South west-based SPAR retailer and wholesaler Appleby Westward has opened its first company-owned store with a Greggs franchise.
The Greggs operation is the eye-catching feature in a £375,000 capital investment by Appleby Westward in its neighbourhood store at Bemerton Heath, Salisbury.
Dean Mason, company-owned stores director said: “Food-to-go and especially our hot food range have always performed well in this store and this, along with the opportunity to reduce the retail trading area without compromising the core customer offer, made this store an obvious choice for our first Greggs franchise.”
The redevelopment of the store got underway in December and has seen the inclusion of new floors and ceiling, new refrigeration and upright freezers and improvements to staff facilities in the back of house area. All fixtures, fittings, external signage and a number of product lines have been updated with the introduction of new features including a Coca Cola Ice Blast machine, Smokin’ Bean coffee station and a f’real milkshake and smoothie dispenser.
In-store services include a wide selection of beers, wines and spirits, fresh fruit and vegetables, household essentials, chilled and frozen food, snacks, soft drinks, baby supplies , ATM and National Lottery. Free customer car parking is available outside the store
Store manager Nick Buck has a staff of 14 while the new Greggs franchise has created eight new jobs in the local area and is managed by Tom Clark.
“Our Bemerton Heath store has been a very successful community store for years but needed investment,” said Dean. “I am delighted our investment helped us not just to introduce the Greggs franchise but also bring the rest of the store up to the high standards that are expected by our customers, colleagues, and the community we serve.
“Brand new refrigeration and freezers will reduce our energy costs by at least 30% at a time when this is so critically important to all businesses and the additional footfall to the site that the refit and Greggs will bring are expected to increase turnover by 7% in the coming year.”
Appleby Westward currently operates 140 company-owned stores throughout the region and plans to introduce more Greggs operations as part of a strategy to expand its business through complementary partnerships, which in turn will create more jobs in local communities.
