12 ASIAN TRADER 12 MAY 2017 http://www.asiantrader.bizFollow us on: http://www.twitter.com/AsianTrader Like us on: http://www.facebook.com/AsianTraderAWARD WINNER
SHAKHIL BASHIRWhen retailer Shakil Bashir and his three brothers
began retailing they were determined to always
remain true independents. Jo Tilley travelled to Leeds
to talk to the Asian Trader 2016 award winner.
D
espite a proliferation of
symbol group stores on the
high street, retailer Shakil
Bashir has never been
tempted to join forces with a
wholesaler. In fact, the winner of the 2016
Asian Trader Independent of the Year is
proud of his independent status.
“I like being totally independent,” Shakil
told Asian Trader. “I don’t want to join a
group or be tied down to anybody. Why
should we work hard and put somebody
else’s name across the door? It’s better to
have your own name up there.”
In fact, the name found above Shakil’s
four stores in Leeds – KASA – represents the
initials of the four brothers who have helped
carve out a buzzing retail empire in south
Leeds. Since purchasing their fi rst store in
2000, Shakil alongside his brothers Aqueel,
Shakil and Adeel have been in it together.
However, it was Shakil who made the
decision to purchase their fi rst store onDewsbury Road. While working
as an Assistant Manager at
Bestway, a customer told
Shakil he wanted to sell
their shop – and after
having a look around
with a friend – Shak-
il decided to go for
it.
Ten year of
wholesale experi-
ence proved invalu-
able and the shop took
o straight away. Its
immediate success meant
Shakil soon had to move on
from Bestway and commit to
working full time in the shop.
“It was me and my brother Aqueel who
worked in store with my other brothers
helping with paperwork and other things,”
says Shakil. “Because I had experience of
moving stock around, and got a lot of newlines in, the shop started getting busy really
quickly. When we got it we were doing
about £2,000 a week – but every week this
was going up and up and up. It was a tiny
shop – but when it got to around £15,000 a
week, I had to leave work then.”
What were the secrets to KASA’s success
in the early days?
“I tidied the shop up a lot and made sure
we had plenty of o ers on,” says Shakil.
“It was a stack it high, sell it
cheap kind of store that
mainly sold alcohol as this
is a big alcohol area. We
sold at cut price – and
shifted tonnes of it. It
really took o and
the shop made a bit
of a name for itself.
We bought the next
store, then another,
and then made them
bigger.”
At one stage, the
Bashir’s owned six shops- however, now they have
four shops which is enough to
keep them busy.
Award winner
The store which won the Asian Trader
Best Independent of the Year in 2016 was
Shakil’s newest store - a converted pub on
Crosby Street in Holbeck.
“It was good to win the award,” says Shak-
il. “It was something di erent and the fi rst
time I had won an award. It was a fun
evening.”
“I think the reason we won was because
we had renovated a pub so it was quite
di erent – and we had a walk-in-chiller – so
maybe that captured the judges’ attention.”
Shakil was confi dent the Holbeck store
would take o as lots of the customers in the
area were already travelling to his other
store in Beeston.
“The shop has done very well since it
opened,” says Shakil. “In that area it is the
only good shop there – it’s modern and looks
nice – no other shop in that area is the same
sort of standard.”
Although the Holbeck store is doing well,
arguably the jewel in the crown is the
Beeston store – which is the only shop in the
area open 24 hours a day.
“When the other shops close, everyone
Using insider knowledge
to create a retail empire
Shakil on Food
To Go
I personally don’t think there is
much margin to be gained from Food
to Go. After it is cooked, packaged –
and there’s also a problem with a lot of
waste. We do have a coffee machine and
some pies but we haven’t really worked
on it properly. We are still
concentrating on the shop side.
Other than being a community
service, I don’t see much
margin in it.Award Winner KASA1.indd 12 5/4/2017 8:22:04 AM