Londis is showing off its state-of-the-art "Genesis" format in an area rather more upmarket than your average location. Anne Bruce reports When the strategists at Londis head office chose Raj Chandegra's award winning store to showcase its lighter, brighter Genesis' format, they settled on an area with an affluent and hard to please clientèle. Five months after the refit, the design-driven livery with pastel shades and ultra-modern fascia is the symbol group's cutting edge statement on 21st century retail. And the new look 1,200 sq ft c-store in a leafy parade in Barnes, south west London, is going down a storm. Yet even before the radical overhaul ­ cutting shelf space by 40 linear metres to create an open-plan retail space ­ Barnes' Londis was a world away from your typical c-store. First, there is the underused lottery terminal. Many of the store's customers already enjoy the kind of lifestyle the nation's players dream of winning, Chandegra muses. Then the council refused planning permission for an external ATM on the grounds that there was already a bank in the vicinity. Newspapers are out too. Chandegra says he has considered adding them to the mix, but doesn't have space for a 2m news stand bay. He is also reluctant to encroach on the territory of the parade's newsagent. "He's my best friend, we worked together for five years before he left to open his shop. It's much better not to fight each other. I won't encroach on his business and he doesn't step on my toes," Chandegra says. As well as the Barnes store the family has owned since 1983, the Chandegras also run Londis stores in Ashford, Kent, and one in London's West Kensington. It's a genuine family effort with Raj Chandegra's five brothers all working in the business. "We all have different roles in the company and could not operate without each other's help," he says. With an average 8,000 well-heeled shoppers a week, trade is booming in an area devoid of much local competition. Yet the store lacks or underperforms in many of the usual c-store profit and footfall generators ­ cigarettes, newspapers and the lottery. Instead, the store's killer categories reflect its upmarket location. Bake-off sales come in at £1,000 a week and Chandegra is reaping high margins on the chilled and dairy section, accounting for more than 25% of turnover. "Customers like fresh products. With the refit we installed a new chill cabinet and sales of fruit and prepared vegetables are up 50%," he says. Chandegra knows he is "playing with the big boys". "No one can say I'm doing well', there is always scope for improvement. And you never know when the competition is going to open up on your doorstep." He already feels the presence of the Tesco Express three miles away in Hammersmith. When it closed for a refit Londis' sales rose, dipping when it reopened. But Chandegra counts his blessings. With no full-sized supermarket in the vicinity, he is in a prime spot to capture more than just top-up trade. And a top-notch customer care package, including free home delivery, and cashback along with credit and debit card facilities, keeps the locals loyal to Londis. Fixtures and fittings - Size: 1,200 sq ft - Staff: Six full-time, six part-time - Opening hours: 8am-10pm - Weekly turnover: £26k plus a week - Lines: Between 2,700 and 2,800 {{SPOTLIGHT }}

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