Former MRH operator buys village store in Somerset

A former MRH petrol station operator has bought a village store in Somerset.

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co has completed the sale of the L&F Jones store in the North Somerset village of Winscombe to Aruna Gamage, who previously operated Crossroads Filling Station in Cheddar on behalf of the MRH.

The store occupies a good trading position in Winscombe and maintains a large trading area that has been recently re-fitted and good customer parking. L&F Jones operated the store for a number of years under the Lifestyle symbol group and decided to put the store on the market as part of a strategic review.

Aruna has decided to enter into a new agreement with Appleby Westward Spar, which has already helped re-merchandise the store.

He commented: “I have been looking for a convenience store in the local area so that I could run my own business and Winscombe presented the perfect opportunity. I am looking forward to meeting the locals and hope to take the store to the next level with the help of Spar Appleby Westward.”

Robin Allen, chairman of L&F Jones Holdings commented: “We are pleased to have passed the store onto another independent retailer as we continue to focus on operating our remaining convenience stores and our wider business interests. We would like to thank Dave Morris at Christie & Co for his hard work to get the sale completed.”

David Morris, associate director at Christie & Co, added: “It has been a pleasure acting for L&F Jones to secure the sale of this store and to see the store pass onto another independent retailer. We wish Aruna all the best for the future.

“Despite significant change in the last 12 months, the convenience store market remains buoyant as consumers continue to spend in good quality convenience stores.”