Talking Retail Grocery and product news for independent retailers
“For the first time in more than 20 years, there is downward pressure on high street rents and a lot of outlets in other sectors are under serious pressure and may not be able to carry on,” said Bestway managing director Dawood Pervez. “It means we are going to see major changes on the high street.
“This situation has not really happened since the hard yards of the 90s when well financed chains started taking over all the good high street sites. It may be the perfect environment for those who have an entrepreneurial view of life to go out and take on a shop.
We could be about to see a new intake into convenience retailing of people who want to work for themselves because there are now so many retail sites available.
“One result of lockdown is that we have seen an increase in local retailing as people are less likely to go to big stores. Local stores are now in a good place because people value their importance supplying the community.
“Consumers are more locally minded now and that bodes well for the future of convenience retailing.”
The company is about to unveil two new convenience formats – BB’s and Tippl – next month to cater for shifting consumer trends and changing shopper needs.
BB’s, which will be trialed at a site in Buxton, Derbyshire, from mid-November, is based on its established Bargain Booze chain but will offer meal solutions for the evening as well as a more premium range of alcohol.
“It is not traditional convenience retailing because we are trying to find a different approach. It will be alcohol-led but will have food solutions and may have potential for coffee and food consumption on-site.
“Traditional off-licences are busy for a small number of hours but we want to extend that opportunity through the day.
“The market has traditionally been split between ‘eat now’ and ‘eat later’ offers.
“There is an opportunity for independent retailers to become broader in their offering to cover both occasions and to take more of the eat now market.
“It is a test and we want to see how local shoppers take to the offer to decide how we develop the concept. We are pretty confident that something like this is the way forward and we will be offering the concept to the larger franchise base of Bargain Booze where we believe the local demographics are right for the offer.”
The company is already trialing the concept in a Wine Rack outlet in Belsize Park, north London, where people are served food on-site. The company operates 490 Bargain Booze franchise outlets
Bestway is also testing the Tippl format – a variant of its established Wine Rack brand – with the opening of a company-owned test store in Leeds next month. It will feature “meal solutions” for the evening, a more premium range of drinks and may also include on-site food at some stage.
Bestway operates 30 Wine Rack outlets.
