FYI - My family rent out shops. Majority of my friends own several shops.
They seem to favour keystore up here but have you tried going down the franchise route? They will usually do up your store for free but you need to pay for fridges and shelving, etc. You then need to buy the majority of your stock through them. They usually deliver, etc so you don't need a van unless you plan on picking up deals from elsewhere on the side.
I'd like to see some pictures of the shop tbh. People think their shop is amazing but I could whatsapp you some of my mates stores to show you what a successful store looks like inside. Turning out £2K+ profit per week.
You keep on saying cheap fags and booze and tbh in a scheme price is king. You are dearer than the competition. If you can't compete on price then you need to compete on quality. But I would try to compete on price in a scheme tbh if your customers don't care about quality.
Make sure your milk, fags, booze, rolls, you know the daily stuff is cheaper than the competition.
If they are doing illegal fags and booze then report them.
You need to compete on price and plaster those prices in HUGE posters in your windows.
Start selling morning rolls; roll and bacon, roll and sausage. As long as you don't have a fryer it's all good. A fryer requires proper licensing, etc I believe and proper ventilation and ducting installed. So you won't pass regulations without spending a fortune. So you can't do chips unfortunately unless you have that in place but if it's already there then do chips. Try and use lard instead of oil as the taste is what pulls punters/kids in.
Fags is a big thing in scheme shops as is booze. The reason why your competition is doing so well is because they are cheaper in those 2 very important departments.
Well to be honest I think it would be best for them to rent it out the space, my parents are not young (50/60) we only let them carry on because they wanted to still do it, my sister was taking it over shes never helping if she does its a short time, so unless she plus her finger out it of no use keeping it running.
We have thought about the franchise route, in the past but we did not find it justifiable, The cost of refit shop front, revamping, the new equipment fridge, freezer ect) plus being limited to just them would, some even had a fee.
The only one that would be making money would be the franchise.
Ill send you some photos when I get a chance to visit, you can send me some if you want.
Also I must assume the store making 25k a week must be in a larger city in the south with not many stores in a walking distance, am I correct ?
I think our location is a big factor.
I dont think I said cheap booze and fags if I did I meant fake or un-taxed booze and fags.
Milk, bread we get daily but you cant get them cheaper they have been a standard price for ages, fags and booze we cant do cheaper if they they sell fakes.
They have been reported a number of times nothing much happens.
(You need to compete on price and plaster those prices in HUGE posters in your windows.) This is a key thing I missed, dont have huge signs and something are not priced, which I have been considering may help.
I have been thinking about warm foods, we even considered selling fries, it could work because we sell sandwiches and they do well.
You could also try the signing up as a DPD / Myhermes etc drop off point
We already offer Collect plus, it does nothing for us.most people just get the parcel and leave
