Located in a building that formerly housed a guitar shop, the SPAR convenience store has added a new string to store owner Dr Hamid Hashemi’s business portfolio.
Hamid is taking his first steps into convenience retail with the launch of the SPAR store, in association with James Hall & Co. Ltd, and is keen to support residents in Heald Green as well as nearby Cheadle and Cheadle Hulme.
The 2,500 sq. ft. SPAR store includes a Daily Deli, Costa Coffee unit and Tango Ice Blast machine, alongside a strong range of high-quality fresh food, big brands, and beers, wines and spirits.
Already meeting the ambition of being a true community store, a queue of locals formed ahead of the launch clutching vouchers with a range of opening deals, as the winners of a colouring competition run with nearby Etchells Primary School were on display in the shop window.
Dominic Hall and Peter Dodding from James Hall joined Hamid and his family, the store team, and the SPAR mascot SPARtan to help launch the store, and the Mayor of Stockport Cllr David Wilson cut the ribbon to officially declare the store open for business as his first act of 2023.
Dr Hamid Hashemi said: “It’s an extremely proud moment for my family and I to open our first SPAR store in Heald Green and I am delighted with how the store looks and feels.
“My ethos is to not only have customers, but to have happy customers. Good customer service is extremely important to me, and I think my store will really serve the community of Heald Green and the surrounding area well.
“I have been seeking to expand my business portfolio for a while. My manufacturing businesses are well established and settled, and I decided that convenience retail was the avenue I wanted to go down.
“Being a newcomer to the sector, I was searching for the right brand and the best partner for running my store. I have found that with the SPAR franchise in association with James Hall & Co. Ltd who share the same family values and culture as I do.
“The support I have received from James Hall has been invaluable, from store design through to the sales team, and IT to marketing.
“The last year or so has been a learning curve for me, and I have been involved in every project along the way. I am still learning, and I am very excited to have started my retail journey with SPAR.”
Peter Dodding, Sales Director at James Hall & Co. Ltd, said: “I am thrilled to welcome Dr Hamid Hashemi to our SPAR family as a new independent retailer and his Heald Green SPAR store looks fantastic.
“It has everything a community store needs to serve residents in the locality as well as passing trade on a busy road in South Manchester.
“It has been a brilliant team effort from across several departments at James Hall to ensure that the store was ready to launch on time, and it was lovely to be able to support the opening alongside Dominic Hall, Hamid’s family and staff at the store.
“Although completely new to convenience retail, Hamid is a businessman through and through, and with our support, I am sure Heald Green’s SPAR store will be a success.”
The Mayor of Stockport, Cllr David Wilson, said: “I’m very pleased to see investment coming into the area and the SPAR store is really impressive, both with its products and layout.
“The refreshment options are excellent, and the deli and fresh range are exceptionally good quality.
“I want to wish Hamid and his family the very best of luck with their new venture and I think the SPAR store is a great addition for people living locally in Heald Green.”
Audrey Bennett lives across the road from the store. She said: “I’m very impressed by the SPAR as there is so much variety and it is well set out. I’ve picked up cereal, milk, cakes and a salad bag as I am limited as to what I can carry and store at home.
“Most days I have to top up my shopping and having a SPAR in Heald Green is so convenient as it is on the doorstep for me. The other great thing is the access ramp which means I will be able to bring my shopping trolley which will be a great help to me.”
Richard Ollier, another nearby resident of Heald Green, said: “I know the SPAR brand well as I am a regular at the store in Handforth. I thought I would drop in to the new store in Heald Green on the way home from picking my daughter up from school.
“My first impressions are the store is fantastic and it is well stocked, and my son is going home very happy as he has managed to get a bottle of Prime in a flavour he has not had before. It’s great the store is so close to home as I now no longer have to jump in the car to travel.”
James Hall & Co. Ltd serves a network of independent SPAR retailers and company-owned SPAR stores across Northern England six days a week from its base at Bowland View in Preston.
You can find out more about James Hall & Co. Ltd at www.jameshall.co.uk.
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