NEWS FEATURE
19 SEPTEMBER 2025 ASIAN TRADER 11
It’s a reminder that for many
shopkeepers, the most meaning
ful holiday might simply be an
uninterrupted evening at home.
The Local Shop Report 2025,
published by ACS, captures this
picture.
About 19 per cent of retailers
take no holiday ever in the entire
year, states the report. It also
mentions that some shop owners
(five per cent) end up working more than 70
hours per week.
The buzz beginning is that Labour is set
to change Sunday trading laws to appease
big supermarkets in the wake of their uproar
over higher tax bills, and let them open for
longer hours. If this goes through, it is likely
to have further ripple effects on smaller-
format convenience stores, hampering their
Sunday evening rush.
But when the spending is low and costs
are high, each hour of trade counts.
Always an eye on the ball
And yet, despite the relentless hours,
retailers remain deeply embedded in their
communities with 80 per cent of independ
ents known to engage in some
form of community activity in
the past year.
When it comes to the
convenience sector, the cultural
element is also strong. For many
families, the store is not just a
job but a legacy, something built
over decades of long hours and
personal sacrifice. To leave it
unattended feels like neglecting
both business and family duty.
Croydon-based retailer Benedict
Selvaratnam admits he does not get away as
often as he would like to.
“Running the store, e-commerce, and
community projects keeps the calendar
pretty full. When I do carve out time, I try to
make it count. I usually catch short breaks
rather than long escapes.
“On holiday I’m not completely MIA. I
always check in, make sure things are
running smoothly, but I have eventually
learnt not to micro-manage.
“A good team makes that possible. My
way of unwinding is simple:
family, good food, and time
outdoors. That balance clears
the head and keeps me ready for
the next big push,” he told Asian
Trader.
For some, like veteran
retailer Atul Sodha, unwinding
means partly detaching from
the trade owing to the support
system that they have created.
At the time of this conversa
tion with Asian Trader, Sodha
had just returned from Kenya
where he had gone for a family
wedding with his mother. It had
been four years since his
previous holiday.
“I used to take vacations as
often as possible,” he says. “Even
when I am not on holiday, I am
away at awards or networking
events or brand activities, it is
my team that takes care of
everything.
“I have not taken a long proper vacation
in four years due to personal
reasons. But it was because of
this all-empowered and efficient
staff that I was able to balance
work, family responsibilities
and networking easily.”
Balancing act
There are some retailers who
have built super-efficient
systems that allow them to step
back completely.
Hampshire-based retailer
Imtiyaz Mamode, who runs a busy store in
the Midlands, admits he can never fully let it
go.
Mamode said, “On vacations,
I don’t completely switch off, I
still work remotely, place orders
and stay in touch with suppliers.
But I also make sure to spend
time with family and enjoy
myself.
“I usually take one proper
vacation a year, and most of the
time it’s about visiting family
and exploring food.
“So it’s a bit of a balance.
Work doesn’t stop, but I still
manage to recharge.”
Glasgow-based retailer Girish
Jeeva has a solid support system
in place, which ensures that he is
not involved in day-to-day
operations of either of his two
stores.
In fact, the operations part of
the store is taken care of by his
trusted employee, a common
scenario in independent
convenience but with a rare
twist.
“I don’t do anything anymore
since Sneha takes care of
day-to-day operations and that,
too, remotely from India.
“So, in a way, this remains the
same whether I am here in
Glasgow or on holiday.”
“But yes, retailing is a
24-hour, 365-days job. Vacations
are always unplanned, just
whenever we feel like it – yet
that happens not very often,” Jeeva
admitted.
Such a sentiment echoes across the
industry. Even when technology and
trusted staff take the wheel, retailers
remain tethered, anxious, unsure.
And then there are a rare few who are
able to go completely off the grid and relax.
Manchester-based retailer Priyesh
Vekaria, one of the leading award winners at
Asian Trader Awards 2024, feels fortunate to
have a trusted and experienced team due to
which he can step away knowing everything
is in safe hands.
“That freedom allows me to
fully recharge and come back
with fresh energy and perspec
tive.
“Every six weeks or so, I try to
take a couple of days for a short
break, and every four months I
make sure to plan a week away. I
especially value the quality time
with my younger children, those
moments are what keep me
grounded and remind me why I
work so hard in the first place.
“In the end, balance is everything.
Whether it is family, friends or colleagues,
those relationships give me the energy and
clarity I need to thrive both at work and at
home,” he said.
Echoing his brother’s thoughts earlier,
Vekaria added, “There were so many times
when either Mum or Dad had to stay behind
to look after the store. Sadly, with Dad passing
in 2021, we lost the chance to ever have that
holiday as a complete family. That experience
has shaped me and is one of the reasons I run
my business the way I do today.”
Convenience stores might
often be family-run and modest
in size, yet collectively they
generate £48.8bn in sales
annually, support 443,000 jobs,
and contribute over £10.5bn in
GVA to the economy.
That scale means holidays are
never just personal decisions.
When a retailer steps away, he is
not always in a position to put
down the shutters.
This explains why many
owners like Patel and Pandya plan holidays
with military precision and why some, like
Hope, choose not to take them at all.
Clearly, for British convenience store
owners, holidays may never mean complete
escape, but they do mean renewal enough to
return and keep the doors open for the
millions who rely on them.
Clearly, for independent retailers, the
difference between a restless break and real
renewal comes down to a team strong
enough to keep the tills ringing while they
recharge.
Girish Jeeva
Benedict Selvaratnam
Imtiyaz Mamode
Priyesh Vekaria
Atul Sodha