restaurant to extend the shop floor area, whilethe Gala bakery concept, Baker’s Corner, wasalso added.

“It was all part of my desire to make thestore a destination, somewhere people wouldwant to come,” he said. “It’s full of the smell offresh bread, and things like that are important.”

As Michael’s passion for success drives thebusiness forward, it is his commitment to therole that truly delivers that vital buy-in fromcustomers.

The winter of 2009-2010, dubbed by somemedia outlets as ‘The Big Freeze’, would provepivotal in the standing of Carnew’s Gala withthe local community.

While snow fell in quantities of feet and notinches, many in Wicklow’s rural circumferencefound themselves barricaded by deep drifts. 

Local stores too were cut off from deliveries,leaving the bakery at Candy’s Gala one of theonly places where a loaf could still be found.

“We had the only bread in the whole ofCarnew,” Michael said. “We were producinghomemade brown bread for them, and makingdeliveries to those who were unable to get tothe shop.”

Gala’s role in aiding the town with their dailybread during the white out has stood by them

since.

Michael said: “Since then, the whole townhas a taste for our homemade brown bread.It’s still really popular. Now, for that particularbread, we’d turn over about 75 loaves a week.The bakery and Baker’s Corner range hasexpanded ever since and our donuts are nowreally popular, as are our scones.”

That buy-in, stemming from Michael’senthusiasm, has ultimately led to the highesteem in which the store is held.

“No matter what the customer is lookingfor, at any time, we try to get it for them. Ifthey need help carrying their shopping, we’llbring it out for them. If someone needs theirbasket carried around the store, we’ll try andget someone to do that. We don’t say ‘no’ toanybody.

“It’s those sorts of things that bring acustomer back.”

Alongside healthy profits, the level ofcommitment to customers has brought theWicklow Gala a range of awards, including anational retail management award in 2015,and a ‘Gold’ certification from Gala’s ownB.E.ST awards.

A revamp at the start of this year has seenthe store add a number of fresh ideas, andaccording to Michael, Gala has been involvedin helping them develop these recentinitiatives.

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v i s i t | f o r e c o u r t r e t a i l e r . c o m 49

CANDY’SCARNEW Michael Kelly speaks to Ireland’s Forecourt & Convenience Retailer after hisGala store and forecourt in Carnew, Co Wexford, undergoes a rigorous revamp.

businessman and owner Tom Doyle about themanager’s job in 2006, he said: “I was in theperfect place at the right time. I jumped at thechance.”

The Carnew business was owned by Tom andanother local figure, and in 2006, the store hadbuilt up a solid trade.

“Since then, we’ve made an impressiveimprovement, and major step change increasingturnover fourfold.

In a small market town where three-storeybuildings soar above the main street skyline, it’san impressive feat, and one that has requiredexperience to achieve.

“I came from a retail background,” Michaelsaid. “So I wasn’t looking at the forecourt side ofthe business, I was treating it as a shop thathappened to sell fuel. Our fuel and shop sales

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48 v i s i t | f o r e c o u r t r e t a i l e r . c o m

chieving buy-in – a personalinvestment of time, effort andgood intention – is one of thestrongest foundations anybusiness can have.

Candy’s Carnew in Co Wicklow is as good anexample of this as you may find, achieving buy-in on every level – from staffing to managementand, importantly, among its customers.

Michael Kelly’s personal investment came in2008, when he was invited to become partowner of the Gala site.

The site had been operating for two years atthat time, with Michael – a Wexford native - asmanager.

Telling Ireland’s Forecourt & ConvenienceRetailer about how he was

approached by local

A

Michael Kelly outside hisGala store and forecourt

The store’s new wine cellar

are quite unusual, it’s about a 50-50 split. Manyretailers would find their split much higher infavour of fuel.

The Gala store has performed really stronglyby playing to its strengths, adding a

“We have worked really closely with the Galateam and our wholesaler Murphys. They havehelped us develop our ideas, but what is greatis that we can do it our way,” he said.

“Our store is modelled to perfectly suit ourcustomers. Gala help you achieve what youwant in your own vision, and every Gala shop isdifferent. That’s what’s great about thepartnership.”

Part of the remodelled store includes a newwine cellar, with plenty of advice on hand forthose seeking a quality bottle of plonk. Andusing their customer intuition, the Carnew Galahas seen its wine sales grow by 85 per cent.

“It’s become a new destination for wine,”Michael said. “We’re encouraging our staff togain knowledge about which wines go withwhat, and working with a local company toimprove our expertise.”

Meanwhile, the bakery too has been given alift.

“We’re really just complimenting what wehad before,” Michael said.

If all that hasn’t yet secured the Carnew Galaas a customer-focussed store, Michael’scommitment to local life easily has.

“I don’t believe in taking a wage out of thetown and just heading home at the weekend,”Michael said. “I get involved with the localdevelopment association, and the town’sChristmas lights. We sponsor the local GAA,and Camogie teams, and I help organise the StPatrick’s Day events. Customers will see me inthe afternoon in the shop, and then thatevening at the local GAA pitch watching thematch. People really do appreciate all that.”

Michael praised Gala’s sponsorship of theIreland Special Olympics team, saying itdemonstrated the brand’s commitment to locallife and communities

Now, the Wexford man is planning oncontinuing the local store’s success, and isalready looking at further improvements for thenear future.

With managers asbought into thebusiness as Michael,they’ll almost certainlybe a success. IFCR

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