Jonty Collinson pedalling change at his rural Lancashire SPAR stores

For a dual site SPAR independent retailer, Jonty Collinson may not clock up the most miles travelling between his two stores, but he puts the journey to good use as a workout routine.

There are just 1.8 miles between his SPAR stores in Scorton and Cabus, just north of Garstang in rural Lancashire, and Jonty uses his e-bike to travel the short distance between the two sites.

The Scorton store has been part of the family business since 1969, when the Collinson family first moved to the village.

After his parents retired, Jonty took on the SPAR store, and his sister runs the Priory B&B, café, and restaurant across the road from the Scorton store.

New changes at the store in picturesque Scorton – famous as a stop off for cyclists from the A6 and for hikers heading up the popular fell of Nicky Nook – have seen the fascia of the village store return to how it appeared in the early 1900s.

The previous bay window front has gone, replaced by a new window that is flush to the stone façade, complemented by a slate grey fascia and white SPAR logo in keeping with the conservation area.

Cheeky Coffee has been added to store as a grab and go option, with additional signage on the side wall of the store and on an A-board on the cobblestone area at the front. The store also acts as the village Post Office.

It is a similar story at SPAR Cabus which Jonty acquired in 2011. Cheeky Coffee was added to the store last year, alongside a hot Clayton Park Bakery Food To Go unit.

Both replaced old units and were part of a wider repositioning of the store. Since then, sales of hot food have trebled, and coffee sales have doubled, as SPAR Cabus has become a destination for grab and go lunches with SPAR’s Premium Meal Deal.

More recently, Evri and DPD services have been added to the existing Post Office counter too to drive further footfall into the store.

Jonty says he continuously invests in his stores and enhances store services to keep his offer relevant to the local community and passing trade.

His stores are serviced by James Hall & Co. Ltd, and he credits maximising the use of the company’s Harvest Scheme for the large proportion of development work over the years. The scheme rewards retailers who purchase high levels of stock from James Hall & Co. Ltd by setting aside a percentage of its value to offset the cost of new equipment for stores.

Jonty said: “I am delighted with how our Scorton store looks externally with the changes to the fascia. It is timeless – modern in appearance, yet at the same time it would not look out of place if it was in a black and white photo from years ago.

“We have put Cheeky Coffee into the store as an ‘on-the-go’ coffee option ahead of the busy summer season and the early signs are that it has been a good decision. Scorton has a few cafés with a ‘sit in’ service so we differ there, and we are open longer, so people can get a coffee at our store from 7.30am until we close in the evening.

“The changes at Scorton have come off the back of the fantastic results we have seen at our Cabus store in the last 12 months.

“At Cabus, we intentionally repositioned the hot food unit where it is in store for improved visibility. We also have so many positive comments now about the heavenly smell of fresh hot food as soon as customers walk through the door.

“My Store Manager Gary Eyles has worked for me for 25 years and is very pleased with the progress we have achieved.

“The in-store coffee and hot food installations at both stores were financed by the funds I accrue through the Harvest scheme. It is a great scheme supporting either incremental improvement or major projects across a wide range of areas depending how you wish to use it.

“It has served me well over the years and it has done so again with these latest developments.”