Nothing snooty about this fox
A Surrey convenience store has seen sales soar by 10 per cent after a re-fit which has seen the Nisa Local brand incorporated into their independent fascia and a new focus on fresh and chilled.
The Snooty Fox Village Store and Off Licence in the village of Shalford is a keen supporter of the community and stocks a broad range of products from local suppliers.
But the decision to introduce a large variety of own-label Co-op whilst also develop the 800 sq.ft. store introducing Nisa’s branding is paying dividends.
Owner Frank Ago launched the Snooty Fox in the village 10 years ago when he and wife Adrienn opened their coffee shop. But almost five years later they added the village shop under the same branding, recognising the need for somewhere for local people to buy their supplies, and developed a derelict building.
The decision to refurbish the store and make it dual branded was based on the realisation that they needed to match the store standard with the location.
Frank said: “For us it was starting to look tired. It had been five years since we opened, and this is a nice part of the world. We had been trying to cater for everyone, but we have now focused on the top up shop. It has taken five years of learning, but we are now trying just to be us, rather than something we are not.
“Because of our size we really needed to be catering for the most important thing and that is the top up. We have changed our range and fresh produce is our new focus with a really good deli range, fresh pasta and sauces, desserts and fresh fruit and veg which, so far, is working really well.”
And waste levels from fresh are kept to a minimum thanks to the ability to make use of products within the coffee shop to make sauces, soups, quiches and other tasty meals for diners.
The re-fit has seen the store take on a whole new layout and an increase in chilled space of some 30 per cent with the addition of new chillers. Shelving has been reduced and some of the poorer selling ambient lines removed from their range, making the store more spacious and easier to navigate.
Frank said: “We have ended up with a really very nice shop. It is cosy and welcoming and as our customers come in they are greeted by the fresh range which looks inviting and makes people want to buy.”
Nisa Retail development manager, Richard Bishop, added: “The Snooty Fox is only a relatively small store, but it has great standards and fantastic community engagement which, coupled with the conversion and the introduction of Co-op goods, is a recipe for real success.”