Falkirk retailer Anand Cheema switches to Costcutter

Falkirk retailer Anand Cheema, winner of the Impulse Retailer of the Year award at the 2020 Asian Trader Awards, has switched his Spar store to Costcutter.

His store has been rebranded to the Costcutter livery, with a full refit set to take place in early 2022.

“I’m delighted to join the Costcutter brand and am excited for the journey ahead, where I will be able to improve my business and its overall profitability,” the 24-year-old said.

“We have a successful history with the Costcutter brand, having enjoyed tremendous success as a Costcutter store in the ’90s through to the early 2000s. We still have a great relationship with members of the team.”

Cheema, son of the Scottish Grocers Federation chief executive Pete Cheema, added that he was particularly impressed by the ambition of the Bestway Group, which owns the Costcutter brand, and “the successful direction the business is clearly heading in.”

“For me, it’s all about teamwork and optimising the best possible opportunities. It’s important to be working with a symbol partner that has the same vision as I do and who is looking to grow together with its retailers,” he said.

Cheema said the rebrand would be the next stage in the store’s growth and development, which has already made a name as a whisky hot-spot for connoisseurs.

“We know that consumers’ shopping behaviours are changing fast right now, and we want to ensure we are at the forefront of that change. We’re here to serve our community and that is and will always be our number one priority,” he added.

Commenting Jamie Davison, head of new business and store development at Bestway Retail, said: “We are delighted that one of Scotland’s most exciting young retailers has joined our Costcutter brand as it’s a great time to join the Bestway family.

“As a family-owned business, Bestway has been very clear about its focus since the 1970s: helping retailers thrive.

“We are proud to be known in the industry as the most supportive brand in the sector and it is fantastic to see that we are becoming the symbol of choice for entrepreneurial retailers who are looking to take their stores to the next level.

“Alongside what we believe to be the best support package in the business, we’re investing in new ground-breaking technology and services that will help our retailers understand and adjust to changing consumer behaviours.

“Anand has already had great success in his retail career, and we believe that together, we can help him grow his business even further.”