Andrew Davidson finally got his first fortnight’s holiday with his family this summer when they all went away to Spain. Until recently he has never had a member of staff who could run the shop in his absence and so has had to snatch the odd few days while another family member helped out. When he bought his new shop at the beginning of the year, an added bonus was an able deputy.
However, he admits that even on holiday he couldn’t resist a bit of retail therapy in the town. “I took a professional interest in the supermarkets,” he says. “I took a nosey round every day to take a look at how they sold things and see whether I could pick up any ideas.”
One thing he has added at his store in Comber, nine miles outside Belfast, is a cash machine and so far he is very pleased with the results. More than £2,000 a week is being taken out of the machine, and that’s money he is not having to bank. “My bank charges are
unbelievable, so it’s saving me money,” he says.
One less encouraging development, he feels, is the entry of Tesco Express into Northern Ireland. “You read about them shutting down all the other stores in an area when they open in England.”
More encouragingly, the children are back at the two schools almost on his doorstep, and business has picked up. “It was a bit quiet without them,” he says. “I’m glad to have them back. I even missed the cheek and all the mess outside.”
He is still considering whether to introduce bake-off, but is worried whether the income it would bring would be enough to offset the loss of space in his compact store.
However, he admits that even on holiday he couldn’t resist a bit of retail therapy in the town. “I took a professional interest in the supermarkets,” he says. “I took a nosey round every day to take a look at how they sold things and see whether I could pick up any ideas.”
One thing he has added at his store in Comber, nine miles outside Belfast, is a cash machine and so far he is very pleased with the results. More than £2,000 a week is being taken out of the machine, and that’s money he is not having to bank. “My bank charges are
unbelievable, so it’s saving me money,” he says.
One less encouraging development, he feels, is the entry of Tesco Express into Northern Ireland. “You read about them shutting down all the other stores in an area when they open in England.”
More encouragingly, the children are back at the two schools almost on his doorstep, and business has picked up. “It was a bit quiet without them,” he says. “I’m glad to have them back. I even missed the cheek and all the mess outside.”
He is still considering whether to introduce bake-off, but is worried whether the income it would bring would be enough to offset the loss of space in his compact store.
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