One Stop franchisee reports huge increase in sales

By Liz Wells in Industry News 16th February 2021

One Stop franchisee Vinay Parekh has reported a huge increase in sales after focusing on smaller stores, positioned for their location and the needs of their community, rather than their size.

Parekh, who currently has two One Stop stores under 1,000sq ft, has reported a 700% increase in the opening three months of trading with his first store in Tameside, Greater Manchester.

He said: “We took over a store on Yewtree Lane, Duckinfield which was a run-down business and looked like it had no future. I’d had my eye on the business for a while, but it was the confidence and commitment that One Stop gave me that made me realise that I could make it work.

“When we opened without extending the size we added in additional services, a post office, Costa Express machine, Slush Puppie dispenser and ATM and utilised all of the space available. For us to go in and invest like this has made a real impact for the community. Virtually overnight the store went from £3,000 a week turnover to over £24,000.”

Following the success of his first store, Parekh quickly turned his attentions to another store of a similar size.

He said: “We took over a store on Kings Street. This was a small, rundown old-fashioned sweet shop and newsagent and the owner was retiring and selling the building. We closed the store for a long period of time, added some space to make it 900 sq ft, and when we opened we went from zero to £15,000 a week. With amazing customer feedback and comments.”

John Miller, head of franchise, added: “The results we are seeing from these smaller stores is a testament to what our customers need for their everyday needs. With the right offer there is a future for many smaller traditional newsagents, who want to move towards being the local convenience store – offering more than tobacco, news, and impulse. Introduction of the services into these smaller sites bring footfall by serving the local community with what they want.

“Smaller stores are an attractive proposition to many franchisees having lower investments; they still get the One Stop refresh and installation of our state-of-the-art technology. They are also easier to operate, but still drive strong sales and profitability.”