Store location focus: housing estate

Sam Coldbeck, who runs Premier Wharfedale News in Hull with her husband Mark, explains how retailers can can boost sales in stores at the heart of their communities  

Having entry level products

The benefit of stocking value products is that they are a good entry point for any smoker who wants to transition to something they see as healthier. We were concerned that customers wouldn’t want to buy a £1 e-liquid but, once they try the products, they realise they are just as good quality.

Using promotions to drive regular sales

Edge is another very important range for us and we stock the full e-liquids range on a three-for-£5 promotion. We don’t get any support from the supplier or cash and carry for that, but we find it helps drive footfall. We still make a margin of 49 percent, which on a product that people are regularly coming in to pick up more of, is important.

Getting customer feedback 

We keep up to date with what our customers want via a comments box. We’ve used it to bring in emerging products across the store including flavoured teas. For vape, we saw that 88 Vape was being advertised heavily but it was customer recommendations that gave us the confidence to stock it and it’s now among our bestsellers. Shoppers also use it to complement our staff, which is invaluable to our team.