Down in picturesque Poole, Ehamparam Karunanithy has redefined what the convenience off-licencing experience can be, with up-to-the-minute innovations and stunning WBS ranges
Ehamparam Karunanithy has developed a stunning off license category at his Premier Talbot Store in Poole, situated between a housing estate and 17,000 university students “across the road”.
The result is a store that caters effortlessly for its clientele. A magnificent beer cave with smart electronic doors opening onto “cool” blue sky lighting panels offers an extensive range of Ready To Serve canned drinks and bottled ales, lagers and beers.
The beer cave has become something of a social media sensation among local shoppers, regularly appearing on TikTok and Instagram, and has contributed immensely to the store winning the Off Licence of the Year Award at the 2023 Asian Trader Awards.
Ehamparam, who also runs two other stores in the area, says that that his augmented alcohol offer is adding ever more multipacks and SKUs of bottled ales. Shoppers just love the Beer Cave, and it’s been a big hit with customers highlighting the store’s value message, as “promotional packs have such strong standout in there.”
“I can't imagine that the sales would be going like this right now, its two years now almost,” he adds. “We're getting that kind of uplift in sales since the reopening.”
An ethnic Tamil, Ehamparam arrived in the UK from Sri Lanka three decades back. His journey into the retail industry began in the 1990s when he worked at a petrol station. Inspired by his cousin who owned a shop, Ehamparam hoped to start his own business.
“Originally I planned anywhere in the country, anywhere I can afford to buy a shop at that time. And then I just found one shop in Poole, Bournemouth area, and moved here,” he says.
The location's potential began to flourish as the university expanded, providing a steady customer base of students
It is situated within the residential heartland of Bournemouth’s Talbot Village and adjacent to Bournemouth University’s Talbot Campus, lending it a unique shopper demographic. As the university expanded, he recognised the store’s potential, and a nudge from his symbol group Booker, who wanted to convert the store as a concept store, prompted him to go for a major refurbishment of the site.
“I got the new lease as well at end of the pandemic, around 2020. Then I realised this is the opportunity to do something different, to change everything” he says.
In September 2022, as the store celebrated its 21st anniversary, they re-opened the store after a £170,000 refit, transforming it into one of the most innovative Premier stores in the estate and a test-bed for new technology, including sustainability developments.
Ehamparam converted the storeroom into a beer cave, expanding the alcohol section to cater to the university's student population. The store now offers a wide variety of canned drinks and bulk packs. Replacing the open fridge with a closed-door system, he installed a single large motor fridge extending over 10 metres. This upgrade not only increased storage capacity but also reduced energy costs.
“With electricity price going up and things like that, this single motor is a good idea. The door is closed all the time, only one fridge for everything,” he points out.
The store underwent a complete makeover with improved lighting, higher shelves, and a visually appealing storefront.
Promoting sustainability
Two significant innovations during the refit include a fresh bakery section and refill zone which enables shoppers to conveniently dispense desired quantities of a range of dried goods into paper bags – saving on food and packaging.
“A local supplier brings every morning fresh bakery products like doughnuts, pasties and a few [other] things. That one is a cool cabinet, not the hot cabinet, and because we are next to the university, we sell them very quickly,” Ehamparam says.
In the refill section, customers can just take whatever they need and can bring their own bag or use the paper bags provided by the store.
“You can buy what you need. They can buy for the day or for a longer time. You don't need to just buy them and keep it and later throw them away. They can buy them, maybe just for a morning breakfast. It is really going well with the customers,” he says.
As they have a very large youth demographic, the store trialled a number of new technology concepts during its refurbishment. The store’s self-scan checkout has been the first of its kind in a Premier, but it was later removed due to challenges with theft.
“It was doing great. It attracted the customers. The advantage is you don't need another staff. But some customers don't scan it. They're just trying to scan it, didn't scan and they put in the bag, and just get away with it,” he explains – adding that he would not advise others to introduce the technology.
“I'm just not doing that. I checked a few times, and there are a lot of things going out without being scanned. In the supermarkets, there's a person watching about this, but here it is a very difficult situation,” he says.
Theft, as with the convenience stores across the country, has been a challenge for Ehamparam. He has to put more cameras as people were stealing even from the beer cave.
In another first for Premier, they also introduced electronic shelf-edge labels, a development which works great for the team.
“We did only a quarter of the shop because it's quite a lot of money to invest. So maybe in the future it could get cheaper. But It's very it's a good thing because I don't need to do anything. When Booker prices change overnight, next day morning the pricing changes automatically,” he says, noting that the time (and money) they save by not having to manually update pricing information is “huge”.
Ehamparam emphasises the importance of choosing the right shopfitter and considering the store's location when planning a refit. He believes that after ten years, a store needs refreshing to maintain customer interest.
“They don't want to be in the same shop all the time. After 10 years, maybe I need another refit for the Talbot store,” he says.
His experience shows that investing in a comprehensive refit, including expanding product varieties and improving store layout, can significantly boost sales, as evidenced by a 35-40 per cent increase at the Talbot store.
“If they do more varieties and arrange the shop for more space, sales definitely will go up. I don't know how much percentage, but it will go up,” he assures.
Following the success of the Talbot Store, Ehamparam recently undertook a refit of another store in Poole, Maple Stores, which now features both a beer cave and a soft drinks cave. With three stores already under his management, he is considering further expansion based on these positive sales trends.
Community relationships
Ehamparam places a high value on fostering strong relationships with the local community. He believes that personal interactions are essential, contrasting his store's approach with the impersonal nature of large supermarkets.
“Customers feel we have a very good staff, as they talk to them every day. It’s not like other big supermarkets where they're like just machines – just serve the customer, go away and next customer. Here, it’s like a community,” he smiles.
Ehamparam trains his staff to engage with customers, asking about their needs and preferences, ensuring a welcoming and friendly atmosphere.
“It’s a kind of shop where the customer has to come back,” he notes. “If they want to come back, we have to talk to them; we have to ask them what they need, what they want to get, new products or anything like that. So we just keep train the staff as well.”
To address the cost-of-living crisis, Ehamparam keeps prices competitive by adhering to Booker-recommended prices, many of them price-marked packs, and offering regular promotions.
“Besides, I am always monitoring the prices,” he reveals. “If anybody said it’s kind of high, then I look into the prices. I always tell the staff to just look around and if people said anything please come back to me and tell them, ‘Okay, I talked to the boss’!”
His wife, Tharsini, plays a crucial role in the business, managing orders and ensuring that the store is well-stocked. Her involvement allows Ehamparam to focus on other aspects of the business, highlighting the importance of family support in their entrepreneurial journey.
He advises new retailers to maintain clear pricing on shelves and offer regular promotions. He underscores the importance of location and long-term investment, noting that the returns on investment can be realised within a few years.
“Mainly they have to keep the price on the shelf. It’s important as the customer needs to know the price. And also give offers to the customers. If it's a good location, if they keep the shop for long time, I like that. If they invest in the shop and spend more money, they can recoup this money in maybe three years’ time. But they must worry about it. And also it's hard work,” he concludes.
Independent drinks wholesaler LWC has recently launched a set of ambitious environment commitments, unveiling a significant acceleration in its sustainability drive.
Centred around five key pillars - "Climate, Facilities, Operations, Marketing & Communications, and People" - these new commitments provide a clear roadmap for how LWC intends to reduce its environmental impact, operate more responsibly, and drive sustainability across the drinks industry.
Notable commitments include:
25 per cent reduction in Scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions by 2030
Engagement with top 20 suppliers to reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions by 25 per cent by 2035
Accreditation achieved by 2026
Pilot HVO at key depots with bunded tanks by 2026
Electrify all warehouse equipment by 2030
2 per cent of annual profit donated to charity partners
Alongside its Headline Commitments, LWC has also unveiled a Green Ambassador Programme, the launch of a new internal ‘Sustainability & ESG Hub,’ plus the appointment of a new Sustainability Lead.
These developments follow the continued roll out of solar arrays across LWC sites, its road mile reduction partnership with Asahi, and the formation of its Sustainability Committee in 2024.
Ebrahim Mukadam, Managing Director for LWC commented, "Although we have been making progress in this space for some time, the announcement of our Headline Commitments alongside the launch of our green initiatives really underscores a strategic step change in pace for us.
“We have set our goals, supported them with robust action plans and are formally holding ourselves to account. We want to lead by example, by being transparent and taking responsibility for our own footprint, but also supporting our customers, partners, and suppliers to also make more sustainable choices.
“Sustainability isn’t just about business; it’s about people, communities, and the future we leave behind. By making these commitments now, we’re ensuring that LWC plays its part in protecting the planet for generations to come.”
With growing regulatory and consumer pressure for businesses to operate more sustainably, LWC is proactively positioning itself at the forefront of industry change.
By embedding sustainability into its business model and culture, the company is committed to not just making pledges, but delivering real, measurable impact.
Fulfilling a key request from those impacted by Post Office Horizon scandal, Department for Business and Trade today (3) announced that those who have had their convictions overturned will now have their conviction claims administered by the government, completely taking them out of the hands of the Post Office.
The Post Office will cease to be involved in the redress for postmasters with overturned convictions.
After a three-month transitional period, the Department for Business and Trade’s Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) will broaden its scope to take on responsibility for redress for postmasters who have had their convictions overturned by the Courts.
These are currently dealt with by the Post Office through their Overturned Convictions scheme. This is something that postmasters, campaigners, and Parliamentarians, including the Business and Trade Select Committee, have all called for.
Stating that the victims have "suffered a huge amount", the department stated that while the government can’t fully put right what they have been through, it can make sure the compensation process "works better for them by listening to their grievances and acting upon them where possible to ensure postmasters are treated with dignity and respect".
"Today, this means ending the difficulty of dealing with the organisation which upended so many of their lives," stated the department.
The delivery of redress for victims of the Post office Horizon scandal is a key government manifesto commitment, with a commitment of £1.8 billion to ensure all postmasters receive the justice and financial redress they deserve.
Post Office Minister Gareth Thomas said, "My priority upon coming into office was to speed up the delivery of compensation to the victims of the Horizon scandal.
"We have made significant progress, and we are now moving to ensure there is a quick transfer of schemes from the Post Office to the Department.
"In the meantime, I encourage all those eligible to apply for redress under the Overturned Convictions scheme and continue to progress their claims with the Post Office until the transfer date."
The Department for Business and Trade will formally take over on June 3 2025. The three-month transitional period between now and then will allow for the smooth transfer of active claims from one scheme to the other, ensuring there is no gap in service for postmasters who have claims in the system.
As of 31 January, approximately £663 million has been paid to over 4,300 claimants, which has more than doubled since the end of June 2024.
Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of government actions to address the Post Office Horizon Scandal, including:
launching the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS) for postmasters whose horizon-related convictions were quashed by Parliament. This scheme has made 364 interim payments to eligible claimants and has fully settled 208 claims, paying out a total of £156 million.
on the HCRS, committing to provide first offers on receipt of detailed claims within 40 working days in 90 per cent of cases.
beginning payments of a £75,000 fixed offer for those postmasters in the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) who want to accept it: approximately £171 million has been paid in award top-ups and £75,000 awards.
publishing our response to the consultant’s report into the Post Office Capture software (predecessor to Horizon) and have committed to offering redress to all non-convicted postmasters who fell victim to flaws in Capture software.
announcing an independent appeals process for the HSS to provide individuals with a chance to have their claims reassessed through a DBT-run process. We expect the first cases will be ready for submission in the Spring.
confirmed the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board in place.
Keep ReadingShow less
Protein popularity surge sparks demand for cottage cheese, chicken
Retailers should stock well on protein-rich natural food and ingredients in the stores as recent surveys' findings indicate rise in demand for protein-laden ingredients majorly driven by social media-influenced Gen Z and millennial buyers.
According to a recent report from online grocer Ocado, nearly half of UK adults increased their protein intake in the past year. This figure rises to two-thirds for people aged 16 to 34.
The increase in popularity was largely driven by social media, with nearly 50 per cent of Gen Z using Instagram and TikTok for inspiration, compared to a third (35 per cent) of millennials and just 5 per cent for boomers.
Ocado said that searches on its website for high-protein food have doubled since 2023.
Demand for the low-fat, high-protein dairy product cottage cheese has increased by 97 per cent while demand for greek yoghurt is also up by 56 per cent.
Consumers are favouring natural protein sources, such as dairy and lean meat and turning away from the highly processed protein bars or protein shakes, which were in fashion a decade ago.
Searches for chicken breast are up 43 per cent, steak searches are up 39 per cent, tuna searches have risen by 35 per cent, and searches for egg whites are up 27 per cent.
Searchers for plant-based protein sources have also risen, with a 27 per cent increase in searches for chickpeas and an 18 per cent increase for lentils.
Nicola Waller, buying director at Ocado Retail, said, “Protein was once seen as the reserve of bodybuilders, but today, it’s a staple for anyone looking to eat well and feel their best. Consumers are becoming more conscious of where their protein comes from, favouring natural, whole-food options over ultra-processed alternatives.”
A nationally representative survey of 2,205 UK adults, conducted by Savanta, shows attitudes to protein have shifted in the past year.
Half of those surveyed said they eat more protein to increase their energy levels and to stay fuller for longer. Four in ten said a high protein intake helps them manage their weight.
Keep ReadingShow less
Birmingham Convenience Store License Revoked Over Illegal Sales
A convenience store owner in Wembley has been slapped with a six month custodial sentence and a nearly £2,000 fine including prosecution costs for selling illegal tobacco once again.
Retailer Jaydeep Bharat Thakkar, who owns Sangit Paan House on High Road in Wembley, has been prosecuted five times for selling smuggled tobacco products.
Brent Council on Friday (28) informed that Thakkar who owns Sangit Paan House on the High Road in Wembley has been been given a six month custodial sentence.
This is the fifth time in recent years that he has been prosecuted for selling illegal tobacco products which have been smuggled into the country, stated the council.
Brent Council’s Trading Standards Team raided the business owners premises after a tip-off on Thakkar's final day of his previous eight week suspended sentence.
The team not only found thousands of illegal products that Thakkar was planning to sell, but also found a new storage unit that he was using to hoard a large amount of illegal tobacco.
The products were found in the additional unit that the business had recently purchased, this is despite the business owner suggesting after his fourth sentence that he would be selling his shop and business.
Councillor Krupa Sheth, Cabinet Member for Environment and Enforcement, said, “I am thankful for this judgement as the business owner has been shown to repeatedly ignore or learn after previous sentences.
“It is so important as we enter a smoke free generation, that tobacco controls are complied with and I am so happy with the Trading Standards team for making sure that these illegal cigarettes are not being sold in Brent.
"The Council’s Trading Standards team are committed to tackling the illicit tobacco trade in Brent and will continue with targeted enforcement operations and may prosecute those involved in this illegal activity."
Councils have been doubling down on businesses selling illegal cigarette, vapes and other fake products.
Earlier this year, calls were raised to "name and shame" the businesses which have been prosecuted for selling illegal tobacco or vapes.
West Yorkshire Joint Services, which runs Trading Standards, told members of Bradford Council's Corporate Scrutiny Committee that court fines were often limited and not a deterrent and publicising businesses and people involved in criminal activities could be a more effective punishment than any fine handed out by the courts.
Nisa Local store in Cambridgeshire, Ash's Shop, owned and run by retailer Amit Puntambekar was recently visited by a local MP as he heard about the retailer's issues and contribution.
The store visit took place on Thursday (27), where Ian Sollom MP visited Nisa Local in the village Fenstanto to discuss store owner Puntambekar’s experience with retail crime and his invaluable community work.
The visit began with an introductory chat as well as a store tour, before an in-depth discussion of the following areas:
Operational costs and challenges
Ongoing incidents of shop theft and violence
The importance of investing time into developing staff
The importance of relationship building with regular customers
Over the past few months, convenience store body Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has been encouraging retailers to meet with members of parliament by inviting them to visit local shops, highlighting the important work they do for their communities and sharing what support they need from the government.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said, “We are glad to see MPs engaging with our retailers to listen to their concerns and show their interest in local issues affecting the convenience sector.
"We strongly encourage everyone to continue to conduct these store visits, as it is important to show real-life examples of local issues that affect your business so you can get the support you need."
Puntambekar has been vocal against rising cases of violent crime and abuse, challenging the general perception that shop theft is "victimless", detailing the intensity and effects of such crimes.
Earlier this year, he was left badly injured in a violent incident when he was punched in the face by a shoplifter.
Puntambekar revealed to Asian Trader at the time, "I was punched in the face by a shoplifter. I then had to detain him for 20-25 minutes until the police came out," said the retailer.
Calling for safety for retail work force, Puntambekar stated, "Shop theft is not harmless.
“It causes major psychological damage and anxiety to retail teams. More worryingly, the physical violence is abhorrent. Nobody should have to think about going to work and being attacked.”
A lifeline for more than 3,400 people of Fenstanton in Cambridgeshire, Ash’s Shop has been serving the community since 1988.
Second generation retailer Amit Puntambekar has been running the store since 2017 after taking the charge from his parents and has plans to take it to new heights.