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| Amy Lloyd, new owner at Convenient Deli Mart. FTM file. |
Convenient Deli Mart at 42 N. Fort Thomas Avenue has a new owner.
Amy Lloyd bought Convenient Deli Mart last Thursday, August 6. The West Union, Ohio native, said she is systematically making changes that she hopes the residents of Fort Thomas will like.
She hopes to have the store fully stocked and ready to go within 30 days, but will continue to be open in the interim selling everyday goods.
“This store used to be a staple in the community, so that’s where we need it to be again. That’s my goal, to get it there,” she said. “And to bring prices back in line. I understand that this is a convenience store and we can’t always offer the prices that a grocery store would, but when there’s no other place to go you need a place to grab that random item, you need to without feeling like someone is trying to take advantage.”
Lloyd has already begun the changes.
They have plans to bring back the deli counter and will sell sandwiches and pizza. They have begun to  reconfigure the store layout by placing items together in a more logical setup and started clearing out the deli area.
According to Lloyd and manager Rob Daniels, they have been spent a lot of time cleaning and throwing away expired product.
“That is probably the biggest thing we’ve dealt with, getting rid of expired products. We’ve taken 10-15 car loads to the dumpster. Milk, snacks, stuff of the shelves. Getting out the bad inventory and getting in fresh inventory is a priority,” said Lloyd.
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| FTM file. |
One of the biggest changes Lloyd will implement is utilizing a distributor to supply the products for the store. “We won’t be going to a dollar store to pick up product and then resell it here,” said Daniels. “That’s what the old owners used to do, which led to a lot of the expired product issues.”
Lloyd said she will employ Eby Brown as the main distributor for food products for the store. Eby Brown is the largest privately owned distributor in the U.S. and has been in business for 120 years. Lloyd will place her first order today and will begin filling the shelves within a week.
Additionally, Convenient Deli Mart will set up more tables and seating for customers inside the store. “The kids are repeat customers. They’re coming in and purchasing multiple times a day for 15-20 minutes with their buddies. They are cleaning up after themselves and very polite, so I’m okay with them hanging out at the tables,” she said.
Lloyd has owned two different food distribution routes in the past. “I sold them because I was getting married and decided I wanted a family,” she said. “I went into consulting for five years and decided I wanted to own my own business again.”
She will commute from Adams County almost every day. She said that she will be in the store at different times of the day because she wants to understand the entire mix of the clientele. She said that will especially be important because she wasn’t given a list of what sells most in the store.
“We’ve had a lot of positive reinforcement even since we’ve bought the store, a few days ago. People tell us they are very happy there are new owners,” said Lloyd.
Daniels echoed that statement. “Just because of the (reputation) of the past owners, don’t look past the fact that there are new owners here with new management and a new vision for the store.”
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| Currently, the aisles after clearing out old product. |
