Refitting a store is an expensive gamble, but for Harris Aslam it paid off several times over after he added yet another trophy to his bulging awards cabinet.
Not content with picking up the E-cigs, Confectionery and overall Scottish Local Retailer of the year awards, Harris Aslam also took home the award for the Best Refit of the Year. He now looks forward to spending an evening in Glasgow where he will dine at the much-lauded Brian Maule at Chardon d’Or restaurant.
The win, as well as his others, was well deserved following the full-scale refit of the Nisa Greens of Markinch store, which is unrecognisable from what came before. The transformation was designed around a mission-shopping ethos, featuring a carefully constructed to feature a number of specific zones from fruit and veg to ready meals to confectionery, moving fresh, locally sourced food to the front of the store, organising the reimagined 4,800sq ft space, removing clutter and providing optimum convenience.
Harris is yet to have his meal, but only because business is booming and he is waiting until a quieter time. “We’re always about innovating,” he said. “The Markinch Store was especially good because we knocked it down and started from scratch and it was all done within four months. And the thing is we’re always reviewing and re-evaluating and innovating, we see what works and what we can improve. The response from our shopper has been massive.”
The refit is continuing to pay off as Nisa Greens of Markinch has been shortlisted in three categories at the upcoming SLR Rewards: Beer & Cider Retailer of the Year, Spirits Retailer of the Year and the ThinkSmart Innovation Award, and Harris is hoping for a repeat performance on 11 May at Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow.
- Constant reviewing – don’t be afraid to disrupt the process with new ideas.
- Bespoke designs – creating a unique fixture can be more cost effective.
- Work closely with shopfitters – a hands on approach will deliver the results you want.
