Lewis Woodward may have started out stacking shelves as a teenager, but his role at Nisa Colleygate has moved well beyond shelf-filling.
Now co-running the 1,450 sq ft convenience store alongside his stepdad, Woodward has spent 14 years building the experience to take the family business forward.
The store sits at the heart of a hardworking local community, serving a broad customer base that ranges from school students looking for snacks and drinks to elderly and disabled residents who depend on the shop for accessible shopping, friendly service and everyday essentials.
Over the years, the business has deliberately moved beyond the traditional convenience model to become a one-stop community hub.
Food-to-go is one of its key destinations, attracting local workers, students and other customers looking for quick meal options throughout the day. But Woodward has also built the store around specialist categories and services designed to give shoppers reasons to visit beyond a standard top-up.
Among its more distinctive features are PerfectDraft kegs and an extensive imported range, including products that are difficult to find elsewhere locally. The store also operates two internal parcel services alongside what Woodward believes is the largest number of parcel lockers within any convenience store in the UK.
Those services have become an important source of repeat visits, turning the shop into a daily destination for customers who might otherwise have little reason to walk through its doors.
The vape category has been another area of development. Woodward has created a dedicated vape area and used customer feedback and changing trends to build a strong-performing category. His approach to retail is based on having the freedom to react quickly — whether that means responding to a viral product, a seasonal craze, new product development or a request from a customer. The store also stocks products outside the core Nisa range, including Bobby’s products, which have proved popular.
That flexibility has translated into some striking results. Woodward says he achieved a 50% uplift in vape sales and tripled food-to-go takings within weeks.
He has also introduced a supplements category generating an average of £300–£400 a week. Alongside his commercial responsibilities, he manages the store’s social media presence, taking its Facebook audience beyond both the 10,000 and 15,000-follower milestones, with 20,000 the next target.
His role spans much of the operation, including staff rotas and day-to-day customer engagement, giving him a hands-on understanding of the business rather than a purely strategic view.
For Woodward, being the next generation does not mean discarding what came before. His experience has been built on the traditional values of independent retail, but he is using that foundation to introduce a more modern, responsive approach.
The combination is evident in the store itself: specialist ranges, food-to-go, services, digital engagement and a willingness to listen to customers and change direction quickly.