From loss to profit: Station Road Garage
Station Road Garage in Shipton-under-Wychwood has had a spectacular turn-around in fortunes thanks to Gulf Retail's shops consultancy company, Instore Profits.
With footfall increased by 1000 customers a month and cashflow up by £350k the future is now looking prosperous for proprietor David Johnson who, in his own words, was "on the edge of a cliff when we decided something had to be done. Our fuel prices had become very uncompetitive; we weren't getting the right margins and were making a loss".
David, who runs the site with the help of his two sons Antony and Michael, continues, "We contacted the Petrol Retailers Association first and they suggested Gulf, so to be sure we approached several fuel companies and compared packages and services - it seemed that the recommendation had foundation. Since joining Gulf and using Instore Profits we have done a complete u-turn and business is now booming."
Tony Bailey, Managing Director of Instore Profits, a specialist shops consultancy that works in close cooperation with Gulf Retail, spent three days at Station Road Garage to train the management in disciplined stock control procedures and shop management techniques. The reputable Mace brand was introduced and, with the support of Palmer & Harvey's Ivan Lester, a fresh, ergonomically-friendly shop layout was designed.
"The shop at Station Road Garage was a prime example of a cash-cow not being used to its full potential," explains Tony Bailey. "As well as reaping the rewards from disciplined management procedures and a re-vamped shop, David has saved about £6k on the refit costs by utilising his existing fixtures rather than paying unnecessary outlay to an outside shop fitter. Results have seen shop sales more than double to over £6k per week and still rising, with fuel volumes, since the introduction of the Gulf brand, increasing by 35%."
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