|
Sawbridgeworth is a pretty town in rural Hertfordshire. It has almost been a victim of its own desirability, as small retailers have been replaced by service sector businesses like architects, as rates rise. However, the Budgens store run by Paul and Michelle Gravelle is going strong, although it has to be said it is 'the only supermarket in the village.'
While you would expect the store to be thriving, with little competition and strong range, what Paul and Michelle have achieved in a year is little short of phenomenal. They opened it as an independent store in March 2006, and since then they have added nearly 3,000 lines, many from local suppliers.
Paul admits that finding local firms was a hard slog to begin with: "You have to find a route to someone who knows someone who knows someone".
And Michelle adds that, in order to keep the store in the enviable position of rivalling Waitrose on range, they have to concentrate hard on what are the best lines for their customers: "It's no good putting in 10 varieties of chutney from 10 suppliers, you need to pick your best ones."
The store specialises in local sausages, with an entire fixture devoted to them, amply justified by the staggering £8,000 per month of revenue they produce. This is in addition to local beers (with one brewer even doing a variety exclusive to the store), cakes arranged on trolleys near the entrance, "proper" bacon, and local wines. Going independent has enabled Paul and Michelle not only to react quicker to customers' needs, but also to source innovatively from local producers.
Some of the stock comes through organisations such as Taste of Anglia, which provides a useful route into a range of suppliers, but many are individual arrangements between Paul and Michelle and local firms. One surprising example of the store working very productively with a local supplier is a breadmaker who has a shop a few miles away but sees the benefit of having lines on display in this high-profile community store.
"Local people demand quality and want to know where it's from," said Michelle. The pair now aims to provide a local offer in every product line in the store. The store displays clear indications of provenance next to products, and even has custom signage for fresh produce which names the grower.
Some of the irritating logistical issues with local suppliers - like occasionally having to go and pick up items - have now been ironed out, says Michelle: "If you sit down with them, most are willing to do something that helps us. They'll bend a bit, we'll bend a bit." While a lot may be sourced centrally through Budgens, it is important for her and Paul to deal directly with suppliers, in order to retain the sort of relationships that engender support, not least with tastings and POS. The farmer's market, far from being a 'threat' to their store, actually helped Paul and Michelle integrate further into the community.
Paul is matter-of-fact about the store's importance to the town's economy: "We are perceived as making a lot of money, but if we shut up tomorrow it would affect loads of businesses, not least because we have a free car park".
The pair, who together have 36 years' experience in grocery retail, have really gone to town on their website. It provides information on ranges, promotions, the store's charity work and their "food philosophy". They claim it's unique in both independent and corporately-owned Budgens.
Supplier flexibility comes in very useful as the couple have their work cut out running the limited company required as an independent franchise. They now employ a bookkeeper, as well as a business accountant who visits every quarter and advises on strategy for the coming months.
Having seen spend per customer increase by 60p since they turned the shop 'DIY' last year, Paul and Michelle have decided to open another store 25 miles away in Sawston. They are putting the experience from this relatively recent opening into practice, so it can be up and running a lot quicker. However there were still a couple of recruitment issues to iron out, but their new-found experience of going it alone (well, as a twosome), is standing them in good stead.
In addition to the stores, there are a couple of other projects even closer to home that take up a lot of energy. Namely Paul and Michelle's two daughters, Jane 7 and Holly, 3. Without regular childminding from Michelle's parents, this would all simply not be possible, and they are understandably very grateful.
Paul and Michelle could not have predicted they would one day be going it alone in an independent store when they first met working in the very different environment of the Budgens in London's Tottenham Court Road. It has not been an easy 15 months, as they freely admit, but its doubtless a period they will look back on as a success. Having worked together for several years, often under the same roof, they are used to the pressures of combining a relationship with professional everyday issues.
However things are a bit different now, in that they are on an equal footing in the business, where previously Michelle worked for Paul. He admits he's had to 'let go of the reins' somewhat. Says Michelle: "It wasn't all rosy, we are both strong personalities working in a small environment." They have forged a solid marriage and business, and somehow combine it with raising a young family. Although they are both highly experienced within the trade, it's still impressive.
They seem to be relishing their independence, and the proof is there in front of them every day in their vibrant store. As an example, when the forecourt store next door doubled in size it failed to affect their trade "one iota". That really says it all.n
30 seconds...
Ages: Paul's 46, I'm 36, two daughters (Jane, 7 and Holly, 3) plus one from Paul's previous relationship (Sean, 15).
Hobbies: We love having friends round. We are going on our first holiday for two years in August - eight of us, the whole family! We want to spend more time with the children, but we do take days off and come to work a bit later so we can have breakfast with them.
Music: We each have our own car with our own music. I (Michelle) like James Morrison, he likes hip hop and R&B!
Films: Favourites include Shawshank Redemption and As Good As it Gets. Paul has every Empire magazine since 1990.
Budgens Sawbridgeworth
Age: 20 years - a year since going 'indie'.
Floor area: 4,800 sq ft
No of staff: 40
Hours: 7-9 Mon-Sat, 10-4 Sunday
USP: Range, service, the personal touch. Loads of the staff know customers. A lot of them are more proud of the store now, you never hear people slagging the store off. There is much more importance placed on what we do as a team. We were mentioned in a council meeting recently about how much the store had improved. Growth has come from fresh foods after we changed the mix. Customer footfall is the same, but spend per customer has gone up by around 60p from around 9000 purchases per week.
Has the number of customer complaints about the price of goods increased recently?
