Ram reflects on retail career as SPAR celebrates 70 years in the UK
“We love serving the community and seeing familiar faces coming into the store every day. We have served generations of the same family in our time working in convenience retail.”
Ram Sundavadra is reflecting on 43 years as a SPAR retailer as the brand celebrates 70 years in the UK since its arrival to these shores from the Netherlands in 1956.
Ram runs his Belmont store in the Carrville area of Durham with his wife Raju and they have been operating out of the same location since 1983.
As well as running an excellent store with a strong range and availability for customers, the couple have been known for their long-standing support for the community over the years.
Raju has largely stepped back from working in the store after suffering from a stroke in 2021, but it has not stopped her from helping in the background where she can.
She was awarded a Special Recognition award in 2024 from the Federation of Independent Retailers for supporting the community during the pandemic which would see them delivering food parcels across the Durham area.
While they have seen many changes in the retail world, and the couple have received accolades down the years, neither have changed the Sundavadras approach to convenience retailing.
Some things have remained consistent – providing their customers with variety and value, greeting regulars through the doors by their name, and welcoming passing trade with the same smile and helpful approach.
Ram said: “Running a shop is a way of life and it is still enjoyable to serve local people in this part of Durham which we have done for four decades. It seems unbelievable to think it has been that length of time, and well over half the period SPAR brand has been in the UK.
“Prior to joining SPAR, we had another shop over the other side of the city, but when this location came up, we moved as it was a bigger store with more potential. We have been very happy here.
“SPAR was up and coming with the ‘8 till late’ change to opening hours and we started to get fresh foods three days a week from our wholesale partner James Hall & Co. Ltd. This was a big positive as it meant I no longer needed to go to the market every day to purchase fresh produce.
“Fresh food deliveries progressed to became six days a week, and we used to have our own deli where we would cook our own meats. Other notable changes I think back on include the expansion of the wine section compared to when we started as drinking habits changed, and the National Lottery was a big development at the time.”
Over the decades, the Sundavadras have always sought to keep their store modern to meet evolving customer expectations, and that has continued right up to the present day.
Ram added: “We have always worked hard to move with the times with SPAR. We have regularly invested in the store with shop refits every few years. Food To Go came along in the 2000s and we introduced a coffee offer several years ago.
“Most recently we have adopted the SPAR Rewards app, giving customers additional perks. As a SPAR retailer, we have benefited from access to product exclusives and Prime is one of the latest ones where customers could not get enough of it.
“The SPAR gamification campaigns customers play through their phones have been great for offering them free prizes which in turn have helped continue to drive footfall into our store.
“I think the digital age has definitely shortened the window of opportunity where you are a little bit ahead of the competition, but being able to continually deliver what customers are seeking I believe is the reason for the longevity of our store.”
James Hall & Co. Ltd is a fifth-generation family business which serves a network of independent SPAR retailers and company-owned SPAR stores across Northern England six days a week from its base at Bowland View in Preston.
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