Lowdham Village Gets Brand New SPAR Store and Forecourt

December 14, 2020

Car dealership owners Duncan and Lisa Betts have teamed up with Blakemore Trade Partners to open a brand-new SPAR store and forecourt in the Nottinghamshire village of Lowdham. 

The husband and wife team have operated a car dealership in the village, situated between Nottingham and Southwell, for nearly 20 years and are excited to venture into convenience retailing with the opening of their SPAR store in November.

Their dealership business, John Harrison (Lowdham) Ltd, operated successfully on the same site for a number of years before the intrepid independent business owners decided to invest in a massive project to convert the old workshop into their dealership showroom and their old showroom into a 2,000sq ft SPAR store with a Gulf-branded forecourt.

Situated on one large site, the project at SPAR Lowdham took only five weeks to complete starting in early October. The couple have invested a total of £300,000 into the site, which includes co-investment of £60,000 from Blakemore Trade Partners.

“We have worked in this area for 20 years and we knew there was a great opportunity for convenience. We always had a kiosk and a forecourt on the site but we were really keen to create something special. We have been impressed with SPAR and met with Blakemore Trade Partners to discuss the opportunity. SPAR is a well-known trusted brand and has a fantastic range of bespoke and everyday products. We are thrilled to see all our plans delivered and through a pandemic! It has been a total leap of faith but we are very confident of the future,” said Duncan Betts.  

“Lowdham is an affluent village and there is a big demand for quality fresh produce. Our SPAR store and forecourt is in a great position to supply both core range and high-end products to serve the need of all our customers,” he added.  

The 2,000 sq ft SPAR store includes a large amount of refrigeration together with a bespoke licensed section. Daily Deli, Costa Coffee together with Freal Milkshakes have been added. The couple will open a 1,500 sq ft Insomnia coffee shop in 12 months’ time inclusive of an off- and on-licence. The home delivery app Snappy Shopper is also available to local customers.

The complete refit was undertaken by Blakemore Design & Shopfitting and included a massive electrical upgrade. The site includes a large parking area with 20 parking spaces and a community space for hire, something which is currently missing from the local area. “When things get back to normal, we hope the store will become a local hub with plentiful car parking, in order for our customers to linger and use the facilities without car parking pressure,” said Duncan.

The fuel side of the business has also undergone a makeover, with four new pumps added together with Gulf branding, and provides air and water facilities too. Electric charging is being considered for the future.

“Since opening on 3rd November, there has been a great reaction from shoppers,” said Oliver Walters, Business Development Manager at Blakemore Trade Partners. BTP’s Store Cluster strategy which is aimed at helping retailers differentiate their stores for different locations and markets, is built on customer insight and is ensuring that the investment made by Duncan and Lisa is really delivering on what customers want and need. Together with the new SPAR store and Gulf forecourt, social media advertising and the contacts Duncan and Lisa have acquired over the years from their dealership, we have no doubt this is going to be a huge success for them. The first two weeks of trading have been great. Lisa and Duncan are very brave to embark on this new project – especially during a pandemic, and we look forward to supporting them every step of the way.” 
 

The new SPAR store and forecourt in the Nottinghamshire village of Lowdham

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