Its easy to get around the newest store in the Newshops estate. Julian Hunt went to Street in Somerset to take a look The residents of Street in Somerset were the first in the south west to get a taste of the new Smile brand being developed by Newshops. And despite plenty of local competition, bosses at the 70-strong Newshops chain say their flagship c-store has been busy from day one with weekly customer count having already hit 6,000. The strong Smile branding on the front of the store is replicated on the point of sale material and backed up by strong local marketing activity in which price plays an important part. The store ­ purpose built out of a former garage ­ is well designed, with a bright and breezy feel and plenty of room for manoeuvre. In particular, the Post Office has been well laid out with wide aisles leading up to it offering easy access, particularly for those in wheelchairs. This is deliberate: the town's other Post Office has a reputation for being difficult to get around. The Post Office and the store's video and DVD rental service, dubbed Videozone, have quickly become major drivers of footfall. The Videozone section at the back of the shop is well signposted, while the design makes it feel like a store within a store. Videozone and the Post Office are complemented by other destination areas, notably news, beers, wines and spirits, plus a wide range of everyday consumables and chilled goods. The store also has a Selections food to go offer, although this is still being tweaked to ensure it meets the local need for ready to eat foods that are bought and eaten on impulse. {{FEATURES }}

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