On the evening of Nov 5, the Park Plaza ballroom, filled with the great and the good of British convenience retail, echoed with a loud applause when retailer Girish Jeeva was announced as the winner of Independent Retailer of the Year honour at the Asian Trader Awards 2025.
Afterall, it was the culmination of four years of relentless transformation, a journey that began when he acquired an underperforming store in Barmulloch in Glasgow in 2021 and decided to treat it less like a corner shop and more like a technology company.
The results speak for themselves. Sales have tripled since he took over. The store pioneered Scotland's first 24-hour convenience delivery service. It runs AI-powered systems for security, age verification and operational insight and operates seamlessly even when managed remotely.
Reminiscing about the eventful evening of November, Jeeva recently sat down with Asian Trader to share his retailing journey and future plans.
“Winning Independent Retailer of the Year 2025 is incredibly meaningful because it reflects the entire journey of transforming the store, not just a single category or initiative.
“The Vape Convenience Retailer award in 2022 recognised our leadership in a specific area, but this latest award recognises the overall business including the technology, the team, the community impact, and the operational standards," he said.
“Between those two wins, the biggest evolution has been moving from innovation in pockets of the business to embedding innovation across the entire operation.
“We’ve focused heavily on systems, automation and data, but also on building a strong team culture. It’s been about creating a store that can continuously improve rather than just having one standout feature.”
From Reactive to Proactive
When Jeeva first took over the Barmulloch store, it was, by his own description, outdated and underperforming. The turnaround required more than a fresh coat of paint. It required a fundamental change in how he thought about running a shop.
"The biggest mindset shift was seeing the store as a technology-driven retail operation rather than just a convenience shop," he said.
"Once I started treating it like a business that could use data, automation and systems to improve decision-making, everything changed.
“Instead of reacting to problems like theft, stock issues or staffing challenges, we started predicting and preventing them.
“That shift – from reactive retailing to proactive, data-led retailing – was probably the most important turning point.”
The mindset reflects in everything Jeeva has built. Girish’s Premier Barmulloch is Jeeva’s second store. After working for five years in his family's MFG petrol station, he had bought his first store on London Road, another run-down site that he acquired and soon managed to turn around.
Soon after acquiring the Barmulloch store site, Jeeva closed the premises for four weeks and did a major renovation, bringing his ideas to life.
Today, the store stands apart in the region for the modern shopping experience it offers owing to the combined result of its jazzy interiors, first-to-market product line and new-age supermarket-like features such as online home delivery, loyalty scheme, self-checkout tills and electronic labels.
Jeeva is not amongst to be hesitant to invest in his store. In this Barmulloch store alone, about £400,000 have been invested into refits, including the latest £3000 security door fitted to protect staff during their 24 open hours for deliveries.
Jeeva explained what goes on in his mind.
“Every investment has to be backed by data and a clear operational benefit.
“I look at three key things- will it improve efficiency, will it reduce losses or costs and will it improve the customer experience?
“If an investment can achieve two or more of those, it’s usually worth serious consideration,” he said. “Technology in particular often pays for itself because it removes inefficiencies that retailers have accepted for years.”
The store also boasts of a beer cave, running and operational in the store since the time the concept was hardly heard of.
One of Jeeva's most headline-grabbing moves came in early 2025, when he launched Scotland's first 24-hour convenience delivery service from the Barmulloch store, in partnership with quick commerce platform Snappy Shopper.
Delivery already accounted for around 20 per cent of total sales, and Jeeva was convinced round-the-clock availability could unlock a new tier of customers.
"I have decided to do this because I always like to be the first to start a trend that benefits businesses in a new way," he told Asian Trader at the time. "We like to make sure if we are touching on something, it benefits not just our store but every other retailer can take advantage."
However, such innovations come with its own set of challenges.
“The biggest challenge was logistics and staffing at unconventional hours. Running a 24-hour delivery operation requires a completely different mindset compared to traditional store trading.
“You need clear processes for order preparation, stock availability, and driver coordination.
“The key lesson is that delivery should be treated as its own business within the store. When managed properly, it can significantly expand your customer reach,” Jeeva said.
Tech, community and beyond
AI-led solutions, from age verification to theft prevention. Jeeva, however, feels that technology should support people, not replace them.
“In the store, AI handles repetitive or high-risk tasks, things like age verification, identifying suspicious behaviour, or analysing operational data. That frees up staff to focus on what really matters which are helping customers and building relationships.
“Convenience retail is fundamentally about community. Technology simply allows us to protect that environment and operate more efficiently,” Jeeva says.
“One example would be integrating AI-driven monitoring systems for both security and operational insights.
“Initially, some people were sceptical about whether AI could genuinely add value in a convenience store environment. But the results have been transformative. It has helped reduce theft, identify training opportunities for staff, and improve operational consistency.”
He is transparent with his team about the role these tools play.
"Transparency is essential. Staff understand that the technology is there to protect the business, the team, and the customers. It’s not about surveillance for its own sake; it’s about fairness and accountability.
“We also use the same tools positively, such as identifying training opportunities or recognising great performance. When technology is used constructively, it becomes a support system rather than a threat,” he pointed out.
The Asian Trader Awards judges specifically impressed by how Jeeva’s Barmulloch store can run even when managed remotely.
Jeeva agreed, “It reflects the importance of strong systems and a trusted team. Technology allows us to monitor operations remotely, but real success comes from having a team that understands the standards we expect and takes ownership of their roles.
“Trust is built through training, transparency, and giving staff responsibility. When people feel empowered, they perform at a much higher level.”
However, not all of Jeeva's decisions are driven by data.
As shared earlier with Asian Trader, when Jeeva acquired the site, he pledged to make this store a welcoming space for everyone. He has seen wheelchair-bound shoppers forced to wait outside the stores for their purchases to be handed over to them by some staff or other customers. He always hated that and wanted to bring a change to the community.
While doing the refit, he made sure to keep the space between aisles wide enough, giving a spacious layout to the store.
Be it widening aisles or installing vape disposal bins for responsible recycling, community is one of the top priorities for Jeeva.
Jeeva said, "Community impact is extremely important. Convenience stores often serve as the local hub, especially in areas where other services might be limited.
“Small changes, like making the store accessible or offering responsible recycling solutions – can make a big difference to customers.
“For me, success isn’t just measured in sales; it’s also measured in how well the store serves its community.”
Business might be thriving for Jeeva but the fact remains that he is feeling the pressure too. Rising energy, staffing and supplier costs are real concerns while legislative updates keep shifting the dynamics of the trading.
“Rising operating costs are one of the biggest concerns for independent retailers. Energy, staffing, and supplier costs have all increased significantly.
“At the same time, regulation in areas like vaping is changing quickly, which creates uncertainty,” he said.
“However, there are still huge opportunities in technology, delivery, and data-driven retailing. Retailers who adapt quickly and embrace new tools can still grow even in a challenging environment.”
Winning Independent Retailer of the Year, Jeeva insists, is a milestone rather than a destination.
"I'm very interested in continuing to push the boundaries of what technology-enabled convenience retail can look like," he says. "There's still huge potential for AI, automation, and smarter operations in this sector."
New innings
Ultimately, what Jeeva is building in Barmulloch is something more than an award-winning store. It is a proof of concept that an independent retailer, in a tight-margin, high-pressure sector, can compete with the boldness of a startup, the discipline of a data company, and the soul of a community institution.
Asian Trader Awards judging panel describes Jeeva as a “seriously exceptional retailer” who never stands still.
Jeeva chuckled on this, “Retail is one of the fastest-moving industries, especially convenience retail. Consumer habits change, technology evolves, and costs constantly shift. If you stand still, you fall behind.
“For me, the motivation comes from curiosity. I’m always asking- Is there a better way to do this? Whether it’s AI tools, store layout, delivery operations or staff training, there’s always room to improve something.”
Turns out it actually is.
Even as this feature was being written, Jeeva has already started a brand-new chapter of his store.
In a move that made the world of symbol groups sit up and notice, the poster boy of Booker’s Premier announced that he is moving his store to Costcutter.
The deal with Costcutter signed on March 2, with a budget of £100,000, equipment upgrades and a layout change on the fresh side. The new fascia was scheduled to go up in mid March (or it must be up already by the time this issue goes in print) while a grand relaunch of the store is planned for April during the school holiday period.
The revamped store will also have a new fresh ice cream offer and an expanded area to accommodate more fresh cake. Ambient Co-op own-brand products will round out a range designed to give the store what he describes as a “supermarket feel.”
With more to offer in chilled line, Jeeva is aiming to achieve the £100000 target. With the relaunch, the store will also switch to round-the-clock 24-hour in-store trading.
Discussions are also in place to add a second phase which may include a Costcutter hybrid dual model, which operates a specialist beers, wines and spirits store within a store concept.
For a man who describes himself as driven by curiosity, standing still clearly was never an option.
As Jeeva believes, the “best way to avoid complacency” is to keep experimenting as even small improvements compound over time”.