A Budgens Success Story In Kimbolton

Ever since Charles Robinson added Budgens village store to his family enterprise three years ago, business has never been better. Whilst running a garage repair and coach operation in Kimbolton, Robinson decided it would be a good idea to bring a grocery retail business into the community since the nearest large store was seven miles away. “We figured if we were going to do it properly, we had to make it nice enough for people five miles down the road to say, ‘it’s easier to come here and they have got what I want’,” says Robinson.

Robinsons equipped his Budgens new-build store with the latest gear from LED lighting to state-of-the-art fridges and freezers and proudly announces excellent sales and return on his investment. “There has been a steady increase from day one and it’s still climbing after 3.5 years,” he says. “Eventually, it will level out. We are getting to that point now, but we are probably [taking] 20% more than we were predicting. It’s renewed the whole business. Retailing is great, it’s friendly and about satisfied customers.”

About 95% of Robinson’s Budgens store consists of happy customers coming back up to three or four times a day. To ensure steady customer satisfaction, Robinson has invested in a Costa coffee machine and a new chiller he branded Lunchbox, filled with sandwiches, pork pies, pasties, sausage rolls, fruit salads and juices. The store receives six weekly deliveries with fresh products sourced through Booker and its Farm Fresh brand and which accounts for 31% of turnover. The installation of three Cook freezers installed last year with takeaway-style meals, an off-license area with a range of upmarket wines and designated areas for gluten-free and protein products have all contributed to Budgens Kimbolton village store’s continued success.