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LIQUOR NEWS
VICTORIA
Michael Truscott, Owner with Shane Cosgrave, Store Manager
New IGA Xpress plus Liquor opens in Mt Waverley, VIC Michael Truscott who has been running his own stores since 2003 has added to his Cheltenham store by purchasing Highbury Cellars in Andrew Street, Mt Waverley, Victoria in September 2016 and has transformed what was once a tired and run down free standing liquor store, into a modern state of the art IGA Xpress plus Liquor store. Michael you have certainly transformed this site into a magnificent retail offer, what attracted you to this location, certainly the shop as it was would not have been a motivating factor? Yes, you are right the store was very run down and needed a complete refurbishment; however I have for many years coveted the location, believing the area had a great need for an IGA Xpress style offer along with liquor. So when the opportunity
February 2017 - Edition 1
came to purchase the store I did not hesitate to buy it. Once I took possession, the store was completely gutted and had a complete new refit. I spent many hours working on getting the store layout and traffic flows right, and worked closely with Metcash and ALM to achieve the right product ranging which is crucial to meeting consumer demand in the area. We opened the store on the 9th December and have achieved sales
growth each week since, with positive feedback from our local community. You have a strong passion and belief in your retail business model; will you be increasing your store sites? My first store was in East Oakleigh which I bought with partners and since then have had a belief that multi-site ownership was, with the right location and offer, the best way to grow our retail footprint, It allows us to spread