A former car show room on the outskirts of Elgin, owner Arul Palaniappan knew that it represented a significant opportunity for development.
After years in the planning and in investment of more than £700,000, Premier New Elgin is a worthy winner of Refit of the Year 2026.
The shop floor was entirely reimagined with a brand-new layout that saw aisles not only re-directed but also widened, from 1.3 metres to two.
Some of the store’s old storage space was sacrificed to help create an array of standout new features including two cavernous caves – one for soft drinks and one for BWS.
The Beer Cave stands at a whopping 800sq ft which hosts 22 bays which house a vast range of chilled BWS choice, including Perfect Draught Kegs.
Another standout feature is an in-store ‘Hot Food Kitchen’ offer. Highlighted with bespoke neon category signage, the open plan kitchen offers shoppers a wide menu of freshly cooked products, many of which feature locally sourced goods, including sausages, burgers and pastry products. The menu changes throughout the day with morning choices including hot breakfast rolls, followed by lasagna, chilli con carne, chicken nuggets, curries and more, from lunchtime onwards. Further food-to-go choice can also be found in the store’s chilled aisles, including a whole bay of store-made sandwiches, baguettes and salad boxes.
Chilled space has soared in the store – increasing from two to 13. This increase in fresh and chilled space means that local shoppers can now rely on the store for a vast range of needs and missions, with many now doing full weekly shops at Premier New Elgin.
The additional space has also enabled Arul to expand the number of local lines that the store stocks, including two whole bays dedicated local meats. These local products are another significant USP at Premier New Elgin and the store also stocks a vast range of local bakery lines, all of which are housed in attractive custom-built fixtures on the shop floor.
Services are another point of difference and significant footfall driver for the store. Open 24 hours a day, Premier New Elgin also offers its shoppers access to a free ATM, InPost, Evri, home delivery, a dog wash – and soon to come – an innovative new Med Point dispenser for dispensing prescription medications to shoppers.
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