Kanagaratnam Rajamenon is joining forces with his son to grow his forecourt empire to six sites, with his latest acquisition, Stans Superstore with accompanying petrol station, marking the fourth in his network.
Known as Menon in the industry, the London-based businessman is planning a series of improvements at the 60sq ft kiosk on the Texaco forecourt, which is next door to the 28,000sq ft supermarket in St Martins, near Oswestry in Shropshire.
He is removing the DIY lines – which he says take up a lot of the kiosk’s shelf space – and plans to introduce an off-licence section, and Rollover and Bake & Bite hot food. He also wishes to extend the shop space to around 75sq ft to include more “grab and go” and everyday grocery lines such as coffee and sugar.
He hopes to undergo the work this May, alongside introducing a fourth grade of fuel – premium diesel – to help increase the site’s 3mlpa-plus fuel volume.
Other plans for the forecourt, which already features EV charging, include doubling the number of jet washes to two, installing a rollover car wash, and perhaps later to introduce a laundry machine.
Kanagaratnam is also considering extending the trading hours from its latest opening at 8pm to midnight. This will cover for when the site’s giant Nisa-supplied superstore – complete with a butchers counter, pharmacy, and post office – is shut.
The superstore will also be modernised, but the ethos of the business with remain the same asserts Kanagaratnam. The site is popular for its emphasis on local sourcing, £1 items, and ranges not found in the multiples.
“From one family business to another, we believe we share the same values and ethos that has made Stans so respected and ever dependable,” says Kanagaratnam.
Kanagaratnam entered the forecourt world in 1987 as what he says was termed at the time an Esso licensee. He now has other business interests in the hotel, restaurant, care home and, most recently, vineyard sectors.
He says that he was interested in the Stans business, which belonged to the same family for almost 80 years, primarily because of its size, with its plot being over three acres.
“We only look at bigger sites with land for future expansion,” says Kanagaratnam. “We are not going to rely on fossil fuel for the next 10 to 20 years, which is why we went for this supermarket. We don’t want petrol to be the main part of the business.”
He previously set up a network of five sites with his brother Kanagaratnam Rajaseelan, but the siblings went their separate ways 10 years ago. He is now interested in buying another two petrol stations, but they must comprise at least an acre of land.
His son Rickesh Rajamenon, a former financial analyst and aged 28, joined the business earlier this year working across all of its divisions, including the forecourt side, which is being named Leaf Garages Group and has its head office in Dover.
“I’m very glad that Rickesh has officially joined the business and that Stans and my other interests will pass onto the next generation of my family,” says Kanagaratnam.
His other forecourts are all branded BP/Budgens and include Willesborough Service Station near Ashford, CB Motors in Tenterden, and Hythe Service Station also in Kent.
Kanagaratnam believes that he was one of three or four serious contenders wanting to purchase the Stans business from the Faulks family, who had been thinking about selling for a while.
Referring to the sale, which was handled by property agent Christie & Co, former director Peter Faulks says: “We feel that now is the right time to implement this exit strategy.
”The new business owners are already in retail trade with petrol forecourts, retail outlets and hotels. We feel that this is the right company to secure the long-term sustainability of Stans and take it into the future.”
He adds: “Dave Morris at Christie & Co has been fantastic throughout the sale process. His experience in selling businesses like ours was a huge factor in us completing the sale, and the family are very grateful for the hard work he has put in.”
