Hitting the high note for holidaymakers

A charming seaside convenience store is set to undergo a facelift to keep it up to the standards expected from the thousands of holidaymakers that flock through the door.

Charmouth Stores has been in the Dorset village since the 1800s and was taken over by Phil Tritton 14 years ago and developed into a Nisa Local.

Surrounded by five holiday camps within a one-mile radius, trading at the store is seasonal, with a steady flow of shoppers from the local area that rockets during holiday period.

The 1,000 sq. ft store, which boasts a range comprising some 4,000 skus, sees average weekly sales double from £20,000 per week out of season to more than £40,000 at the height of summer.

And while the local customer base is important to the store year-round, the summer surge is vital to the business.

“We are very reliant on visitors to the area here so it’s important that we have a great offer for them when they come to stay and they can get what they need from us,” said Phil who runs the store alongside his son Alex and daughter-in-law Maria.

Hence the decision to invest money in the store and bring it right up to date in time for the tourists.

The shop will be updated to the latest Nisa Evolution format fascia in dark grey and yellow to present a smart exterior.
Inside an extra 1.25 metres of chillers will be installed to allow more fresh produce to be included to the expansive range, particularly more meat following the recent closure of the nearby butchers.

“Our chilled sales have grown continually year on year and both locals and holidaymakers are keen for more. We’ll be stocking much more fresh meat lines from local butchers as well as the Co-op to make sure we have what the shoppers are looking for,” said Phil.

Elsewhere the counter area will get a makeover with tobacco relocated into drawers beneath the counter to enable better use of the space behind the counter for displaying products.

The store will also get new cladding and creative signage will be installed to help shoppers navigate the store more easily.

“It’s important to keep the store looking smart and inviting and so we need to invest money in it so that we continue to present the right image to our shoppers,” said Phil.