Tomintoul Village Store, 41 The Square, Tomintoul, Ballindalloch, AB37 9ET

• A well-respected convenience store serving the local communities around Tomintoul.
• Attractive building set in the centre of Tomintoul, amongst the stunning mountainous and rugged scenery of the Cairngorms National Park.
• Sustainable year-round business generating turnover of £483,503 with EBITDA net profit £61,700 (Y/E 31st March 2023), providing a profitable home and lifestyle business.
• Ground floor retail areas extending to circa 100m².
• 6-bedroom self-contained town house with owners' accommodation or letting potential located above the shop.

DESCRIPTION
Tomintoul Village Store is located in a charming village, ideally positioned in a most prominent trading location of the town square. This very attractive community shop generates a solid year-round turnover with peak trading during the tourist season. The whole property extends to around 345m² and is the only village shop within the locality providing a general grocery service to the broader community and visitors to the area. Internally, the retail aspects are easily accessible with all sales areas being intelligently laid out utilising a range of fridges and freezers, shelving units and display stands. The prominent sales counter is situated directly across from the main entrance providing easy control and monitoring of customer areas. A spacious and comfortable 6-bedroom town house with a lounge, kitchen and bathroom offers development potential and could provide spacious owners accommodation or a holiday letting unit. These elements combine to make a flexible lifestyle business and home opportunity.

REASON FOR SALE
The present operator purchased the property in 2015 and it is their desire to move onto new business ventures that brings this attractive opportunity to the market.

TRADE
Tomintoul Village Store is a sizeable retail unit with a floor area extending to around 100m2, complete with dedicated storage to the rear of the shop. The current owners operate the business as a partnership and are supported by a small team of part-time employees. The business trades as a convenience store, which includes; greeting cards, gift lines, stationery items, cleaning products, wide ranging groceries, alcohol, to name but a few of the items sold. The present trading configuration makes it an easy-to-operate business but there is scope to expand the trading platform.

Over the last few years, the trading model has been refreshed to include home deliveries, taking orders over the phone. This has increased both turnover and profits during 2020 and 2021, beyond where they would have been. The current business model has enjoyed turnover in excess of £400,000 since 2019. Turnover to the year ended 31st March 2023 is £483,503 with EBITDA net profit of £61,700. The 2024 figures will see a further increase on the previous year's profits. The business has produced consistent profitability over many years and is a highly sustainable trading entity, enjoying both strong local trade and visitor footfall.

OPENING HOURS
The shop is a year-round operation and opens from Monday to Friday 08:30-18:00, Saturdays 08:30-19:00, and Sundays 09:00-17:30. There is scope to extend the trading hours to include late opening; this could be particularly beneficial in the busy main season.

LOCATION
Tomintoul is 14 miles from Grantown-on-Spey, 20 miles from Ballater, 30 miles from the Cairngorm Ski Centre and 7 miles from the Lecht Ski Centre thus well positioned to take advantage of the trade passing between these key tourist hotspots. The village shop sits within the Cairngorm National Park and benefits from visitors to the area. There are numerous outdoor pursuits such as skiing, ice climbing, walking, bird watching and fishing all draw a great many visitors to the region. The area is also famous for its distilleries and castles which are represent significant draws to many tourists who visit the region. Tomintoul itself is an attractive 'planned' village dating back to the 1700s, with a long 40 foot wide main street and tree-lined, grassy central square surrounded by traditional stone buildings. The Snow Roads Route passes through Tomintoul. The NE250 route also skirts the village. Seven miles north of Tomintoul is Glenlivet, the best known distillery to visit in the area. Glenlivet is part of the "Malt Whisky Trail" and offers tours and visitor facilities that easily match the excellence of its location.

Tomintoul benefits from the local self-catering, annual whisky festival, annual motor cycle weekend and annual highland games, all bringing visitors to the village. The square boasts 3 hotels, all open to non-residents, and a popular restaurant. The village also benefits from the recently opened 'Discovery Centre' museum and visitor information point. In addition, there are two cafes and the post office, as well as a village primary school, bowling green, adventure playground, village hall and medical practice. The local secondary school is Speyside High School in Aberlour. There is also a large free public car park, with charging points for electric vehicles.

Downhill Mountain Bike trails have recently been opened on the outskirts of the village while the immediate area is well served with facilities and services for both locals and visitors alike. The Tomintoul & Glenlivet area was recently awarded International Dark Sky Park status, due to its clear skies and very low levels of light pollution, making it an ideal place for stargazing.

THE PROPERTY
Located on a prominent roadside location, the premises has an excellent signed frontage. There is ample road side parking local to the shop. This attractive property was built in late 1800's, extending across 3 levels and is constructed of stone with a pitched slate roof. The shop is accessed directly from the pavement, without a step, opening directly into the main retail sales areas. Internally the shop is configured to an 'L' and utilises a good range of flexible fixtures and fittings including free-standing displays. There is a range of freezer and refrigeration storage units. The main sales counter is situated directly across from the main entrance, providing good control of the product display areas and facilitating good customer service. To the rear of the shop there is a large storage area with a loft over, accessed from a loft ladder. Behind the other wing are both staff and office facilities. The vendors have invested in the property since 2018, including rewiring the property, a new fire alarm system, updating the shop area and fitting double glazing. New owners will reap the benefits of this investment.

The first and second floors are currently owner's accommodation, which is directly accessed from both the outside and the office area of the shop.

OWNERS ACCOMMODATION
The owner's accommodation comprises a 4 bedroom town house, partly over the trading areas, with 2 further attic rooms offering development potential. This accommodation has a private entrance from the town square and from the private garden to the rear of the property. The town house has an ample fully electric fitted kitchen, bathroom and lounge. The accommodation has radiators throughout. This unit could either be used as the owner's accommodation, as is currently the case, or rented out.

GROUNDS
To the rear of the property there is an enclosed paved garden with some planted areas, a number of substantial sheds and a single garage. The garden is surrounded by a stone wall, making it very private. The back of the property benefits from the sun late in the day, making this a very desirable aspect of the property.

SERVICES
The property benefits from mains electricity, water supply and drainage. Heating is provided by a biomass boiler. The store is covered by CCTV and an intruder internal alarm system.

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Development opportunities are noted as being available to the new owners. Examples of these are:
Further develop the home delivery service, possibly be accepting on-line orders.
Rent out the town house should the new owners not need this accommodation.
Adjust the stock to take advantage of changing times and needs of the locals and tourist alike.
Develop the attic rooms into further accommodation.