Spar, Minster Lovell – ‘CC has played an integral role in the development of my food to go offer’

13 February 2023

Ian Lewis, Retail Director at Spar Minster Lovell has been trading with Country Choice for 6 years and operates a very successful in-store bakery and hot food offer. Please check out the case study below where Ian has highlighted how Country Choice has helped him achieve this.

‘As soon as I switched to Country Choice from my previous supplier back in 2017 everything just felt a little bit more organised, a bit more professional. It’s difficult to put my finger on why exactly but, for example, if there was something that I needed, and they didn’t already have it, they would go out of their way to get it. Five years later, nothing has changed, and it is fair to say that Country Choice has played an integral role in the development of my instore bakery and food to go offer.’

EXCEPTIONIAL KNOWLEDGE

‘Their knowledge of the category is exceptional, and we have successfully grown our offer by following the recommendations that they have made. From the introduction of new products to the addition of innovative concepts - such as Hudson’s hot dogs and Flatstone Pizza Co - at no point have I ever felt that they were trying to sell me something I didn’t need. I trust them to put forward solutions that will work and that’s a massive plus for me as a retailer because I don’t have to spend hours and hours trying to identify what I should add next.

HIGH MARGINS

‘And the proof is in the numbers. Given that we are a relatively small store of just over 1800 square feet, the fact that we are able to turn over more than £4000 per week from a 3m food to go fixture, is a testament to what we have created. Since April of this year, we have sold over 5000 Parisienne loaves, 2000 potato dogs, 1000 Steak Bakes, 3000 sausage rolls and 2000 Bacon & Cheese Turnovers. In addition, we sell upwards of 45 freshly prepared baguettes every day. It’s a far cry from the days when all we had was a bread stand and a hot display unit. Yes, we have had to take on additional staff as the offer has grown, but it has been well worthwhile.

QUALITY PRODUCTS

‘If I had to say what it is that customers like most then I think it comes down to two things: firstly, the quality of the products, and secondly the fact that they are either freshly prepared or freshly baked on site. In terms of our customer demographic, it is pretty eclectic, from commuters going to and from work to home workers, as well as a regular stream of tradesmen – there is a lot of building work going on in the area. We do have a lot of regulars who have become creatures of habit and stop in for either lunch or breakfast most days.

UNRIVALLED SUPPORT

‘From my perspective the quality of the products is obviously important but it’s the overall level of support that really seals the deal, whether it’s helping us to stay compliant with the requirements of Natasha’s Law or the recent calorie labelling regulations. These were just things that they took care of for us without any drama or fuss.

‘Ultimately, it’s about us being able to offer a range of products that look and taste great, enable us to create a real point of difference when compared to anything else that is available locally, and allow us to ring the changes on a regular basis to maintain consumer interest.