The morning sun streams through the windows of Shivom Convenience Go Local in Nuneaton, illuminating carefully arranged displays of confectionery, snacks, and – surprisingly – luxury perfumes. Behind the counter stands Bharat “Baz” Khunti, winner of the Impulse Retailer of the Year award at the 2024 Asian Trader Awards.
“It felt amazing. I was quite shocked,” Bharat recalls of the moment his name was announced at the Awards. “It was so brilliant to get that award. I thank my staff for all their hard work. They've been doing all that.”
The judges' decision was hardly shocking to anyone familiar with Bharat's store. Since expanding his premises two years ago by taking over the vacant Coral bookmakers next door, he's transformed his business from a modest corner shop into a masterclass in convenience retail. This bold move has seen weekly turnover jump by 50 per cent at an impressive 25 per cent margin.
Yet behind this success lies a remarkable journey spanning three continents and more than three decades of retail experience.
East Africa to England
“I was born in Uganda, grew up in Kenya, and then came in 1991,” Bharat explains. After arriving in England, Bharat initially worked in Tesco stores while getting his bearings in a new country.
His entry into independent retail in 1993 came with family support. “We had a family business, a small corner shop. My father-in-law helped me as well at that time. He really set up the corner shop,” he reveals.
What began as a modest family business with his father-in-law eventually became Bharat's passion. After his father-in-law stepped away, Bharat continued alone, gradually expanding the initial small shop before making the move to Nuneaton in 2004.
Shivom Convenience Go Local in Nuneaton
“I did 20 years in Nuneaton,” he says proudly, his voice reflecting the deep connection to what has clearly become more than just a business. “Then just two years ago, we extended again here. It's bigger and nice, yeah. And then we joined Go Local.”
The story of Bharat's recent expansion reveals both business acumen and deep community ties. Located in a council-owned parade of shops, Shivom Convenience found itself with an opportunity when the neighbouring Coral bookmakers closed during COVID and remained vacant for years after.
“I decided to approach the council if I could rent it out as well,” Bharat explains. “Basically, I was taking a big risk here, because after COVID and all that...”
What drove the gamble wasn't just business expansion, but a commitment to the community he'd served for nearly two decades.
“I was looking for a bigger shop. But then this came in my mind, and I said, because I've been serving the community for the last 18 years, now it's 20 years, might as well do something here, expand here, and be better for me and better for the community, because they all know me around here,” he says, adding: “I really didn't want to move anywhere.”
The risk has paid handsome dividends. The expanded premises offers better parking and attracts more passing trade. The additional space has allowed Bharat to dramatically increase his product range and create the impeccable merchandising displays.
Sales psychology
What makes Bharat's approach to retail so effective is his understanding that convenience retail is as much psychology as it is business. His award-winning impulse merchandising strategy comes down to three core principles.
“Eye-line is buy-line,” he declares, highlighting the shelves where premium products sit at perfect viewing height. “Customers need to see it! We try to advertise well across the store.”
His second rule focuses on maximising the till point – the final opportunity to tempt shoppers. “When making payment, the till point is the last point of contact for customers,” Bharat explains, “so we have displays both under counter and on top, from confectionery to locally supplied cakes and seasonal products, we try and get them in early.”
Perhaps most unusually, these till displays include luxury fragrances – a product category rarely seen in convenience stores. “I wanted to try something different, not only these convenience grocery products, but something different,” Bharat says with a smile. “So, let's try some perfumes and put it just near the door ... and we got some testers and displays and all that. And I sell quite a lot of it.”
This willingness to experiment sets Bharat apart from many convenience retailers. “Around here there are no perfume shops, not much anything like that. We even try hardware, everything. Basically, we always try something different, to see how it works.”
Power of personal connection
Bharat's third merchandising rule – “Shout about it” – reveals the true secret of his success: the personal connections he's built with customers over two decades.
“We personally go after our customers, talk to customers about what’s new, what’s coming soon, give this a try,” he explains. “Because sometimes they have not seen this, 'oh, I will try that.' I say, 'oh, yeah, give it a try'. And it does work, mentioning to the customers, doing a proper display and all that.”
This approach has created remarkable loyalty among his shoppers. A large percentage of his customers are local, and he knows them by their first names.
“Customers like to interact, and we find we can offer a better service by knowing who they are, what they want and what is new in the marketplace. Since I've been here a long time, they trust me. It's like a family kind of thing between the customers and me,” Bharat says with evident pride.
“They know that anything new, 'definitely we'll get it at Baz's shop.' They call me Baz. They know that we'll get something exclusive coming into the shop. They always want to try something different.”
The family feeling extends beyond customer relationships. Bharat runs the store alongside his wife Mintu, who came to the UK from India. “One of my staff is my nephew as well, he's my full time,” Bharat adds. “It's like a family kind of thing. And we've got one lady, Sue, she's brilliant. We have had her for more than 10 years here.”
This close-knit team allows for effective communication about new products and merchandising strategies. “We always discuss anything new. We always discuss how to merchandise; we always have a quick brief about any new product.”
Even as Bharat deals with industry-wide challenges like rising shoplifting – “We just have to be vigilant” – this sense of family provides stability and strength to the business.
Go Local advantage
A key factor in Bharat's recent success has been joining the Go Local symbol group, operated by wholesaler Parfetts.
“They helped me with the deliveries and everything,” he explains. “Before, I was independent, as I was just a little corner shop. As I expanded, I needed more help in merchandising, more products and deliveries. And they are brilliant, we get free deliveries two times a week.”
This relationship with Parfetts predates joining the symbol group. “We've been with them for over seven years now, starting deliveries with them at first,” Bharat notes. “And then, when we decided to enlarge the store, they were the most supportive with their development team and field team.”
Bharat particularly values the service, staff quality, and price-marked packs offered by Parfetts, creating a partnership that benefits both retailer and wholesaler.
Future plans
When asked about his typical day, Bharat’s answer reveals the mindset that has brought him success.
“Just normal days, growing day-to-day work, planning for another day, what's coming up for the next week. We always plan for couple of days, what's happening, what we're going to do tomorrow, what we plan to do after two days; there's always plans for us here. Planning is the key.”
Those plans increasingly include the next generation. With two sons – aged 21 and 18, with one finishing university – Bharat has expansion on his mind.
“Because my sons probably, there is one coming out from university, if he's interested, definitely we're going to expand,” he says. “Always thinking of expanding.”
Despite competition from larger stores – Tesco and Asda each about a mile away – Bharat remains confident in his store's unique offering and reasonable pricing. “I like to keep my prices reasonable as well. People like monthly offers, weekly offers, whatever offers we give to customers, it does help.”
As our conversation draws to a close, Bharat reflects on what drives him forward after more than 30 years in retail. “My top priority is to become the best retailer, to do whatever I can to get probably something different, go for a challenge that is something different.”
This constant striving for improvement, this willingness to take calculated risks and try new approaches, lies at the heart of Bharat's success story. From a small corner shop operated with his father-in-law to the award-winning, expanded Shivom Convenience Go Local store he runs today, Bharat embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that makes independent convenience retail so vital to British communities.
“I always believe that, always aim higher,” he says with quiet conviction. “Just try to do whatever you can more. I always like to go further, grow bigger.”
For retailers looking to follow in Bharat's footsteps, the message is clear: know your customers personally, don't fear trying something different, place products where they can't be missed, and above all – plan, plan, plan.
With the Impulse Retailer of the Year award now sitting proudly on his shelf, Bharat's journey is far from over. For this Ugandan-born, Kenyan-raised, British retailer, each day brings new opportunities to delight customers, surprise competitors, and continue building a thriving convenience business in the heart of Nuneaton.
