Independent retailer moves to Filshill’s fascia
ABERDEENSHIRE retailer Scott Duncan has made the move to the KeyStore fascia following support from fellow symbol retailers in the area.
The third-generation independent retailer said he made the decision to move his 600sq ft store after visiting the recipient of the Scottish Grocer’s Tobacco Retailer of the Year award KeyStore Cults to see the store’s own recent refit and speak with the owner Chris Cobb.
Duncan said: “Chris spoke so highly of KeyStore and the team at JW Filshill. I was on trial with KeyStore at the time and I’d been thinking about changing things and investing in the store for a while, but speaking to Chris made me to decide to go for it.”
Following this conversation, Laurence Ward, Filshill’s regional development manager for east and north Scotland, along with business development manager Kieran Dhinsa moved forward with a full refit for the Duncan’s Aberdeenshire store.
The refit took place in January and, since its completion, Duncan has reported a strong response from locals in the area noting the reception to new products on the shelf and in-store services.
He said: “I couldn’t be happier and only wish I’d done this 10 years ago. The store was doing well before the refit and we’ve always had a good, loyal, local following and repeat customers here in Bridge of Don.
“The comments I get from customers who are finding new products – Koka Noodles, for example, and our Jack’s Beans coffee station – and getting excited about them are great.”
In addition to the new products on shelf and coffee station, Duncan’s now includes a freezer unit, something the store had gone without throughout its time, and has trebled the space for its off-trade selection due to a new 2.5 metre long chiller.
Duncan has also praised the benefits of Filshill’s category planograms for the KeyStore symbol after noticing an increase in customer basket spend across the store. Additionally, Duncan made note of the fascia’s ReScan EPOS system which has allowed him to massively speed up the process of updating prices on his till.
Looking ahead, Duncan has said he has plans to capitalise further on a food-to-go offer with plans to add a full digital menu screen to increase visibility in-store of what’s available and expand further on the hot pies and sausage rolls already available in the shop.
Duncan will also be working to support his local community through the KeyStore Community Fund in the year ahead and said he is looking forward to working with KeyStore to develop the store’s social media presence.
Speaking on his experience working with the Filshill team, Duncan said: “It really is a well-oiled machine – and when I have any problems or queries, I message the IT team in Slack, and someone gets back to me quickly.
“That’s another point that’s important to make about KeyStore – it’s not a case of them coming in, doing your refit and leaving you to get on with it. There’s always someone there to help you and Laurence, our BDM, is hands-on – and I think that’s important for independents, especially just now when a lot of retailers are struggling.
“There’s a real family feel – Filshill’s a family business and understands the challenges facing other family businesses.”
Craig Brown, chief sales and marketing officer at Filshill, said: “We’re delighted that making the switch from cash and carry to delivered wholesaler has been such a good experience for Scott. As he says himself, ‘I wish I’d done it 10 years ago’.
“Scott is discovering that KeyStore supports retailers to make more margin, stock the right core range, and make their promotional plan work for their stores. Using technology to simplify day-to-day operations, deliver promotional plans – backed by data-led merchandising to drive sales – is one of our strengths and allows retailers to focus on what differentiates independent convenience stores.
“Scott also took inspiration from one of our longtime KeyStore customers and made the decision to approach us based on Chris Cobb’s positive experiences – we find that many of our new KeyStore customers have done the same and wish they’d made the switch sooner.”
