Ali’s Nisa Royston: Fresh new start [Exclusive]

Every store has a story. But few get to live a second chapter as vibrant as this. After 20 years as a quiet community staple, Ali’s Nisa Royston is now reinvented, reignited and roaring.

After a complete extensive revamp, new layout, modern tech, and a sharper Co-op range, the store is buzzing with new energy, more footfall and uplift in sales. The community is elated; it seems like a win-win for everyone.

Speaking with Asian Trader, store owner and retailer Raheem Ali Razaq shared in detail about the bold revamp that gave his 20-year-old store a second life and made it buzzing again.

“For the last 21 years, the store has been family-owned. Then in December 2024, I took it over completely,” Raheem explained.

“It’s been a Nisa store for the last 10 years. The last major refit was in 2015. But when I took over, I felt it needed a facelift.”

What followed was a top-to-bottom transformation, supported by Co-op Wholesale. The shop was extended, and the entrance was widened.

Key improvements include striking new internal graphics, a 3D fascia, and bold window vinyls that showcase the store’s fresh, professional look.

A 65-inch digital media screen has been installed at the store front to advertise offers to passing customers, complemented by in-store digital screens showcasing promotions and community news.

Raheem said, “We extended the shop and gave it an overall revamp.

“The store now has a signage to the latest Nisa 3D sign. And we got the graphics and everything installed on the windows. Then we got the screens for outside and inside, with the latter ones owing our offers.

“We also have a modern anti-theft tool that detects shoplifting and very own own personalised radio by Retail AI. The radio greets customers, inform them about offers while introducing them with the staff, some of whom have been with us for about two decades,” he said.

Another major highlight of the revamp is the increased presence of Co-op own brand products throughout the store, complete with clear shelf-edge labeling, branded gondola ends, and eye-catching signage.

In addition, the store has significantly expanded its chilled range, incorporating more Co-op products and a wider selection of soft drinks to meet customer demand.

“We've just installed a 2- and 1/2-meter British American Tobacco vape stand with the LED lights with and digital screens. Its personlised with the store and Nisa logo and is looking very attractive,” said Raheem.

However, what is most close to Raheem’s heart in the refit is how he made the store accessible and friendly to those in wheelchairs.

He explained, “I always wanted to create a welcoming space where vulnerable people, be it the ones on wheelchair or with children prams.

“I made sure that we've got over one metre of aisle space. Before, we didn't have that and I had to spent a quite a quite a few thousand pounds just for this.

“I also made the entrance bigger. Earlier, it was under 900 and I made it into a 1.3 metre entrance.

“With our ramped wide entrance, the customers, especially disabled customers who can't walk at all, can use their wheelchair or disabled scooter and come in conveniently.

“What happened was I used to see some people parking their scooters and all that outside the shop. And I thought that's not good. Sometimes it's cold, sometimes it's raining. And I thought, no, we need to do something for the community in terms of this.”

From a new 3D fascia and bright window vinyls, to digital screens promoting offers and ramped broad entrance, the store feels fresh, but still familiar.

And the locals are responding. “Yes, our sales have been up by 30 per cent. The shoppers are coming in to check out the new additions. Our customer spending has gone up.”

Beyond just groceries, the store also offers PayPoint, National Lottery and a Post Office.

“We have had a Post Office in the premises since 2015. We have revamped that as well with new graphics and inside signs. A lot of hard work has gone there as well.

“The response from the local community has given us a lot of confidence. We event got featured in local media outlets. It was overwhelming that our hard work and days of brainstorming was worth it,” he said.

Though the store also caters to instant delivery through Just Eat and more recently through Co-op Wholesale delivery app Peckish, he strongly roots for in-store sales.

“Having a store with all the services available where people like to go out and just pick up things themselves, or use the services or simply to have a chat, I think that's still the foundation,” he said.

True to its roots, the store supports nearby schools with free supplies for fun days, donates to Glasgow Children’s Hospital and local disability charities Wheels to Heels, and is sponsoring a youth football team starting this season.

“We have a very close relationship with the community,” said Raheem. “We know their parents, grandparents. Some of them we have seen grown up, got married and have children.

“Some of them have seen us as little children. It’s a relationship spanning three generations basically.”

“They're a big part of our shop," he said.

From decades in distribution to now leading a retail comeback, Raheem is proving that relationships matter and that convenience retail can thrive without compromising on values.

“This store is nearly in fact, it is where I wanted it to be,” he said. “The place is buzzing.

“I am now on the lookout for other sites. Hopefully by the end of this year, I am aiming to open one more in Glasgow.”

In a sector where loyalty is hard-earned and harder kept, Ali’s Nisa Royston stands as proof that retail isn’t just about price or polish, rather it’s about people. And that in the right hands, even a 20-year-old store can feel brand new again.