“We like to think we’re the best,” says a proud Brian Chapman, and winning last year’s Re:fresh Award for Independent Retailer of the Year certainly provides some justification for that belief.
From a road-side barrow at the beginning of the 1980s, the business has come on in leaps and bounds and Chapman says he is now on the verge of expanding his mini-empire further, into two outlets, as well as extending his existing classy operation in Portadown, Northern Ireland.
“I started off selling local apples, strawberries and bunches of carrots, all harvested that morning, from a trolley on the side of the road. The demand was phenomenal. People kept asking for things, so we kept adding lines.”
Since those humble beginnings, the business has progressed through variously sized portakabins to its present form, a smart and slick looking outlet, built in 2002.
Chapman has invested wisely and customers are greeted to a well planned-out store, featuring clever lighting and display techniques, with produce arranged in solid, eye-catching blocks of colour.
“We want to give people a strong impression when they come into the store. I think we’ve got a good concept in fresh produce retailing,” he says.
“We’ve used specialised lighting from Germany in the shop, pine display cases and marble and slate tiling, all of which helps to create the kind of environment customers want to shop in.”
Of course, all of this is combined with a high level of service, designed to make the customer feel the centre of attention. “We give people discounts and always round the price down, we don’t take pennies or two pence pieces. The customers have their produce packed in a box and carried to their car.”
He even has a supply of sweets tucked behind the counter for any children out shopping with their parents.
“These are all little things, they may seem small, but they’re important touches. These are the kind of things we can do that the likes of Tesco can’t. I think people are looking to get back to shopping for enjoyment, but it’s a chore and bore just going to Tesco.”
Of course, getting an edge against the big players is vital if you want to survive as a small independent.
“When Tesco and Sainsbury came to town, I’m sad to say a big majority of the independent fresh produce retailers closed up shop,” Chapman says. “However, we saw a gap in the market for someone that could offer a level of service and quality that the big multiples simply couldn’t.”
Not only that, but he also aims to compete on price with the likes of Tesco. “We’re out there fighting, we’re not laying back.”
He claims he can offer a better quality product and bigger sizes than the multiples, and size is an important issue, he points out. “Its vital to be consistent on the size of your product. We sell the same sized product every time. Other retailers might buy smaller produce if its cheaper or on offer, but we don’t do that.
“We want to be consistent on size, price and quality. Customers want the same thing, they don’t want the size of product shifting from week to week.”
A big problem he does take issue with is the way the large retailers display their prices.
“When the law came in to display the price per kilo we made the changeover, however Tesco still uses dual pricing and keeps the price per pound prominent.”
Chapman says this often makes it appear that the big retailer is cheaper, even if his company is offering produce at the same price.
“I don’t think the consumer really notices the difference in that one is per pound and the other per kilo, they just see the price,” he says.
Despite these difficulties he is confident his business will continue to prosper: “It’s a tough market over here and we’re facing stiff competition, but we’re still going forward, turnover is going up and we’re out there fighting.
“We can offer dedicated one on one service and have a personal interest in our customers.”
Another strength Chapmans has is its strong relationship with the local supply base, and Chapman says he has continued to maintain the links he first established during his roadside barrow selling days.
“A lot of our stuff has often been harvested that morning and onto our shelves. We’ve built up very good relationships with the local growers. We do bring some of our stuff in from Europe and the rest of the UK, but we try and source as much as we can locally and I’m still using some of the people who have supplied me from the very start.”
The main aim of the business is to provide quality, he stresses: “Our motto is, ‘quality this time, quality next time, quality every time’. We’re very fussy on quality, if it’s not 100 per cent right, then its returned to the supplier.”
That reputation for quality has paid off, and the company has built up a solid customer base, with the majority coming from the higher socio-economic groups, although Chapman says that has not been by design, although he concedes that his shop is often described as a fine food hall.
“We do have a very affluent customer base, and generally our car park is filled with BMWs, but that’s not how I’ve intended it to be, we’re more than happy to have anyone shopping with us.”
The strong range offered by Chapmans has helped build that base, and he says they are always on the look out for new produce and products to offer their customers: “We’ve got things on our shelves that you just can’t get anywhere else. We’ve also built a very strong berry business, and now have supply 52 weeks of the year with very high quality fruits.”
The company is also very much a part of the local community and Chapman says they look for opportunities to maintain those links.
“We’ve done a lot of work with a local celebrity chef, Jenny Bristow, and we’ve held events where we’ve put up a marquee in the warehouse and invited customers along to see Jenny give a cooking demonstration using produce.”
The company has also taken part in a programme of activity involving local schools, with staff going in to give demonstrations on fruit and veg. “We’ve gone in to introduce children to some of the more exotic produce. I was horrified to find out the amount of children that had never tried a kiwifruit or pineapple,” says Chapman.
He says he has deliberately steered away from gimmicky promotions: “We don’t tend to do promotions, I would much rather give value to my customers 52 weeks a year and give people something like a tasting weekend than do a special offer.”
The store also carries out a regular programme of tasting sessions, with suppliers in the store to talk to customers about the produce.
Plans are also afoot to build the company further, and since talking to the Journal, Chapmans has expanded its store by a further 30 per cent, and the md is not stopping there, either.
“I’ve recently had a very good meeting with the local planning officers and we’re looking to double the size of the existing store and add on a coffee shop as well.”
He’s also keen to open up a second store, although that is something that is proving to be a little more of a challenge. “I’m finding it very difficult to locate a site that will suit us best. But I’m keen to get a second shop up and running.”
Winning the Re:fresh award was something of a crowning glory for the business, says Chapman: “It was one of the greatest moments in the history of our company. It gave us such a boost in ourselves; it felt like we were being rewarded for all our efforts. We work long and hard and that felt like all that work was acknowledged.”
He was keen to share the success with his customers and has put up signs around his store, thanking customers for their help in taking the title. “It was such a fantastic experience, it was my family, my team and my customers.
“We’ve dedicated our life to this business and it was such a wonderful experience,” says Chapman.
He says with the double success of the North Down Group last year, it was a good night for the province. “I felt very proud for Northern Ireland that night, I think the industry over here does a fantastic job.
No comments yet