n The Mace c-store in Aberfeldy trades almost unopposed, thanks to a generous expanse of Scottish hills. Anne Bruce reports According to pamphlets in the tourist information office in Edinburgh, the Scottish village of Aberfeldy is best known for its whisky distillery. More recently it was the venue of the secret nuptials of author JK Rowling. Well worth a visit according to the bumpf, but by the time the visitor pitches up outside the Aberness-owned Mace store on the high street, they'll probably be wondering if a Potteresque magic trick has silently removed all human life from earth, and replaced it with dairy cows. The picturesque Scottish hamlet is a good 35-mile trek from the nearest city, which is Perth, and the most local' supermarket is at a distance that most high street c-store owners only dream of. A "fair-sized Co-op" 15 miles away is as close as you can get to a fly in the Aberfeldy ointment, according to Mace store supervisor Matthew Fraser. Until recently local trade was divided between the Scottish Co-op and Spar which has the area's only national lottery terminal. The CTN nearby stubbornly clings to its first player advantage on newspaper and magazine sales. If there is a new kid on the solid grey stone block, it is the Aberfeldy addition to Scottish Mace wholesaler Aberness's company-owned estate of 44 stores. The store has retained many of its old features after the company converted the former department store in Bank Street. The solid, somewhat stately, building fits comfortably in a village that was first settled in the mid-18th century. Spare stock is kept in the cavernous cellars, and staff have the run of the attic during their tea breaks. Nowadays the store serves a local customer base of well over 1,000 plus tourists. Chilled foods and alcohol ­ particularly whisky ­ are the big sellers and turnover is about £11,000 a week. The product range was tweaked for the store's first whole summer season to take advantage of the peak tourist season. The company's clearly onto a winner with the format as a shopper survey recently confirmed that 80% of customers chose to shop in Mace because of its convenient location and friendly staff, and they also rated it ahead of supermarkets on product range and competitive prices. {{SPOTLIGHT }}

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