The industry is talking a lot about costs and business development at the moment, but I think there’s a great need to partner with the right supplier and brand. We were the first franchise model within Morrisons Group and it has continued to go from strength to strength for us.

The range and the margins are great, and the mix is good. Having the right partner is key to driving sales and to the bottom line. And Morrisons is a great partner for me because it sits within the spectrum of a trusted brand.

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We’re offering customers prices and a perception that are seen as ‘value’. And that value proposition offer then drives your basket spend. We’ve seen a 6% increase in sales and our basket spend has gone from £10 to £10.98, which is almost a 10% rise. We’re selling things cheaper, but we’re selling more of them. Customers are getting great value for money and we’re still getting some great margin.

I can access the Morrisons ‘Best’ range for my customer demographic, but I can also access its value range if I need to. That means I can give consumers value if they want it, but I can upsell them as well if they want that.

I think everyone has the exact same problems when it comes to availability and I don’t think any one supplier is doing better than others. But while it’s not 100% at the moment, at least it’s not 50%. For me, though, Morrisons has branding, products, delivery, customer service and range that are all amazing. And the team is exceptional.

Being in a franchise also means we just have one invoice that drives everything. We’re not having to run around looking for suppliers. We used to be running around looking for things, but this way builds so many efficiencies and streamlines the business. It means I can leave my store manager to run things and I don’t have to check up on him or make too many decisions.

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It’s all done for me. There are a few things to add in, like vapes and specialist products, but that streamlining has had a hugely positive impact on my business. Also, if we’re almost out of milk, I can pop to the local Morrisons and pick some up at a wholesale price.

We’ve moved one store over to Morrisons so far and we’re changing the other store across later in the year. Building work will be required for that one, so it’s a big job, but that’s the aim.

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