Just before Christmas I was somewhat pleasantly surprised to read that a local petrol station and convenience store was introducing a refillables section.
Our nearest current options being the fantastic Maya’s Refillables, which appears at markets in Wokingham and Woodley, Fill, which covers Twyford and other areas, and the very welcoming Scoop in Fleet.
I spoke to Jonathan Fraser of Fraser’s Budgens in Three Mile Cross, to find out more…
Tell us about your business?
Fraser’s Retail is a third generation business, started in 1954 by Bob Fraser. It operates five refuelling and retail sites and is owned by Robert and Hugh Fraser (sons) and the day to day running is taken care of by myself and Nick Fraser (grandsons).
Our challenge is to continue to build on the success of the previous generation whilst looking at alternative solutions for retail that fit within our model. We can’t hide from the fact that we are fuel retailers but we can start to make changes for the future, hence the introduction of a refill section.
Why have you introduced a refill section in store?
We wanted to do our bit and try something different. We know that as retailers we can try and make a difference and with Three Mile Cross we had the space and the right store to try this. It is just a small step but as a business we are looking at what else we can do for the environment.
What has the response been?
Overall the response has been extremely positive, in store and on social media.
We would like to thank everyone who has given feedback. The uptake has been a little less than expected but it is early days and we will look at running a promotion for our loyalty card members.
What are the challenges?
Some of the challenges have been around the uptake but we are confident this will pick up in due course.
Obviously logistically there are challenges surrounding loose products.
We also have to be very aware of allergies and have ensured there is signage around the area as well as making sure specific lines are kept away from others where possible.
What can customers find in store?
A vast range of 49 lines including pastas, pulses, beans, nuts, grains, cereals and snacks.
Why isn’t this more commonplace in a wide range of shops?
I would say that people view this as a new concept (which it obviously isn’t) and it may take time for it to become more widespread.
There is also a relative cost to setting it up and it takes up quite a lot of space, both on the shop floor and in storing the lines so may not be that appealing for smaller stores.
We are lucky at Three Mile Cross to a) have the space and b) the throughput of customers to make it work.
What next?
The plan was always to see how the initial refill lines went and to look at expanding the product range. This would include bringing in a range of non-food items so fingers crossed.
We would then look at introducing it into our other stores where possible.