From rebuilding the store with a brand new look to updating its offer, Mike Sohal has never been afraid to embrace change. At Nisa Dallam, change isn't a far-off idea; rather, it the way of doing business.
There is a reason Nisa Dallam store looks very different today from the store a few years ago. There is a new bakery. A brighter, fresher look. And Nisa’s latest redesigned fascia.
For Sohal, these are not isolated projects. They are all part of a philosophy that has guided him throughout his retail career, which never stops evolving.
Speaking with Asian Trader, Sohal dived into his convenience journey, what makes his store stand apart and what drives him as a retailer.
“My family was in retail, so it became a bit of a passion for me really. I have been in and around convenience stores since a small child.
“This store is only eight years old. But I have been in retail since 1998 and previously I had experience working with Nisa. So I knew it has a good model.”
Sohal’s decision turned out to be just right. Today, Nisa Dallam is known in the community for its extensive range of chilled, fresh, frozen food and grocery items as well as beer, wine and spirits.
But what is making the store stand apart is its food-to-go.
“Recently, we got an in-store bakery. We've got in-store kitchen and oven, but majority of our hot food comes from a local supplier. So it comes pre-cooked.
“Our bestsellers are the pies. We've got six different products in there and we sell about 500 products a week so we're talking about thousand pounds just in pies,” he said.
Mike Sohal
"For me, food-to-go is definitely a winner. We also started keeping Co-op cookies, breads and donuts, which are also working really well.”
In terms of wholesalers, the store relies solely on Co-op Wholesale. For some special lines, the store depends on local suppliers.
“I personally don't have the time to go around cash and carries so I just deal with Nisa. I believe that if something's working fine for me, I don't need to shop around.
“Co-op label is a decent label. There are assumptions that Nisa stores are expensive but I personally think that the products are fairly priced. Plus, we have plenty of deals on things like frozen food.
“We also have access to plenty of beer, wine and spirits deals as well,” he said.
As a retailer, Sohal does not believe standing still.
“We need to move fast; we cannot be selling what we were selling 10 years ago,” he says.
That same thinking lay behind a recent store refit. Although the current store is under a decade old, Sohal felt there was still room for improvements in flooring and lighting.
Around the time of the store refit, Sohal was approached to by Nisa to become a flagship store for the symbol group’s new revamped fascia.
Beyond business, community involvement has long been one of the cornerstones of the business. The reopening of the refitted Nisa Dallam with the new signage also saw a massive donation of £1,500 from Sohal to the MADL charity, to fund three local groups doing outstanding work in the Dallam area.
"We are very community-embedded. The store has donated over £ 50,000 pounds by now through our Making a Difference Locally charity, which sets us apart from any other retailer, not just locally, but in our town.”
The store is also involved in various community events such as supporting the local Santa's sleigh, to grassroot level football and rugby, to men's mental health, to organising litter pickers and feeding the homeless.
Sohal is also one of the founding members of The Convenience Hub, the Asian Trader-backed leading convenience retailers’ body.
When it comes to suppliers and margins, he is not the kind to mince his words.
“When we are selling price-marked products, we have already hit the ceiling and can't go any above that. The majority of these brands’ lines are only sellable at price-marks.
“Earlier, the margins used to be anything above 30 per cent, particularly from confectionery and crisp brands, like PepsiCo Walkers. Now, we're down to about 19 to 20 per cent.
"I understand their costs are going up, but we as independent retailers shouldn't be taking any less money home. Our cost has gone up as well.
“If the big brands are making money, technically our margin should have increased, not decreased.
“But this is not happening with some of the big suppliers like PepsiCo. They are basically treating us independent retailers unfairly,” Sohal said.
Despite some setbacks, Sohal remains fundamentally optimistic about the future. Perhaps that is because he is already focused on his next project.
As we speak, Sohal is preparing to launch the store’s own website and introduce home delivery.
Asked what advice he would offer fellow independent retailers, Sohal returns to the theme that has shaped his entire career.
“Independent retail is all about being adaptable. If things are not working, adapt and make changes to whatever you need to make. Do not be complacent.”
It is a fitting outlook for a retailer who has spent nearly three decades refusing to stand still.
Because while some retailers spend years searching for the perfect formula, Sohal knows there isn't one. The secret is to keep moving, keep improving and keep giving customers a reason to come back.