Girvans scoops double award honours!
Girvans of Aberfeldy has clinched two highly acclaimed retail industry awards, winning the Londis Best Forecourt Shop 2008, and remarkably the top accolade Londis Best Overall Shop 2008. The Perthshire family business, which also includes a Gulf-supplied forecourt, hardware shop, extensive outdoor sports store and motor workshop, claimed the outstanding double victory from an initial 2,100 UK stores.
"We're absolutely elated to have won, it's a complete turnaround from where we were this time last year!" enthuses Blair Girvan, Owner/Manager and driving force behind the achievement. "We were told we'd been successful in the Forecourt category which in itself was fantastic, and then we competed against six other category winners for Best Overall Shop."
"The process involved three knock-out stages; a mystery shopper visit, a personal interview with me and finally a filmed interview whereby the competition judge came to the shop and spoke to the staff and customers. All seven finalists' films were shown at the awards night and I have to admit my quiet confidence was overridden by nerves when I saw how good the other shops were. Our victory certainly proves that a shift of business strategy and shop makeover can be worth the hassle and hard work!"
Winning the two honours in the second year of the Londis awards programme, Girvans of Aberfeldy was nowhere to be seen on the short list in 2007, for the shop was then tired looking and functional at best. In January last year, Blair set about a major shop refurbishment, doubling its original size and installing an extensive chilled and frozen foods section. Girvans also now specialises in local Scottish produce.
"The new products have been really successful, particularly with our move towards local goods which has pleased the regulars," explains Blair. "We regularly assess stock movement and if a product isn't selling we'll try a different range - it's important to continually evolve with the market by introducing new lines and innovative shop displays. Being disciplined with paperwork and management procedures makes the entire operation more efficient because it not only enables me to monitor profit margins but also allows me to spend more time on the shop floor serving my customers."
"Blair and his team offer a fantastic service, which customers told us about when we visited the store," explains competition judge Mike Green, Harris International Marketing. "Not only does he offer a fantastic range with locally-sourced specialities but he sponsors the local football team, golf club and Christmas lights. Blair has a real in-depth understanding of his catchment and customers needs. It's a well deserved win."
"Girvans of Aberfeldy is a shining example to all petrol retailers and Gulf is proud to be associated with a business that is at the pinnacle of its trade," says Keith Jewers, Director of Gulf Retail. "In today's world, rural forecourts need to have a number of strings to their bow in order to offer motorists a one-stop service, and Girvans certainly demonstrates this with its impressive range of shops, Gulf forecourt and workshop."
"Blair and his team work tirelessly to provide a personal service to the local community and through-trade and I'm delighted that this has been officially recognised with the prestigious Londis awards. It's clear that all aspects of the business; customer service, staff training and motivation, stock control and financial affairs, are managed in a highly professional manner. We take the success of our independent forecourts to heart and seeing the Gulf brand work so effectively as part of a larger operation is truly rewarding."
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