The history of the company by Lawrence Hunt
We were a family owned business partnership, started in 1946 by my father and mother in a small shop in Walmer Bridge. I joined them in 1950 when I left school at the age of 15.
Over the next 20 years we added two more shops to our slowly growing business and in addition incorporated the Post Office at Walmer Bridge.
One very significant date was 1958 when we went into a new concept of retailing, by agreeing to join in with one of the wholesalers we were dealing with at the time, James Hall & Company, to be involved in the launch of the Spar Group in the North of England. The Spar concept was originally developed in 1934 in Holland and was primarily intended as an act of buying co-operation between retail and wholesale with the idea of increasing the efficiency of the distribution system by lowering costs. This would then enable these savings to be passed on in lower retail prices as a means of competing with larger retail companies. At that time, as a very small enterprise, we dealt with 4 or 5 different wholesalers, so the scope for economy was pretty obvious.
In 1969 James Halls invited us to be involved in a new development in Euxton, Chorley. This has turned out to be a significant development in our ongoing relationship with them. This was the beginning of their policy of, a/. Helping small retailers to develop their businesses by using their greater collateral to acquire head leases from landlords and b/, protect their ongoing business from predatory approaches from other retail companies and groups such as Mace. Inserting a trading contract into the sub-lease did this. Given the correct attitude by Halls to develop both wholesale and retail businesses this has proved to be a very beneficial factor in our developing "partnership" over the following years. This development resulted in my father and mother deciding to retire from the business.
By 1980 our, by now, Limited Company had expanded to 6 stores, still at that time assuming the role of `mini supermarkets`. Events, however, were overtaking us in the form of large supermarkets with Asda being among the first in our area. The threat to small shops was very real with these much larger stores offering a far wider range and variety of merchandise, added to the real benefits of cheaper prices which they obtained through their very considerable buying power.
It was at this time however that one of the benefits of being in Spar surfaced. The then Managing Director, based at the head administrative office in Harrow, was farsighted enough to recommend retailers to consider the American concept of "convenience" stores. This involved extending the store opening hours, still illegal at this time, to late evenings and Sundays. We experimented at one of our stores with this idea and were immediately rewarded for our adventure in discovering an extra level of business that was positive and profitable. As a `mini multiple` we were able to exploit this potential by developing all our other stores, and the rest, as they say, is history.
We then embarked on a programme of expansion, fuelled by our success, which resulted in us reaching 1990 with 15 stores. Spar stole a real march on the rest of the industry during the 80s, acting on the experience of stores such as ours while other organizations failed to grasp the significance of the new opportunities. A very important part of the development has been our involvement in the off-license business and newspapers and magazines to enhance the total store offering. This has inevitably created some tensions in the traditional off-license and C.T.N. (news) business, particularly in a tight-knit local community situation. However there are no prizes for failing to recognize the inevitable changes that are a fundamental part of commerce. E.g. currently Marks & Spencer.
During the late 80s, in conjunction with James Halls` we developed into scanning with a result that all our stores have had it installed for some considerable time. In addition we developed our relationship with them into other areas such as V.A.T. accounting, retail accounting and store design. However nothing lasts all that long in a competitive environment. We have continued to grow to our present position of 24 stores, but the convenience sector has not stood still. It has continued to be developed and refined while many other store groups have joined in, including a big change in opening hours at many more stores, plus of course Sunday opening, eventually made legal for all, albeit with some restrictions for larger stores.
Several developments have influenced the business as a whole. Convenience stores are accepted, probably subconsciously, as a daily alternative to the weekly `big` shop at super-stores. In addition we have added in a service element such as Lottery, Photo-copying, Pay as You Talk phone cards, the sale of prepaid gas and electricity and wherever practicable Post Office facilities and A.T.Ms. (cash machines) are currently being developed.
The ideal convenience store varies from area to area. In a village such as Tarleton, where there is a considerable distance to a large multiple store, we have to stock a wider range of basic foodstuffs than a store such as our outlet in Penwortham, situated as it is close to a Morrisons superstore and a Booths supermarket. In both cases most customers shop for their major food shop at a large store and use us in a top up or emergency capacity. We certainly do not see ourselves as in any way in direct competition with superstores, but as complementary to them.
As a `community` convenience store we have a considerable responsibility and indeed value to the areas in which we do business. This was underlined in no uncertain manner when one of our stores was closed for 5 months as the result of a serious fire causing considerable difficulties for the local residents who had to travel up to a mile to find alternative facilities.
As we have grown and developed over the years we have changed from a company run by me on my own to the current position where as a limited company we have a board of 5 directors plus a company secretary. Family members hold all the shares. Following a policy of developing and promoting existing employees, we now, proudly, have two directors who have progressed through our company over the last 25 and 30 years respectably. In addition our son is now also a director, he has also worked his way through over a 12-year period. A team consisting of a Manager and Assistant-Manager, who continue to be promoted through an internal promotion policy, manages each of our stores.
I believe that there is a very positive future for stores such as ours as part of the total facilities available to the shoppers of the future. The crucial point is that we never forget that we have to respond to the ever-changing requirements of our customers.
NOBODY OWES US A LIVING!
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