Enjoying the Fruits of their labour at Fruitfield Foodhall

Synonymous with grocery retailing in County Armagh, the Woods family continues to inject investment into their local communities, providing value and quality in their state-of-the-art stores, as Philip Woods explains.

Acquiring Fruitfield Foodhall in July 2019, the Woods family took on their fourth store, cementing their status in the area as an important retail family. While Fruitfield has a 30-year history in the community, the Woods’ have been in retail around 50 years, established by Philip’s father, Neville.

With a SuperValu in Richhill, SuperValu in Tandragee and a Centra store on the Dobbin Road in Portadown, Fruitfield was a perfect fit for the company – situated in the local area, on their doorstep and a well-established presence in the area.

As Philip explained, they had a clear vision for what they wanted to do with the store and had plans in place for their investment. However, these were quickly put on hold.

“It had been developed into a fantastic store and we knew there was huge potential for the site,” said Philip.

“We were making inroads with our planning and then covid hit. We traded through two years of chaos, so it has only been in the last 18 to 24 months that we have been able to do what we wanted in the store in terms of growing and expanding, and it has gone from strength to strength.”

Using their vast experience, they quickly made their mark on the store, modernising the interiors and introducing the latest concepts.

“Being as sustainable as possible is vital for the future of our business and we have invested significantly in new technologies. All the refrigeration in the store was replaced. We were the first store in the whole of the UK and Ireland to use the Glycol system, which uses water to lower the temperatures, so you do not have the refrigerant gas running through the building,” said Philip.

“It is more energy efficient, sustainable and better for the environment. If there is a leak, it is water rather than gas being leaked.

“We introduced electronic shelf-edge labels and doubled the capacity of solar panels on the roof to maximise our energy potential. Both these technologies were supported through Musgrave’s Sustainability Fund and will help achieve our ambition to be net zero carbon by 2040.”

The butchery and deli counters were replaced, and five self-scan checkouts were introduced, alongside their three traditional tills and Post Office counter. The upgrades have changed the whole look of the store to meet the demands of the modern customer.

Playing their part in the rapid rise of food to go, the Fruitfield kitchen produces a range of some 300 meals for the store.

“Our kitchen employs 30 people, and the team serves our hot and cold deli counter and produces our food to go meals. This is alongside serving our on-site restaurant, the Scullery. There is a big team of people who support us.

“There has been significant growth in food to go in the last few years. It’s a big part of the business.

“We aren’t just serving restaurant quality food to the Scullery but also for the take-home food and the deli. The customer is getting quality products at all ends of the store. It’s about the standard you set yourself.”

“We have four butchers in-store, and this area does particularly well for us,” added Philip.

There has also been growth within the team – Fruitfield now employs 105 staff, up from 85 when they took over. And while the actual footprint of the store hasn’t changed, Philip explains they have used the space better which has enabled them to introduce new offerings and increase the food to go and food for later offerings.

“That has been significant for us. It’s no secret that our industry did fairly well during covid, but on the back of that, this store has grown in excess of 25% year-on-year.

“Investing in the store is a long-term approach and of course the results don’t happen overnight. But it has worked out well for us – customer response has been very good and customer count and spend has increased.”

Having been with Musgrave for over 25 years, Philip said the support of the company has been reassuring during challenging and difficult times.

“I am working on the ground, in the thick of it every day, but Musgrave is looking at the future of retail and where it’s going. You have somebody behind you looking at the innovation coming into retail and working to bring that to the fore.

“The consumer is always changing. When you think you have one thing sorted and know what the customer wants, trends move again. What has been very prevalent with the cost-of-living crisis, interest rates and so on, has been value and it’s about delivering that value close to home, so the customer doesn’t have to travel. We can offer what the discounters and multiples do, but it’s closer to home and with a personal touch.

“But it’s more than that. We support our local communities, we support church groups, football clubs, community groups and charities. They come to us and use our stores for fundraising events, but we also go out to them and support them where we can, alongside our long-term charity partner Action Cancer. It’s a mix of everything and it’s about being integrated in the community as well.

“All of this makes us stand out. Our Fruitfield products, our value for money, our location are all ideal – we are on a busy road and we have a big thoroughfare. We have plenty of options for our customers and for passing trade – we have everything they need under one roof.

“We are a one-stop shop, the customer can get whatever they need for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and for their weekly shop. I suppose in days gone by you could say you’re doing better than others, but in today’s retail world, there are no bad stores. It’s about doing the simple things well.”

That is not to say they haven’t had their challenges, but Philip said they have tried to face these head-on and minimise impact on the consumer.

“Rising costs, packaging and interest rates have all impacted us, not to mention what that has done to consumer confidence – it’s the perfect storm,” said Philip.

“When the media gets a hold of something too, this is all feeding into a weak consumer confidence. You have to set out your stall, give the customer what they want – quality products, focus on your local area, do the simple things and do them well, making it as easy as possible for the customer when they come into our stores. If you do that well, they will keep coming back.

“Over the last 18 to 24 months, we have absorbed a lot of the price increases ourselves and have changed our ways of working to deal with it. But you have to give the customer a fair price – I would rather have the customer coming through the door.

“Has there been short-term pain? Yes, we have had to absorb those increases. The consumer is savvy to value, they are shopping with other brands, shopping with discounters, we have to offer value at a price that the customer is willing to pay, and you have to be in and around where the competition is. We have strong promotions – special offer items, our epic deals and a wide SuperValu own-brand range – it’s about doing your best with quality, value and range.

“Social media has its place and is good for informing our customers about what we are doing,” added Philip.

“We are in a good location and when you are local, you are embedded in the community. Doing the right thing for your local community – that’s what gets you traction and loyalty.”

TO READ THE FULL FRUITFIELD FOODHALL FEATURE IN THE AUGUST ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER, CLICK HERE