Retailer Andy Barker is enjoying net profits after turning part of his shop into a cyberlover's paradise. Barker's customers can now surf the web, send and receive e-mails and play games ­ all from McGill's, his small local store in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. "Trading in Clacton is difficult, and everything we tried to do to increase turnover ­ including a shop refit and installing EPoS ­ seemed to make no difference," said Barker. "After talking to friends who know about computers, we decided to install four machines for use by the public." To make space for the new venture ­ his outlet is just 300 sq ft ­ Barker removed stationery and greetings cards which were slow-selling lines in his shop. As well as the computers, Barker invested in quality printers and scanners and a high speed ISDN link to the internet to get his Clacton Cyberclub up and running. Many regular customers have opened e-mail accounts which they operate from the shop. Surfing the web is also popular, and because the four machines are linked in a Local Area Network, games fans can even compete with each other in the shop. According to Barker, any retailer looking to bring a new dimension to their business could do worse than think about installing a computer. "A single machine, a scanner and a printer ­ plus a link to the net ­ needn't be that expensive," he said. "It only takes up a few square feet, and could easily generate £4/hour or more of turnover." Fellow retailers can find out more about Barker's venture by visiting www.clactoncyberclub.com. {{GROCER CLUB }}

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