A private passion became a tool for survival when Morrisons opened up across the road from Sub Budwal's c-store. Anne Bruce tells his story Sub and Neelam Budwal, who own this year's Booker prize winning c-store, trade under the nose of one of Yorkshire's largest supermarkets. When Morrisons opened 10 years ago, shortly after Sub brought Neelam into the family business, four local shops went bust. Sub says attention to detail, presentation, adaptability and an increase in footfall brought by the neighbourhood Goliath saved the newly-weds from the same fate. They re-invented Quencher as a keen neighbourhood drinks operator, putting Sub's growing passion for wine to good use. Sub says: "I don't want to be a jack of all trades and master of none. "Wine is my great interest, and I want to pass my appreciation on to the customers." He now holds wine tastings on a Friday and Saturday, and promotes a wine of the month in the 850 sq ft store to educate Bradford's palates. The Budwals also drop 15,000 advertising leaflets locally every six weeks. Sub says this keeps awareness up and is more effective than advertising in newspapers. The c-store gurus study the market constantly to stay afloat. Sub says: "I am a great believer in robbing other people's ideas. If I like something I try to introduce it here." The most recent find is a powerpoint presentation, drawing customers' attention to promotional prices in the shop, which is run from three computer monitors around the store. Sub designed it in the upstairs office, which leads through to the family home. Both the Budwals are pleased that they will soon be moving into a "proper" house with their children ­ Neelam says: "The shop can take up all your time, I'm looking forward to getting away from it." The store is already less time consuming, since the Budwals changed from cash and carry to delivery. Sub says: "We now get three deliveries a week ­ two from Booker and the third from our other supplier Rhythm and Booze." The Budwals used to make three or four cash and carry trips a week, and needed two extra staff to unload. Sub calculates delivery saves 30 hours of his time, as well as staff costs. He says: "People who get deliveries would never go back to cash and carry." But the Budwals can't afford complacency even with the new efficiencies and their Booker 2000 coup. Poor weather this summer affected Quencher's profits, and they need to recoup the losses. Sub says: "We averaged £15,000 a week. It should have been 10% or 15% more, and we work on very low margins anyway. "Sales of beer and soft drinks dipped this summer ­ no-one was having barbecues." And a plan to extend the lucrative ethnic foods range to increase profitability is on hold as local supplies are thin on the ground. The business makes £500 a week from selling starters such as samosas, and the Budwals are desperate to find a supplier able to stretch to greater volume. And the prospect of Christmas is not a happy one, he adds. "Christmas is not a good time for independent retailers ­ we don't sell turkeys." {{SPOTLIGHT }}

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