One Stop opens 250th franchise store

One Stop has reached a key milestone with the opening of it’s 250th franchise store.

Retailer Raj Paranthaban opened his new store – located at Fairford Leys, Aylesbury – to a fanfare of VIPs and local customers.

Cllr Andrew Cole, chairman of Coldharbour Parish Council ‘cut the ribbon’ to declare the 3,600 sq ft store officially open in the presence of town Mayor, Cllr Anders Christensen.

Previously the site of a charity shop, the store, Paranthaban’s second with One Stop, breathes new life into the building and the row of shops.

“I can see why there are so many One Stops now; my experience has been nothing short of brilliant,” he commented on becoming the 250th franchise store for One Stop.

“I was previously with another symbol group, so I’m easily able to compare. The support you get from One Stop is fantastic, from the area manager to the new store team. They’ve all been so helpful and spent a great deal of time making sure that everything was ‘just right’. I’m really happy with everything.”

Paranthaban, who also owns a local fish and chip shop and seafood restaurant, ‘Salt & Vinegar’, added that the store is getting great feedback from customers, particularly on the prices.

“Everything has been finished to a really high standard and we have a store that is very welcoming and open. Due to the pandemic we wanted everything to feel airy and safe so we’ve really opened it up with a high ceiling and plenty of room to move around in,” he said.

“99% of the customers we serve come to my fish and chip shop, so I knew they would support me. In turn I want to do as much as I can for them. I know for example that there are no launderettes – they all closed down – so I’ll soon be setting up a drop off service to help people out.

“I’ve also started delivering to our more vulnerable customers who are still shielding. They have my mobile number and they call me if they need anything. I’ll drop it off for free and they can pay me next time they’re in store.”

Paranthaban will be bringing between 20 – 25 new jobs to the area, with the opening of the Fairford Leys site and is also looking to introduce other services including a fresh butchers and deli counter.

John Miller, Head of Franchise at One Stop, commented: “Wow, our 250th franchise store! What a journey for the brand over the past eight years!

“Our congratulations to Raj on his latest One Stop opening, which looks superb and is a fresh, modern store; ideally placed for local residents.

“Raj is similar to many of our franchisees who now run multiple One Stop sites and is a key reason we’ve seen such an acceleration of new openings. Our brand-new state-of-the art EPOS and technology means that multiple sites can be run with ease, away from the stores – at home if necessary – and has always part of our long-term investment plans.”

Miller added that they have got a number of new franchise stores opening imminently across the UK.

“We should see our next milestone of our 300th opening soon; it’s certainly a very exciting time for us and our franchise community and we look forward to welcoming Raj back for his third One Stop store,” he said.