Watford retailer opens store at £218 million regeneration

Independent retailer Raj Oulakh has become one of the first retailers to move into a new market square opened in Watford as part of a huge regeneration project.

The Nisa partner has started trading in September from the purpose-built retail unit as part of the second phase of a £218 million investment in South Oxhey Central.

“After four years of planning and anticipation, I’m delighted to finally open my Nisa food store,” Oulakh said. "The building looks fantastic and I’m pleased I invested in a high-end shop fit-out to match the quality of the development.”

Oulakh had previously operated in premises which were earmarked for demolition and once knocked down he was re-located to a temporary unit across the road from his original site.

He made use of his symbol group development fund to create a contemporary store, transforming the 2,500 sq ft space into a premium convenience store with the latest Arneg Osaka dairy cabinets, lighting rings above the counter area and track lighting everywhere else.

As Oulakh doubled the space allocated to chilled produce, growth in weekly fresh sales has touched almost 70 per cent in just the first few weeks of opening.

Now situated on the main road, and with plans for further regeneration in the area including the addition of several hundred more new homes, the new store is in a prime location.

Oulakh said: "I’m looking forward to trading here and serving the community. It’s great to see the area transform bit by bit and you can see how it’s all coming together."