RETAIL CORNER
14 ASIAN TRADER 27 JUNE 2025
ome stores simply inherit a legacy, but
others are reborn with a dash of
ambition, a pinch of innovation and a
generous pour of personal flair.
That’s the story of Fresh in Falkirk – Cost
cutter, a thriving retail destination under the
sharp vision and clear-cut direction of young
and passionate retailer, Anand Cheema.
Anand recently walked down memory lane
with Asian Trader, offering a glimpse into the
journey that shaped today’s Fresh in Falkirk –
Costcutter.
Previously operated by McColl’s for 13
years, after the Cheema family first owned it
briefly in 2005, the site seemed like yester
day’s news until early 2020.
“When I got an opportunity to buy the
store in 2020, it was owned by two separate
companies – one was McColl’s and the other
was a private partner.
“The whole deal felt a bit too good to be
true. I grabbed the opportunity with both
hands and never looked back,” he said.
The store, however, was in rough shape.
“We had to spend a considerable amount of
money in improving the site. With an
extensive refit and buying and merging the
next-door property, I increased the store size
considerably.
“I also worked a lot in improving the look
and feel of the storefront,” he revealed.
By August 2020, when the store reopened,
it was Fresh in Falkirk – under the SPAR
banner. But within two years, Anand made a
bold pivot to Costcutter, a move that unlocked
a wider range of skus and higher margins.
He explained, “It was my first store, and it
turned out I had lots to learn.
“I realised that with its multiple offerings,
Costcutter has the best of everything in one
place. It’s like getting the best of both the
worlds or rather all the worlds,” Anand said,
adding that being a Costcutter retailer also
helped him to increase his margins.
Launching the store during the height of
the pandemic came with its own set of
challenges.
“The other stores in the area already had
loyalty and it was a steep hill to attract
customers to our store.
“I needed to create an attraction in the
store, and the one that really stood out to me
was keg sales. That really propelled our store
and made us known in the area for alcohol,” he
said.
Momentum came fast and Anand didn’t
Once forgotten but now ready for the future, this
convenience store in Scotland is rewriting the
rules of local retail, discovers Pooja Shrivastava
waste it. From £800 to £5,000 (!) bottles and
local whisky releases priced at £1,600+, the
store also carved a niche in the ultra-premium
spirits segment almost overnight.
“All this got us a mark on the map very
quickly,” he said.
Anand also kept a close watch on the
emerging trends such ready-to-drink
cocktails, thus becoming among the first ones
to stock Buzz Balls and Shaken Serve.
Even the no- and low-alcohol wave hasn’t
been missed and has found a foothold at Fresh
in Falkirk.
“We attract a lot of young customers due to
our extensive no and low alcohol range.
“Today, our alcohol fixture is huge and
makes up a big proportion of our sales. The
store stocks a lot of variety at wide price
points, so I think that’s one of our main USPs,”
he said.
Anand’s ambitions, however, go well
beyond the alcohol aisle. The store already
serves up a generous range of on-the-go
staples like sandwiches and baguettes; but
he’s only just getting started.
“Hot food is something I am going to be
focussing on this year,” he said. “Within five
years, I am looking to do a huge refit where I’d
completely turn the shop around and change
the whole layout.
“My plan is to develop my
own kitchen and offer
in-store-made stir fries,
lasagnas and much more.
Having our own fresh food
made, I believe, will give
the store another USP.”
Apart from alcohol and food to go and all
the other regular fixtures of convenience
stores, Fresh in Falkirk also boasts 11 meters of
frozen and 10 meters of chilled space.
Further enhancing the on-the-go attrac
tions are Costa Coffee machine, slush
machine and a whipped ice cream station.
Not to forget a rich and wholesome range of
confectionery that won Anand Impulse
Retailer of the year at Asian Trader Awards in
2021.
However, beyond products and categories,
Anand considers his store’s customer service
its biggest strength, something that makes
the store unique and makes people want to
visit it.
Given the large number of elderly
customers in the area, the store (even after the
pandemic) offers free daily delivery of
newspapers and essential supplies.
Additionally, it supports Strathcarron
Hospice. Anand also works with local schools
in partnership with the Healthy Living
Program and provides them with milk weekly.
It has always been involved with fundraising
for local causes.
Often heralded as a “rising star” in retail,
Anand is excited about the opportunities that
the coming months are about to bring to
him in terms of his business.
He is looking ahead with a few
concrete plans in his head and is
aiming to further strengthen
the foothold of Fresh in
Falkirk.
While his surname is bound
to spark curiosity, being the son
of SGF’s chief Dr Pete Cheema
OBE, Anand clearly has long
outgrown the shadow of patrimony.
A finance graduate from the University
of Dundee, this 28-year-old retailer has earned
his stripes though working in several
occupations, including one at a leading
wholesaler.
“Having worked across sectors, I feel I have
a balanced overview of the business,” he said.
But he’s quick to add, “Nothing prepares
you to run a store until you’re that person
behind the till. Real learning starts on the shop
floor.”
With concrete plans on the horizon and
Anand’s calculated moves behind it, it seems
like Fresh in Falkirk is poised for much more to
come.
More Than a Makeover