Independent retailer Darren Briggs has extended his forecourt estate with his fifth site in Stoke.

Following the launch of his Hinton forecourt in Bournemouth at the end of last year and his Southam store in Stratford-upon-Avon last month, Darren secured the new site on March 6 and is working with Bestway Wholesale to rebrand the store under the Best-one fascia.

The new Stoke forecourt will open in the coming weeks and will be operated by Darren’s Ascona Retail Group.

He said: “To make the transition from having one or two stores to five or six needs a different focus and mindset. You have to devolve responsibility and be 100% confident in your team to ensure the day-to-day running of the businesses. Best-one’s support has enabled me to focus on growing the business as it takes time to pinpoint and evaluate the good sites.

“Since moving over from Costcutter two years ago, I am really pleased with the support I have received from the Best-one team and it is my plan to open additional sites this year, so watch this space.”

Steve Caldecourt, head of multiple accounts at Bestway Wholesale, added: “Working with Darren has been a real pleasure – someone who is willing to listen, kick back when necessary and work in partnership with us to drive sales in his stores.

“The Southam store is a great example of how you can revitalise a tired-looking store into one which is bright, well merchandised and enticing for shoppers. As a business we value Darren’s commitment to Best-one and look forward to working with him in the future as he looks to expand his forecourt operations.”