14 minute read
Gala store profile: After
A Gala feast for the senses!
Retailer Terry Kane is delighted with his Gala store’s new renovation which has received excellent feedback from customers
Kane’s Gala is in impressive shape, following the completion of a stunning refurbishment in April. Locals have been delighted with the store’s new one-stop-shop offering, which features a full complement of enticing concepts. A New Street Deli, Galato Ice Cream offering, Essence Coffee, Baker’s Corner and Distill Wines are all helping the store to stand out in shoppers’ minds, alongside the one area it has always excelled in: friendly customer service.
“The renovation went really smoothly and we stayed open throughout,” explains retailer Terry Kane. “We had a lot of help from Stuart Perry at Perry’s Cash and Carry and our Gala representative Ray Conboy. Previously, Lisa Kenny was my rep here with Gala and she was a great help getting things ready for the renovation.” He also praises Christopher Curtin in the fresh foods team as “fantastic”.
Local connections
The process started around three years ago, when “we put in an application for a small extension and that was approved”. Building works started on the extension for an in-store kitchen in July of last year and finished in November. However, the well-documented issue of staff shortages within the construction industry across Ireland and the UK also affected the store, making it difficult to source tradespeople. “People were looking for more work to be done in their houses, and that caused a knock-on effect,” says Kane.
Fortunately, one of the Gala store’s regular customers stepped into the breach – illustrating once again the importance of strong local connections! Voicing frustrations with which some fellow retailers will be familiar, Kane says: “I rang four electricians and they all said they’d be in the next day and never turned up. But a chap who is an electrician, John Brennan, came in every day to get his breakfast. I said, ‘you wouldn’t be interested in pricing a job for me?’ and he said, ‘yeah grand, not a bother!’ He was great and he knew somebody who was a plumber then.” Talk about sparking a positive chain reaction!
STORE PROFILE Group: Kane’s Gala Address: Burrin Road, Carlow Staff: 21; 15 full-time and six part-time Size: 1,500sq ft (extended from 1,200sq ft) Opening hours: Monday – Saturday: 7am-10pm; Sunday: 8am-10pm
Retail background
When asked where his accent is from, Kane replies with a laugh: “Bit of everything, really!” Born in England; “an Essex boy”, his family moved to Naas in 1983. It is here that Kane first began his career in retail, after joining Superquinn Naas straight out of school. “My father is Irish and he wanted to come back home,” he explains. “He was actually a security guard in Superquinn Naas and he got us all into the shop I suppose! My brother Sean worked there for a few years as well.”
In common with other former Superquinn alumni under the tutelage of late retail legend Feargal Quinn, Kane worked in a number of stores within the group. After starting off in Naas, he later moved to Sundrive and onto Carlow in 1994, as head butcher and part of the team opening up the Superquinn there. Based at the supermarket for approximately nine years, in 2001 he became the grocery manager up until 2003, when he decided to open his own store in April of that year.
After completing a major renovation project in April, Kane’s Gala in Carlow has the ‘wow factor’ in spades; with a smart new appearance to match its first-class customer service. Gillian Hamill caught up with retailer Terry Kane to learn more about the 1,500sq ft store
Support from Gala Retail
In partnership with his wife Gayle, they set about opening their new venture. It was an easy decision to go with Gala, Kane recalls. “We met with Gary Desmond back then in 2003. He was a gentleman; he was just so helpful, so easy to approach and nothing was too much for him to help us out with. Now, Gary has obviously moved on to CEO of Gala Retail, and everyone who has come behind him has followed suit with the same approach, so it’s been a comfortable fit with Gala.”
Their current Gala rep Ray Conboy is “always there,” he continues. “He’s down once a month or more and if you need him, he’s always at the end of the phone.”
Tasty results
The extension and renovation have generated strong results for the store, with the new kitchen allowing them to offer plenty of tasty homemade options, resulting in the deli and hot food departments increasing by around 30% in sales terms. Meanwhile, a new minerals fridge has also led to sales within soft drinks growing by approximately 25%.
They now serve up a range of hot meals every day and can also provide party catering. “We’d range from a roast dinner at the weekend, bangers and mash, burgers in onion gravy and mash, vol au vents, chips, chicken korma; a lot of different options! All made fresh in-store from scratch every day.” Another treat which unsurprisingly has proved “a big hit” with shoppers are the fresh cream cakes which are now available every day.
Instrumental to all the above is chef Niamh Birmingham, who works in the store part-time. “We were lucky to get a chef part-time; it’s hard to get staff at the moment,” says Kane. “I was lucky enough to get a chef from one of the restaurants in the town; Niamh is brilliant.”
Standing out locally
Having such a strong fresh food offering helps the store compete in a busy area. “We’re based in the middle of an Aldi and Tesco; we’re five minutes’ walk from both of them,” says Kane. Nevertheless, despite this competition on his doorstep, he adds: “We’re here 18 years and I think a lot of [our success] is down to good customer service. We have our promotional offers with Gala and Perry’s Cash and Carry, but our main selling point is our service and fresh food.” The flipside of having two supermarkets nearby is “that it creates footfall,” and Kane is confident that “if I get them through the door, I have a chance!”
In fact, that is exactly what happened during the pandemic. With more people staying local, they visited Kane’s Gala and saw the value and choice on offer. The renovation has also given the store that much sought-after ‘wow factor’. “New shoppers are coming in to have a look because they’ve heard of it,” and familiar faces “just can’t believe” the changes that have taken place. “The support has been brilliant from the customers,” Kane adds. “It’s completely different and a lot brighter.” The new layout is also easier to navigate and more spacious, but as he jokes: “I’m sure the reps will soon fill the space!”
Another area of the store which is attracting customers’ attention is the Essence Coffee concept. “It’s doing really well; it’s doubled in sales.” And that’s despite the Gala also being located between two branded coffee shops. “The service is great,” adds Kane. “With the new coffee machine that we have, it gives drinks a really creamy topping; the finish is lovely. The taste is great and everybody is raving about it too!” In fact, the topping is so creamy that Kane laughs: “It’s like an ice cream!”
Of course, the store’s team of 21 staff, including six part-time colleagues, are crucial to the Gala continuing to thrive. “I’m handson with them,” says Kane. “I’m here all day with them and on the till with them, packing the orders with them; I’m one of them really.” As such, he is fully aware of how hard the team all work, and praises their dedication to the store, particularly during the pandemic and all the challenges that presented. “I’m actually blessed with the staff I have, they’re so loyal,” he says.
Centre of the community
The store also occupies a central role in the local community. “We’re just down the road from the soccer club, New Oak Boys FC and we also support the local boxing club,” as well as the New Oak Community Centre in the nearby housing estate. A local lady Sharon Byrne also does a lot of charity work and the store supports her fundraising efforts. “We’re involved with the community; they all know us,” Kane adds.
This strong local connection is also demonstrated through the Gala’s social media pages, which are chiefly Gayle’s domain. Overall, Gayle is in charge of office management; “the business part of the business” as Kane puts it, as well as working with chef Niamh on recipes. “She’s in charge of our Facebook and Instagram; without her I’d be lost,” Kane adds.
The key to generating interest on social media, they’ve found, is not just to advertise special offers, but to include more local interest news. “We recently gave away a €250 voucher for Ireland Hotels through the Gala Getaways promotion. A winner was picked from every participating Gala store and the winner here was Helen McAvoy and we shared that on our Facebook and the amount of people that viewed and liked the post was amazing – people look for the good news!”
In another example, a while ago, a poorly dog was found outside the store. “We put up a post: ‘Does anyone know this little fella?’,” says Kane. “The reaction was massive.” Fortunately, after a little coaxing of said dog, the story had a happy ending. “We tried to get him into a car to bring him to the vet, but he was having none of it! In the end, the vet came down and took him with him.” Thankfully, the dog was later united with his owners.
Looking towards the future, Kane says: “I think every year you have to do something to the store, so the customers see that. Whether it’s a lick of paint or a new addition, we try and keep it fresh, and try to stay one step ahead of everyone else’s customer service.” He ends our interview on a fitting note: “I would just like to thank everybody for their support from our customers to my staff, to Gala Retail and Stuart Perry at Perry’s Cash and Carry, and everybody that helped us out with our refurb; we are grateful for everything.” ■
With a colourful range of toppings and sauces, the Galato Ice Cream concept offers a fun treat for all the family to enjoy
Riki Neill, director of RNN Communications
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