Convenience retailer One Stop is celebrating its 50th birthday this autumn with a nationwide campaign spanning over 1,000 stores.
Between 2 September to 13 October, One Stop will celebrate this milestone in store and online with special deals, customer giveaways and community grants.
One Stop’s journey started on 7 October1975, from the humble beginnings of a market stall in Wolverhampton. Over the next five decades, One Stop has evolved into a retail brand known for shaping the sector with leading technology innovation, franchise growth and community engagement, which includes raising over £10 million for local initiatives and national charities.
“For five decades One Stop has delivered quality, convenience and value to our customers. This milestone isn’t just about our past – it’s about the future of local retailing. Our colleagues, customers and franchisees are at the heart of our journey and we’re looking forward to proudly celebrating with partners, colleagues and the communities we serve,” Stephanie Wood, One Stop managing director, said.
Full store marketing takeover
A full store campaign has kicked off the half-century celebrations, with One Stop’s boldest look and feel yet, designed to help drive customer engagement and retail visibility.
As customers step inside a One Stop store, they won’t miss its bold, gold-themed point-of-sale including hanging signs, bunting and celebratory deals. There will also be exclusive promotions on leading brands including Cadbury, Coca-Cola, McVitie’s and Pot Noodle.
Online, there will be a dedicated landing page on the One Stop website directing visitors to its ‘Birthday Balloon Bonanza’. The digital birthday game will give customers the chance to win an all-inclusive tropical holiday. Birthday deals and special, decade-inspired recipes will also feature in the huge line-up of birthday plans.
And things keep hotting up for this special birthday with all regular Costa Coffee drinks in participating One Stop stores available for just 50p on Tuesday 7th October ONLY; customers will be able to choose from a wide variety of drinks available from the machine, such as lattes, mochas and hot chocolates.
The growth platform
Since its franchise launch in 2014, One Stop has grown to over 350 franchise stores, many operated by multi-site entrepreneurs with multi-million-pound turnovers. The model has seen significant growth over this time with a proven track record, including multiple award wins for its franchisees and as a retail franchisor.
With advances in digital ordering, delivery integrations with Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats and localised store layouts, One Stop continues to demonstrate its customer-first strategy.
One Stop also has over 700 company-owned stores around the UK. A subsidiary of Tesco since 2003, it operates as a separate business and employs over 10,500 colleagues.
Giving back
To celebrate its 50th birthday, the convenience retailer is launching a £25,000 community grant scheme. Customers will be invited to nominate local groups for a chance to receive £500 ‘microgrants’, helping to further support good causes across the UK.
“We’ve achieved an incredible amount over the past five decades and this special birthday allows us to proudly reflect this,” Wood concluded.