Rail operator working to set up joint venture with major retailer following test with Spar and Costcutter Train operator Connex is currently trialing a combined ticket office/c-store concept on two of its stations and believes there is scope for 100 such outlets. The two-store pilot test involves Connex working with Spar and Costcutter, who have trained Connex staff to run the shops. However, managing director Olivier Brousse said Connex wanted to set up a joint venture with a major retailer in order to secure the investment and expertise to transform the stations. He confirmed that talks were under way, but wouldn't say with whom. The original test began in February when the ticket office at Leatherhead station in Surrey was converted to a 650 sq ft Spar outlet. It is currently taking around £7,500 a week at a gross margin of 24%. This week, a 1,200 sq ft store at Cooden Beach station, mid way between Hastings and Eastbourne, in East Sussex, began trading under the Costcutter fascia. The transformation involved structural alterations to the old ticket office and a £50,000 refurbishment. The store design means there is no longer a glass barrier between the passenger and staff when a ticket is purchased. Instead, travellers can pay for their tickets with their groceries, or at a dedicated till for rail tickets only. Trading hours at Cooden Beach are 6.15am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and from 8am to 6pm on Sunday. Previously, the ticket office was open for only four and a half hours a day. Costcutter sales and development director David Thompson said initial sales at Cooden Beach should be about £8,000 a week, at a gross margin of 22 to 24%. He said the next move was to apply for an off licence which, he felt, would add about 25% to the store's turnover. {{NEWS }}

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