslang store and moving to a new HQ in offices at Hillington, in Glasgow.
“We’ll then convert the empty space at Cambuslang into a kitchen area for our Slamburger offering. So we’ll trial it here and, if it works well, we will look at rolling it out across some of our other stores.”
The new stores being planned are at Clyde Street in Glasgow, Cranhill in the east end of the city and Clydebank.
In common with all but one of PGNJ’s shops, none of them are already convenience outlets, with the sites variously being a new-build, former community centre and showroom.
Jay said: “I really like to start with a blank canvas. We identify where the stores are needed and then convert buildings to meet the shopping needs of local consumers – with layouts that flow well and the right space for each category.
“When we open a new store, we adjust our range quite a lot to get it right. We’re excited to be going back to Cranhill because that’s where I and my brother had our first store. We sold it after about 18 months and opened a store in Clydebank.
“But we’d built up such a loyal customer base that locals from Cranhill came across to Clydebank to visit us.”
The PGNJ team believes that loyal customer bases are achieved across the store estate by running outlets that are clean and modern, having consistent, fair pricing and providing the best service.
This includes responding to requests for specific products from regular customers as well as keeping on top of NPDs.
Jay said: “All store orders are sent from our HQ and we add in new lines because we’re on top of trends and flavours. We use social media to identify what’s trending and then promote it on our own platforms. We also have good supplier partnerships.”
Meanwhile, the three stores identified for refits next year are in Barrhead, Paisley and Lancefield Quay, west of Glasgow city centre. Treating staff well and providing proper mentoring also remains a priority.
The Scottish Grocer Awards 2023 entrepreneur winner concluded: “We’re always striving to be innovative and improve what we do.”
