Londis Harefield: Punching above its weight [Exclusive]

In the bustling borough of West London, there exists a small but mighty store, quietly carving out a monumental presence in the convenience retail landscape.

Over a span of 36 years, Londis Harefield has emerged as a corner stone for both community as well as convenience. From Payzone and parcel collection to home delivery and hot food, this convenience store not only offers a surprisingly wide range of services and products but is also a benchmark of convenience retail.

For leading retailer and store owner Atul Sodha, the journey began almost four decades ago when his mother acquired a sleepy newsagent in a semi-rural area of West London.

Reflecting on his store’s evolution with Asian Trader, the retailer shared, “My mother took over the store in 1989 from her sister using her saving of 16 years. I was about 17 at the time, and my brother was 20.”

In a mere six months after moving to the UK, Sodha’s father had passed away, leaving his mother, only 23 at the time, to raise two small children on her own. The challenges were obviously immense.

“Before moving here, we were living in council estate in Wembley; it was a bit rough there.

"It was my mother’s side of the family who helped us during that time. They had an old-fashioned off license in Wembley, which eventually turned out to be my first foray into retail.

“The brief stint at the off license at the tender age of 13 also taught me a lifelong skill of talking and engaging with various types of customers.”

When Sodha’s mother acquired the 650-square-foot store in Uxbridge, it was a typical confectionery-tobacconist-newsagent. Within a year, the family carried out a refit to improve its layout and appeal.

Around this time, Sodha joined an insurance company and moved out. While his time at the insurance company gave him insight into finances and cash flow, his physical health issues soon brought him back to the store full-time.

Sodha told Asian Trader, “I was suddenly losing loads of weight and was really struggling physically. I was soon diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, the same illness that had claimed my father’s life.

“While I was recovering, my eyes opened up to how much struggle my mother had to face yet how much she is always on top of everything. I was amazed at her strength and positivity.”

As Sodha regained his health, his perspective towards retail shifted.

He said, “I started getting more involved in the shop to make it a success. We evolved the news agent into a proper convenience store. I started reading trade articles about what people want and began adding bits and pieces.

“Soon, we had more customers coming in and entrusting us. That, coupled with my understanding of how to talk to customers, really improved our business.”

The store soon underwent another refit, something that “really put it on the map” and boosted the turnover and footfall.

Londis Harefield

Armed with more knowledge about changing habits, Sodha got rid of non-performing lines like greeting cards, and added more ambient groceries. The store also started stocking more household and essential products.

However, it was Joining Londis in the late 1990s that proved to be the major game-changer.

“Londis allowed me to still be independent but appear more professional,” Atul explained. “We adopted their state-of-the-art ‘Genesis’ format, and the shop looked much better. Turnover improved massively.”

Over the years, Sodha has learned to adopted category management principles, focusing on the 80-20 rule to stock the best-selling lines in limited space. An upgraded EPOS system now provides real-time insights into margins and customer preferences.

“With size constraints, one should be more focused about the approach. When you don't feel like you can justify a massive investment, even then you can do lots of things around the store and keep looking at your range,” he said.

Culinary Charm

While Londis Harefield is known for its wide range and exceptional service, what makes it truly stand apart not only from its competitors but also from its nearest supermarket is its hot and fresh food line called “Curry in a Hurry”.

Sodha revealed, "We started with ice cream and went to what goes with ice cream. So we started baking family size apple pies and cutting them into small sizes.

“We started keeping a lot of bakery products like freshly made croissants. My mother soon started making samosas a few years ago which turned out to be a huge hit.

“Our store’s hot dog was already very popular in our store; we started adding more and more stuff. We now even serve hot and fresh curries.

“During Covid, we went out and sourced whatever we could and since people were getting bored from staying at home, we started offering some enticing freshly-made line like chicken wings, chicken bites and chicken burgers.”

The concept originated from his family’s love of cooking and a desire to reduce food waste. Today, the store’s aromas—from freshly baked croissants to sizzling samosas and curry—welcome customers with a sensory treat, even managing to attract passersby, and leaving them with an urge to revisit the store.

One look at the store’s online reviews shows people lauding the store’s homemade curries, vegan sausage roll, chicken’ curry with rice and fresh donuts. Some even say that the food here even beats local takeaways.

Sodha said, “With convenience at the pinnacle as it is right now, one must stand out. We try to do that through our freshly made food-to-go offering."

The food offered is not only freshly-made but it is also healthy and low in fat.

He informed, “With my Crohn’s disease, I am mindful of what I eat and thus have adapted my recipes accordingly by using the right low-fat ingredients.

“As a result, we not only offer delicious, freshly-made food but are able to attract health-conscious customers as well. Our system was in place for a long time; it has only just grown from strength to strength.”

Hot food is a good margin opportunity as well, so it is turning out to be a win-win aspect for the store.

The store’s kitchen is accessible to customers and Sodha encourages people to taste what is on offer.

“We once took ‘Curry in a Hurry’ to the village fête and we were immediately sold out. We were a hit among children and parents were very happy to see that. Such events are not just about sales, it's about creating memorable connections in the community,” he says.

Industry Champion

Sodha being an advocate of British Food Fortnight, the store is deeply entwined with local suppliers.

Today, Londis Harefield is not only shoppers’ go-to solution, but it is also a brand-favourite destination. The place is almost always buzzing with some or the other brand activation, thanks to Sodha’s heavy involvement with suppliers.

“There's always something going on in the store that keeps a sense of excitement and curiosity among shoppers. It’s about building partnerships and bridging the gap between what brands think we need and what actually works for retailers and customers.

“We had the marketing manager from Heinz come into the store and work a day with us.

“I have been a KP snack ambassador for over 12 years now; I have worked massively with Cadbury's. Susan Nash gave me the honor to pick up an award for their on their behalf, which still makes me feel so much more appreciative of the relationship. I have been working with closely with Coca Cola, Budweiser and about a dozen other leading brands.”

Over the years, Sodha has been actively interacting with fellow retailers in the sector, learning, sharing ideas, and networking.

“I am part of Retailers Inner Cirkle where we are instrumental in getting the retailers together to do various initiatives like the latest Doritos’ Extra flaming hot campaign that saw a huge activation recently in stores across the country.

“I take great pride in my industry networking, which now spans across generations. I have strong relationships with seasoned veterans like Dee Sedani and Kiran Patel, as well as with the dynamic new brigade of talent, including Nishi Patel, Neil Godhania, Natalie Lightfoot, and Paul Cheema.

“There are so many more brilliant names out there who are shining light for convenience sector. For me, it's not about symbol loyalty; it's about retailer loyalty. We all help each other and rise together.

"We have got a massive network of retailers who talk to each other constantly, sharing ideas, trends and solutions, finding new ways forward. There are lots of lots of conversation going on out there, more so than there ever was. And that's what keeps me enthusiastic about our sector.”

While Sodha remains optimistic, financial and legislative challenges keep him cautious.

“I had to put everything on hold. While I have plans and I want to expand, I have held back until more financial security is there where we feel more confident.

“In terms of various legislative restrictions coming up, I am working very actively to keep ministers abreast with the problems that independent retailers go through every day. Like, I don't disagree with smoking being bad for people; I disagree with authorities forcing us to do stuff that are just not manageable.”

Despite these hurdles, Sodha continues to innovate.

“There are a hell of a lot of difficulties but we got to be thinking outside of the box as much as we possibly can. Like, I am pushing forward in online sales and through Snappy Shoppers. Online delivery expands the store’s reach to people that wouldn't normally come to your store.

“However, I also want people to visit my store so that people can see what we do here.”

Over the years, Londis Harefield has remained intertwined with the community. During Covid, the store proved to be a lifeline of Uxbridge, particularly to the elderly population.

"I have spent 36 years in convenience retail. For many years, I was doing ridiculous working hours because you're growing your business but now thankfully, we have got a lot of support.

Over the years, Londis Harefield has grown into more than just a store—it is now a vital part of the Uxbridge community.

“The local school often seeks us out for various events, and I am more than eager to get involved. We do a lot of charity work with various organisations.”

“We used to sponsor a football team of under-nines. These kids are now grown-up adults, but they all still remember me and their association with the store.”

Sodha’s commitment to his customers, community and convenience has created a store that thrives on innovation, adaptability, and personal touch.

“One of the things I learned from retail veteran and my mentor Raj Chandegra was that maintaining the quality, service and standard is the key to a successful business.

“I am also proud of my staff and their dedication and ethics. We are a small store, but we proudly punch above our weight in terms of per square footage on sales and profit,” he concludes.