A couple of wonderful retailers in our sector have done the industry justice recently by demonstrating their hard work and efforts on national TV; with retailers such as Hardev from Nisa Local Ruprai Food & Wine in Kings Heath appearing on Late Night Lycett, as well as Sheraz Awan from Westerhope Convenience Store on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway!
Armed with a camera crew and celebrities such as Claire Sweeney (doing us the wonderfully mundane favour of pulling takeaway pints) it wasn’t at all difficult for the Late-Night Lycett crew to shoot some hilarious content at his local convenience store in Kings Heath.
While Hardev joined Joe in the studio and allowed celebrities to run amok his shop, Natalie Cassidy was stacking shelves and ensuring everything was in order, whilst Anthea Turner delightfully wiped down shelves- allowing Hardev a short yet well-deserved break.
Ruprai’s Food & Wine has been the talk of television since the episode aired, but it’s first and foremostly been a hub for all of the locals living in the area, with the shop expressing their gratitude for their loyal customers on their Facebook page.
As a sector, it is wonderful that we’re seeing this coverage on national television; it represents us as a community, as well as shows people who don’t know much about the field in particular just how much is done behind the scenes.
With exposure like this (especially in the form of light-hearted, funny content) it shows a different side to retailers and puts further emphasises of the work that they put into what they do!
Another example of this positive exposure lies within Fleur East’s visit to Westerhope Convenience Store with a prize consisting of ‘a Place on The Plane’ to Florida, courtesy of Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
On a Saturday evening, renowned singer and presenter Fleur East surprised Westerhope’s owner Sheraz Awan by making her way into his store to inform him of his winning nomination.
From there, Fleur then went on to congratulate Sheraz for all of the work, effort and time he puts into his shop- after all, Westerhope stays open 365 days a year, seven days a week!
Not only that, but Fleur made a worthy mention of Sheraz giving away as much as 150,000 free loafs to his local community during the last two years; showing just how treasured he is by the customers living in the area.
It’s no wonder why a trip to Florida seems like the perfect prize to give somebody who could do with a well-deserved break; regardless, Sheraz opted to stay at home and sent his family to go ahead while he continued to work in Newcastle, selflessly resuming his charitable work of bread donations.
Locals also gathered outside of the shop after Sheraz’s TV appearance to congratulate him afterwards, further showcasing the tight-knit community that convenience stores really help put together.
There are many wonderful, hard-working people within our sector; people that deserve the recognition and people who are always working towards it.
Whether you’re a shop owner, worker, anything at all in the convenience retail sector- just know that nothing you do ever slips under the radar! Hard work and determination prove fruitful in the long run; your shop is one massive step towards making your local community a much better, connected place.
