A derelict butcher’s shop in the middle of a busy north Hull housing estate has been snapped up by a Nisa retailer who has removed 25 skip loads of waste from the site to create a vibrant new store.
Sarinder Mehat has worked in retail since childhood after first moving to the UK in the mid-1980s and helping in his uncle’s shop in South Wales.
“I have never done anything else,” he said and he knew the premises had great potential as soon as he clapped eyes on them.
“I’ve lived in Hull for 15 years and know every part of the city and this is a great location for a shop. There are very few convenience stores in this part of the city and being in the middle of a housing estate, we should be busy.”
Originally a butcher’s, the 2,000-sq. ft. store closed some three years ago, and needed a lot of attention to turn it into a modern retailing space.
“We ripped everything out and almost knocked the place down and re-built it. More than 25 skips of waste have been taken away – old chillers and freezers and so on – and had a complete overhaul.”
The counter space has been built into the centre of the shop, designed to allow staff a full view of the entire store. The chillers are positioned around the perimeter of the store and a freezer section sits towards the rear of the store with fresh produce displayed in baskets close to the shop entrance.
Mehat said, “This is the first time I have situated a counter in the centre of a store so we will see how it works out. I’m trialling it to help tackle shop theft – the idea being that we can see every corner of the shop from the counter at all times.”
The store, situated at 92-94 The Quadrant, Hull, HU6 9NS opened last week following the impressive transformation taking just weeks to complete and Mehat has high hopes the renovated butchery 'meats' the demands of his new customers.