Couple relaunches store with the help of Appleby Westward

The couple bought Dando’s Convenience Shop, which had been in the Dando family for nearly 75 years, and turned it into a Spar store. They gutted the store, refurbishing the building throughout and putting in new floors, ceilings, and electrics, before the Appleby Westward merchandising team moved in to create the full Spar convenience offer. The couple modernised the business in a co-investment scheme with Appleby Westward.

Sales are now running at £20,000 a week, four times more than when the new-look store opened for business. Lockdown saw the store’s business expand rapidly with a home delivery service for High Littleton residents and villages in the surrounding area.

The couple also built on Dando’s strong reputation for its sandwiches and expanded the store’s overall food offer. Michelle said: “Our home-baked products are a key attribute with quiches, coleslaw, cakes, bread pudding and we even boil our own ham in-store.

“Moving to Spar was a great decision and we have rapidly found ourselves performing way ahead of our business plan.”