Corner shops weather the supermarket storm

By Nadeem Badshah

THE humble Asian corner shop has been a lifesaver for many Britons on Christmas Day for an emergency dash for supplies. And many stores have survived the growing competition from supermarket giants and the internet, figures show.

Of the 46,388 convenience stores in Britain, about 33,000 are independently owned, according to the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS).

It said the number has fallen only slightly, despite predictions 15 years ago they would be “wiped out” completely. Experts in the industry put the resilience of the unsung High Street heroes down to hard work, long hours and a focus on customer service.

Many of the families running newsagents and corner shops came to Britain from Uganda.

Among them is the Patel family who run Lena Stores in north London. Ashok Patel, who died in October from cancer a few days short of his 70th birthday, owned the shop with his oldest son Raj for the past 21 years.

Raj, who now runs the business with his wife and mother, told Eastern Eye: “He was here in the shop all of the time.

“We have been in the UK since 1987.

“He started around 6:30 in the morning and worked till 8pm. My uncle also had a business as a shop owner. We wanted to carry on the business.”

Raj, 47, who has two daughters Keya, 24, and Jaimini, 22, added: “Customers were nice to him, they knew him as Mr Patel, he liked meeting people, speaking to everyone. He liked working in a shop.

“Around 95 per cent of our customers are local, we see the same people every day.”

Military leader Napoleon Bonaparte famously remarked that Britain is still a nation of shopkeepers.

Research has shown nearly one in 10 people works for a shop, and the retail sector makes up five per cent of the UK economy.

Gurcharan Harrad runs Village News in Birmingham and has owned stores for around 12 years. He often works 14 hours a day, starting at 5:30am.

He told Eastern Eye: “It is down to customers, they would rather spend on smaller shops than bigger stores.

“They can stand for a chat. Supermarkets can drop their prices and offer more variety and offers, it is all down to customer service despite it being more expensive.

“You get to know them, have a joke and banter, where I am [based] they would rather support their local store then the big one. You have stores which are open 24 hours, they work round-the-clock – it is hard work.

“Some shopkeepers still don’t retire, they carry on.”

The ACS’ 2019 Local Shop Report revealed the 46,388 stores in the UK convenience sector employ around 405,000 people, generating sales of more than £40.3 billion over the past year.

It also found that post offices and convenience stores are the top two services that have a positive impact on a local area. Nearly a fifth of independent convenience store owners work over 70 hours a week.

James Lowman, ACS’ chief executive, said: “About 15 years ago, all the prophecies were that there would be no more independents left.

“That’s definitely not happened.

“The best shops in Britain are still run by independent shopkeepers, who are close to their customers.”