The future is looking rosy for a family-run garage that has gone from loss to profit after using Gulf Retail’s shops consultancy company, Instore Profits.
Station Road Garage in Shipton-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire, has seen footfall rise by 1,000 customers a month and cashflow rocket by £350,000 since revamping its site.
David Johnson said he felt he was "on the edge of a cliff when we decided something had to be done".
"Our fuel prices had become very uncompetitive; we weren’t getting the right margins and were making a loss."
David, who runs the site with sons Antony and Michael, contacted the Petrol Retailers Association for advice.
He said: "They suggested Gulf, so to be sure we approached several fuel companies and compared packages and services - it seemed the recommendation had foundation.
"Since joining Gulf and using Instore Profit, we have done a complete u-turn and business is booming."
The Johnsons worked with Instore Profits md Tony Bailey, who trained managers in discliplined stock control and shop management techniques.
They have adopted the Mace brand and, with the help of Palmer & Harvey’s Ivan Lester, designed a fresh, ergonomically-friendly shop layout.
"The shop was a prime example of a cash-cow not being used to its full potential," said Bailey.
Since the revamp, shop sales have more than doubled to £6,000 a week, while fuel volumes are up 35% since adopting the Gulf brand.
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