New shop thriving despite pandemic
A zero-waste food shop in Bath says it has gone from strength to strength since it opened five months ago despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Stamena Dimitrova, 49, opened Refillable on Cleveland Place on October 9 in the unit occupied by London Road Stores before its sudden closure.
Ms Dimitrova, who runs the store with her daughter Leny, sister Hrisi and niece Misha, said “girl power” came in useful when setting up.
Five months on, the Bradford on Avon family said the store’s business had grown, in part due to people wanting to support an independent trader.
She said: “We’ve been working around the clock and have seen our business really grow. We get new customers coming in every day and have great regulars.
“I think the reason is people want to support an independent – they want to feel connected to a place and people.
“During these times, that matters so much more – so many people feel like they’ve lost their purpose and focus, and building connections really helps.
“I also think there’s a great mental benefit on filling up your own food containers and selecting your food that way.”
The store has also added a coffee bar and juice section.
Ms Dimitrova said: “We’ve expanded into fresh produce and got a ‘refresh’ bar at the back serving fresh coffee and juices. We’re seeing so many people come in looking for fresh fruit.
“I’ve got a nutritional background, so each smoothie comes with a story explaining what is good in it.
“Things have been going well. What is so heartwarming is the feedback we get from the community.
“Not only this, we have seen an increase in disabled visitors. My sister is a special needs teacher and we had a few deaf customers come in.
“The second time they came in we were prepared and had learned some signs – we were able to truly communicate and it was amazing.
“We’ve also made sure we’re wheelchair friendly and have made sure to leave plenty of spaces for wheelchairs and even buggies. We also use a dyslexia-friendly font on all our signage.”
The store focuses on using female entrepreneurs in its production lines, something all involved are passionate about.
Ms Dimitrova said: “Our produce lines are growing all the time and we’ve been using young female entrepreneurs.
“For example, we have a lady supplying the shop that used to work in costume design but due to the pandemic had to change jobs.
“She’s now making reusable and sustainable nappies and sanitary towels and it’s doing really well.”