Booker launches flagship Londis concept in Wiltshire

An independent retailer has opened a flagship Londis concept store in Wiltshire, with Booker looking to replicate some of its main features across the rest of its estate.

Sugeshan Jegasothy opened the 1,600sq ft store on 10 January on Box High Street, Corsham, replacing a McColl’s which had previously sat on the site. It is the only convenience store in the area, providing a vital service to a community which consists mainly of elderly residents.

In terms of design, the store features a premium-style black and green colour scheme on the shopfront. The main features include a walk-in chilled beer cave, Costa Coffee machine, extensive range of US confectionery, freshly baked goods, produce, free-from products, newspapers and magazines and 8m of frozen food.

Jegasothy, who has been in retail for more than 20 years and operates two other sites, told Better Retailing the store attracts larger supermarket-style shops with an average basket spend of £25.

He added: “A lot of our customers have told us they wanted this as there has not been a shop in the area for a long time. They tell us they absolutely love it.

“When I signed with Booker, they said they wanted to make it a concept store under a new fascia design. We’ve had a lot of people visit to look at the design.

“Booker have been really supportive and have been fantastic in getting everything set up. They’ve helped me a lot with merchandising and point of sale.”