UK: Elite Garages branches out into convenience market with Morrisons Daily
The forecourt operator unveiled its first non-fuel site as part of its strategy to enter the traditional retailer market through its new partnership.
Family-owned forecourt operator Elite Garages opened its first non-fuel site as part of its plans to branch out to traditional convenience. Thanks to its partnership with Morrisons, it has inaugurated the largest Morrisons Daily store in the United Kingdom.
The company has selected the Shaftsbury, Dorset, location after being vacant since 2017. Its vacancy was linked to the high competition registered in the area, but the fuel retailer still saw great potential in it. That is why they decided to partner with Morrisons to occupy half of the lot while the other half was used for its MOT business.
In an interview with the Convenience Store news website, Elite Garage’s Manager, Kelsie Whittemore, explained that this opening is just one part of their growth strategy for the near future. The firm intends to keep each site and upgrade them in order to amp up its offer for drivers.
“We’re with Spar for our forecourts and we’ll be sticking with them for those as we’re happy with the partnership. However, we’re keen to keep expanding in the future. Hopefully if this one goes well, we’ll be able to open some more up,” explained Whittemore regarding its new association.
As the company representative described to the media outlet, the team had to adjust to having non-fuel products at disposal for clients and the services that go along with the offer, such as delivery or take-away. She highlighted Morrisons Daily product range as one of the main virtues of the collaboration, specially its suitability for all budgets.
“We have Morrisons products but also local ones. Morrisons has given us dedicated space in the store for products local to the area, that is something that if it goes well, we’ll roll that out to our forecourt sites. It’s drawing a lot of people in, especially tourists, and it could work in the forecourts,” concluded Whittemore.
