COMMUNITY ETHOS CONTINUES AS VIC’S STORES STARTS A NEW ERA IN NETTLESTONE

The start of a new era for Nettlestone’s Vic’s Stores was officially marked this morning (Friday) when a ribbon was cut to open the village’s new and improved shop, now under the helm of the Patel brothers. A crowd of around 80 eagerly awaiting customers gathered to catch a first glimpse at the new premises – the former Roadside Inn pub. Councillor Dave Adams cut the ribbon. Locals were quick to explore the much larger and more modern store, which operates under the Nisa Local brand – moving away from Londis. It offers everything you would expect including a range of Co-op branded goods, quality ready meals by the popular ‘Cook’ franchise and a coffee machine. The large fruit and veg section reflects a growing trend across the country for fresh produce. The move across the road for Vic’s Stores comes as Charles and Linda Brading wind down from the world of retail having run the shop for the past 32 years. It was Charles’ parents, Vic and Jean, who established the shop back in 1960, firstly as a mobile operation. Pranay and Niket Patel have purchased Vic’s Stores outright – including the existing building – and insist they will keep the Nettlestone community at the heart of everything they do. A nod to the history of the name is evident outside the store with a poster of Vic Brading standing proudly next to his van. But don’t fear, Charles and Linda won’t be putting their feet up just yet – they will be helping out over the coming weeks and are even eyeing up part-time hours with the Patels in the future. Charles and Linda, who are both now in their 60s, have said:

“It’s the shop that we’ve always wanted… It’s a dream. We both feel fantastic that the village is going to be left with a bigger, better, fresher store with a car park. “We’ve been here for them, we’ve sacrificed some of our life for them, the customers. During Covid we were flat-out 7 days a week because the big stores couldn’t keep up with demand…. People remember that, even to this day.”

All staff from the existing Londis shop have now moved across the road and are ready to welcome customers new and old.

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“We were looking to expand so I reached out to our friends at QuestMap, who owned The Roadside Inn pub. They said they had a potential site here in Nettlestone, but I wasn’t willing to trade opposite another independent retailer on principles. “So we approached Charles and Linda and came to an agreement, which included using the Vic’s Stores name to continue the local tradition and history. Everything fell into place. “Nettlestone is an absolutely brilliant community and we’ve had positive feedback from every single person.”

Vic’s Stores is now open between 06:00 and 21:00, 7 days a week.

The History of Vic’s Stores

Charles’ dad Vic started the business as a mobile shop in the early 1960s. Vic was given permission to open up shop in the front room of his Nettlestone home when the Street Trading Act effectively banned him from operating out of his van. Charles left school at 14 to work in his father’s shop, taking over in the early 90s at a time when the opening of Tesco wiped out 50% the business. He moved Vic’s Stores to a 7-day-a-week model and rebuilt the business – playing a crucial role during the pandemic, delivering to more than 80 vulnerable households every other day.