Independent retailer Jempson’s has reported a 1.2% dip in sales to £31.9m for the year ending June 2021.
According to its latest accounts at Companies House, the Nisa-supplied operator had been hit by supply issues due to shoppers stockpiling during the pandemic.
It said the surge in demand had a severe impact on its supply chain, particularly among general grocery lines.
It claimed, however, the business wasn’t as hard hit as its competitors thanks to the amount of goods it sourced locally, helping to mitigate availability issues. Owner Stephen Jempson said its local suppliers “saved” the business during the crisis.
The accounts added that it found its trading activity “very pleasing”, having managed to hold on to the majority of growth gained in the pandemic. Its accounts for the year ending June 2020 stood at £32.3m, which were 12.3% up on the year before.
“That’s a huge improvement,” Jempson told The Grocer. “I don’t think there’s many businesses that have done that and we’ve carried on doing that.”
The business also continued to invest in its staff and the community. During the year to June 2021, the company made two bonus payments to all employees, while continuing to invest in the provision of PPE and cleansing equipment such as sanitising stations and checkout screens.
Since then, the business has also installed electronic shelf labels in all stores, and launched Jempson’s Kitchen at its Peasmarsh supermarket. It produces its own-label ready meals, salads, sandwiches and wraps, which are then distributed to all other sites daily.
The Jempson’s estate consists of supermarkets, convenience stores, bakeries, cafés and a petrol station. The turnover accounts for all these parts of the business.
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