Highly Popular Convenience Store On The Seafront, Gairloch For Sale

Property Information

Property:

Freehold

Location:

The Highlands of Scotland are famous for spectacular scenery and rugged mountains, a reputation which is comfortably upheld by the area surrounding Gairloch. Gairloch is a well-known tourist destination in its own right with its unspoilt coastline and stunning views over to Skye. Its rugged shoreline and beautiful sandy beaches appeal to a wide range of tourists and sporting individuals. The idyllic setting of this popular coastal village also makes it a desired location to set up home with its small and vibrant community; population sits at around 2,300 which swells greatly during the long tourist season. Gairloch has a strong sense of community, with schools, golf course and community facilities. Adjacent to the shop is an art gallery and the popular Old Inn is just a short walk away.

The North West Coast of Scotland attracts a large number of visitors to the area with its enchanting scenery and abundance of wildlife. The region continues to benefit from the popular North Coast 500 route which is drawing in new visitors to the area, recently recognised as one of the best driving routes in the world. Many holiday makers take advantage of the challenging hill and loch walks in the region, others capitalise on the excellent river and sea fishing. The more sedate sightseer may visit the many places of historic and cultural interest.

Gairloch has a number of amenities including a butcher, golf course, petrol station, hotels, bed & breakfasts, community centre and both primary and secondary schooling together with two camping and caravan sites. The highland capital of Inverness is approximately 70 miles away and is reached through some of Scotland’s finest and most stunning scenery offering hillwalking, bird watching, hunting and fishing.

Four years ago, an area of littered, gorse overgrown wasteland on the edge of Loch Gairloch was part cleared by the local council. But the mess left behind prompted members of the local community to fundraise to properly clean up the area. Eventually a waterside garden was created with seating to enjoy the spectacular panoramic views of the loch and the fantastic wildlife which inhabits it. This utterly exposed garden, just on the edge of the sea, has had astonishing all year round prolific displays of plants and flowers. This project is entirely funded by community and visitor donations.

Premises Details:

Description
The Shop at the Pier is a most popular licensed convenience store and post office business situated in an exceptional trading location. The property and business are offered for sale, the ground which the shop sits on is owned by Gairloch Estate and there is a long-term ground lease to be agreed with the estate paying minimal rent. Catering to a solid year-round demand from local residents with the addition of significant tourist trade within the summer months, turnover sits at around £550,000 (2022) generating strong profitability. Trade is driven through traditional grocery and news agency sales which have evolved over recent times to include a wide range of merchandise in this smart, exceptionally well-presented store. Items available for sale include fresh and frozen produce, greetings cards, bakery lines, soft and alcoholic drinks, tobacco, newspapers and confectionery without being exhaustive; a popular draw is the sale of lottery tickets. The store provides for the daily needs of local inhabitants and benefits from a strong reputation and loyal customer base, this is reflected in the consistent sales. The shop also benefits from an award winning wildlife observation garden situated opposite, allowing a relaxing space which customers and locals can enjoy.

Internally the shop is arranged at ground level and enjoys spacious retail floorspace and well-laid out aisles. Large refrigerated and freezer display cabinets show produce to best effect. A spacious sales and post office counter is sensibly placed providing an ideal focal point for customer service and security. Adequate stock storage and staff facilities as well as a post office sorting office are located to the rear aspects of the premises. On the first floor is around 38m2 of office storage space. The current vendors are in the midst of drawing up plans to submit to the planning department to turn the first floor into owners’ accommodation, the landlord has also approved this.

The business operates 7 days per week; opening 9.00am and closing 5:30pm Monday to Saturday; Sunday opening is 10.00am to 5:30pm. The owners take a full hands-on role in the shop but also employ part-time staff. New proprietors may choose to open longer hours, there is currently housing developments underway in Gairloch which will provide additional business once completed. The present owners commenced trading in 2000 and have enjoyed the profitable and independent lifestyle that accompanies ownership of a successful business. It is the vendor’s desire to retire that brings this exciting opportunity to the market. There is little reason to doubt that enthusiastic new proprietors could continue to build on successes to date and in turn drive higher turnover on an annual basis.

The property
The property is of modern construction under a pitched roof with accommodation set over 2 floors.

Trading & service areas
From a prominent roadside location on the harbour, the shop has a well-signed frontage and easy access including a disabled ramp for less able customers. The sales area is extremely well-maintained throughout and has a good range of flexible fixtures and fittings. The sales counter is immediately adjacent to the main entrance providing sensible security coverage of the sales area. Extensive racking and shelving offer an excellent display of numerous grocery items throughout the perimeter of the store and large chilled / freezer cabinets offer a wide choice of items. Aisles offer an easy passage for customers separated by freestanding display shelving islands which promote sales. Internally the shop benefits from CCTV. The post office sorting office sits to the rear of the subjects. A staff WC is situated on the first floor with an office area and additional storage spaces.

External areas
The business has a prominent roadside frontage with attractive signage. To the external aspects is a fruit and vegetable sales area and two sheds for additional storage. Parking to the side of the shop and unrestricted roadside parking provides for customer needs. Set to the front, overlooking the harbour, is a wildlife observation area; a local initiative providing an attractive tourist amenity. The ‘Sitooterie’ Wildlife Observation Garden has achieved the highest “Outstanding” Award from Keep Scotland Beautiful.

Services
Mains electricity, water and drainage.

EPC Rating
The Energy Rating of the property is ‘tbc’.

Trade
Full accounting information will be made available to seriously interested parties subsequent to viewing.

Licence
This business operates under the Licensing Scotland Act 2005 and a copy of the licence will be made available to interested parties post viewing.

Trading hours
Monday to Saturday - 9am until 5:30pm
Sunday - 10am until 5:30pm

Owners accommodation
There is an area on the first floor presently used for storage which both the landlord and planning department have stated could be utilised as owners accommodation, subject to a planning application being successful. Drawings are currently being prepared for submission. Full details are available from the selling agents.

Price / ground lease details
The current owners are offering for sale the business and premises, for a Fixed Price of £130,000. The ground which the shop sits on is owned by the Estate of Gairloch and there is a long-term ground lease to be agreed with new owners. Full details will be provided to interested parties.

Other Information

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