Tag: self mart

I was very happy when a well known internet site contacted us about our new Self Mart stores; I was of course more than happy to share the information with them, article in full for you to read below…

High street stores are being heavily affected by the rise in use of internet shopping and it is becoming apparent that the main retail stores that are surviving this expansion are the Discount Stores.

We all know the current leading UK discount stores are Wilkinsons, Primark, TK Max and TG Hughes and of course the American Giant WalMart but creeping in at the wings is a discount store with a difference in the form of SelfMart.

SelfMart is a retail spin off from Mr Selfs International Trading Company, Self Trading, a company which purchases products at low prices and on some occasion’s prices that are lower than the manufacturers cost.

With the launch of the first SelfMart store well under his belt, managing director Daryl Self takes time out from his busy schedule to tell us all about the differences between his stores and the other discount retailers and his future plans.

“My discount store concept is a mixture of all the UKs leading discount stores with a twist, high quality products at low low prices!

It became obvious to me that the next step for Self Trading was to hit the high street with its high quality low priced items, Self Trading allows me to buy products at low prices and sell wholesale to other traders, such as market stall holders and Ebayers and with the opening of the SelfMart stores I am now able to sell direct to the consumers on the high street.”

Self Trading are able to buy their products at reduced prices due to others losses be it incorrect order levels, last season and even current seasons stock through shop clearances, liquidation, bankruptcy and overstocks, from all walks of life, wholesalers, high street retailers, well known designer brands and many more.

Mr Self explains “that with the correct buying team at the Self Trading Head office, there will be enough of a continuity of lines to supply the SelfMart stores for them to remain different and interesting to new and returning customers at all times”.

As a successful business man this newest venture for the Self Group has been privately funded by Mr Self and he proclaims that with the sure fired business concept for SelfMart there may be no need to even look for any outside finance.

And what of Mr Selfs plans for the future? “It is my aim that in the next five years there will be a SelfMart store on every high street in the country with a flagship store of 20,000 square foot, and with my business experience in franchising, I aim to be able to provide others with a business opportunity, to allow them, the franchisees, the freedom of their own business with corporate support and a recognisable brand name, SelfMart,.”

Mr Self continued to explain that with SelfMart stores purchasing their products direct from Self Trading at favourable prices, it enables the stores to sell at a discounted price, keeping the ever price conscious consumer happy and still maximising their profits.

With Mr Selfs enthusiasm, energy and overall business experience and of course the support of his hardworking, dedicated team members it all sounds like a recipe for success.

With the first Self Mart store open and operationally for one week we are being proved that the business concept works and I can’t wait to get the ball rolling on the other stores!

Opening the shop is a first for me and it was another first that I allowed the store to open in my absence, all of my staff were happy about this as it enabled them to cover up any f&^* ups that were made!
With a planned opening date of Monday 11 June, it was decided to do a test run for a couple of hours on the Saturday afternoon, as the store was ready to go, the all new singing and dancing till systems worked and people came in through the doors for the two hours that were open and spent their money!
The doors were then closed to get the store ready for the official opening on Monday morning!

Monday the doors were opened to the eagerly awaiting public and it proved to be a nice steady day, the store is taking the kind of money that I was expecting, and that is just with only half of the retail sales space maximised, we have room in the store for at least 50% more stock.

We have the right amount of footfall coming into the store what we need to work on is the number of customers that are leaving with a purchase, at the moment we have approximately 1 in 10 people leaving the store with a purchase and once we get a larger range of stock we can improve these figures to 4 in 10, making profits phenomenal, proving that the concept works and making us different from all the other stores in the centre!

I am very pleased so far and with more customers coming in through the door than there is spending this is something that we can work on, I don’t have to drag them in!