Stans Superstore in the sleepy Shropshire village of St Martin, near Oswestry, is one of those rare finds in the grocery industry - a standalone supermarket playing the multiples at their own game - and winning.
It is number 40 on The Grocer’s Top 50 ranking of the UK’s biggest independent retailers, and along with Brian Ford’s Discount Store and Chalfont Foodhalls, is one of only three retailers on the list to deliver the sufficient turnover through a single outlet.
Stans’ £15.8m turnover is all the more remarkable given the level of local competition it faces. Within a manageable driving distance of the store, shoppers have a choice of Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Somerfield, Aldi and Kwik Save.
Andrew Faulks is the grandson of founder Stan and son of fellow co-owner Peter Faulks. Stan’s sons Robert and Peter took semi-retirement last year, leaving Andrew and general manager Justin Smart to look after the day-to-day running of the store.
Rather than completely viewing the multiples as the enemy, Stans has tried to learn from them and emulate their professional standard, says Faulks.
Before taking up their careers at the store, both Peter and Robert gained valuable experience with big retailers. Peter spent six years with Tesco and Robert was at Woolworths for the same amount of time.
“We want to have the style and size of a major multiple,” says Faulks. “But the difference for us is that we like to provide the customer service of a -corner shop.”
Local people are keen to support a local family operator despite the other choices in the area, he adds. “We give a lot back to the community in terms of sourcing. We have 60 suppliers that are based within 20 miles of the store.”
These local ties help bind a community and build customer loyalty. Faulks points to a visit by his wife last month to a local deli, which sold homemade cottage pies. When she brought one home for him to try, he was so impressed he called the owner the next day. She now supplies Stans with 200 pies a week.
So far the partners are happy to carry on operating with one store, but Faulks says they would never rule out expansion. “If the right store came on to the market at the right price, we could be tempted,” he says.
This would require a major change in the way the business operates and therefore serious consideration. The priority would be to ensure the family business was not spread too thin.
The family ethos is crucial, he adds, and the owners have always spent as much time on the shop floor as possible. “Although Peter and Robert are not about as much as they used to be, our general manager Justin Smart came into the business five years ago. I know it’s a cliché but he really is like one of the family.”
One cloud on the horizon however, is a potential planning development for the nearby town of Ellesmere. The town currently only has a Spar and Co-op, which are both about 3,000 sq ft, but the council has just approved planning permission for a major new housing development that includes plans for an 18,000 sq ft supermarket. “I hope it will be a Co-op rather than a Tesco,” says Faulk. “At the moment most people in the town shop at Stans so it could be a major blow if Tesco took the site on.”
He is hoping that history repeats itself. Ten years ago when Sainsbury’s opened in Oswestry, Stans only lost 1% of it business in the first 12 months of competition.
In the meantime, Stans will continue to improve its offer as well as the look and feel of the store. Faulks has just ordered a new 40 ft deli cabinet, which will complete the refurbishment of all the store fridges - an overhaul that has taken two years. The new deli will offer cooked chicken, local pies and 100 varieties of cheese as well as local pâté, bacon and sausages.
The business traditionally invests £50,000 a year on advertising and this will continue, as will the promotional activity that runs in conjunction with buying group Nisa-Today’s.
With these offers and with range and availability levels of about 99.2%, Stans is in a strong position to meet the competition head on.
Store numbers: 1
Staff: 177
Turnover: £15.8m
Sales growth year-on-year: 4%
Type of operation: Supermarket
It is number 40 on The Grocer’s Top 50 ranking of the UK’s biggest independent retailers, and along with Brian Ford’s Discount Store and Chalfont Foodhalls, is one of only three retailers on the list to deliver the sufficient turnover through a single outlet.
Stans’ £15.8m turnover is all the more remarkable given the level of local competition it faces. Within a manageable driving distance of the store, shoppers have a choice of Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Somerfield, Aldi and Kwik Save.
Andrew Faulks is the grandson of founder Stan and son of fellow co-owner Peter Faulks. Stan’s sons Robert and Peter took semi-retirement last year, leaving Andrew and general manager Justin Smart to look after the day-to-day running of the store.
Rather than completely viewing the multiples as the enemy, Stans has tried to learn from them and emulate their professional standard, says Faulks.
Before taking up their careers at the store, both Peter and Robert gained valuable experience with big retailers. Peter spent six years with Tesco and Robert was at Woolworths for the same amount of time.
“We want to have the style and size of a major multiple,” says Faulks. “But the difference for us is that we like to provide the customer service of a -corner shop.”
Local people are keen to support a local family operator despite the other choices in the area, he adds. “We give a lot back to the community in terms of sourcing. We have 60 suppliers that are based within 20 miles of the store.”
These local ties help bind a community and build customer loyalty. Faulks points to a visit by his wife last month to a local deli, which sold homemade cottage pies. When she brought one home for him to try, he was so impressed he called the owner the next day. She now supplies Stans with 200 pies a week.
So far the partners are happy to carry on operating with one store, but Faulks says they would never rule out expansion. “If the right store came on to the market at the right price, we could be tempted,” he says.
This would require a major change in the way the business operates and therefore serious consideration. The priority would be to ensure the family business was not spread too thin.
The family ethos is crucial, he adds, and the owners have always spent as much time on the shop floor as possible. “Although Peter and Robert are not about as much as they used to be, our general manager Justin Smart came into the business five years ago. I know it’s a cliché but he really is like one of the family.”
One cloud on the horizon however, is a potential planning development for the nearby town of Ellesmere. The town currently only has a Spar and Co-op, which are both about 3,000 sq ft, but the council has just approved planning permission for a major new housing development that includes plans for an 18,000 sq ft supermarket. “I hope it will be a Co-op rather than a Tesco,” says Faulk. “At the moment most people in the town shop at Stans so it could be a major blow if Tesco took the site on.”
He is hoping that history repeats itself. Ten years ago when Sainsbury’s opened in Oswestry, Stans only lost 1% of it business in the first 12 months of competition.
In the meantime, Stans will continue to improve its offer as well as the look and feel of the store. Faulks has just ordered a new 40 ft deli cabinet, which will complete the refurbishment of all the store fridges - an overhaul that has taken two years. The new deli will offer cooked chicken, local pies and 100 varieties of cheese as well as local pâté, bacon and sausages.
The business traditionally invests £50,000 a year on advertising and this will continue, as will the promotional activity that runs in conjunction with buying group Nisa-Today’s.
With these offers and with range and availability levels of about 99.2%, Stans is in a strong position to meet the competition head on.
Store numbers: 1
Staff: 177
Turnover: £15.8m
Sales growth year-on-year: 4%
Type of operation: Supermarket
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