Bolton retailer adds walk-in chiller for beer kegs in shop refit

A retailer in Bolton has installed a walk-in chiller for beer kegs as part of a major refit last month.

Vas Vekaria reopened his store on 29 January, converting from the Premier fascia to Kegs’N’Blades.

Although he is still supplied by Booker, Vekaria changed the shopfront design to match the store’s new name.

A major part of the refit involved installing a walk-in cooler for torps – miniature 2l beer kegs – which customers can use to pour pints at home.

Vekaria told Better Retailing: “We decided to install a walk-in cooler because it became too much effort to take the kegs into the store and bring them out.

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“This new major part of the store means customers can buy the kegs from chilled, rather than have to refrigerate and wait for them to get cold when they take them home.”

The self-serve beer kegs have been a major footfall driver for Vekaria since he began selling them in his store in 2019. He is one of a few convenience retailers in the UK selling them and monthly sales have reached £35,000 for the 2l units.

The use of ‘Blades’ in the name of Vekaria’s new shop name refers to the self-serve machines the torps are fitted into.

These machines have also been available for customers to purchase in Vekaria’s shop.

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