How to run a local shop

How to run a local shop

Author: BBC World Service April 3, 2025 Duration: 29:03

Corner shop, mom and pop store or konbini, whatever you call them, most of us have a local business that sells convenience.

Rising food costs mean many are struggling to make a profit, one solution is to improve the fresh food and beverage offering which can have better margins.

Ruth Alexander visits a convenience store in Morley in West Yorkshire in the UK, where owner Ajay Singh has introduced cocktails and street food alongside the traditional offering of bread and milk. Retail analyst Rob Wilson from L.E.K. Consulting explains why the US is looking to Japan for inspiration. Reporter Phoebe Amoroso reports from Tokyo, visiting some of the biggest chain convenience stores in the country and finding out what has made them so successful.

And author Ann Y.K. Choi tells Ruth what it takes to run a convenience store, reflecting on her family’s experiences running such businesses in Toronto after moving there from Korea in 1975.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

(Image: from left to right, Jazz Singh, Ajay Singh and Suki Singh who run Premier Morley convenience store in the UK. Credit: BBC)


There’s a story behind every meal, and The Food Chain from the BBC World Service goes out to find it. This isn’t just a series about recipes or restaurant reviews; it’s a deep and often surprising exploration of how food shapes our world. Each episode follows a single thread, whether it’s the economic forces that decide what grows in a field, the hidden science in your kitchen, or the profound cultural traditions carried in a family dish. You’ll hear from farmers, chefs, economists, historians, and scientists, all contributing pieces to a larger picture about our global relationship with what we eat. The conversations reveal the complex journey from source to table, unpacking the labor, innovation, and sometimes the controversy, involved in feeding communities. Tuning into this podcast feels like joining a well-reported global conversation, one that changes how you think about the next thing you’ll eat. It connects the personal act of eating to vast systems of business, culture, and science, making the everyday subject of food endlessly fascinating.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Food Chain
Podcast Episodes
Giving it all up for food [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Ruth Alexander meets three people who gave up well-paid, high-flying careers to start all over again in the world of food. Nisha Katona left a career as a child protection barrister behind to start Mowgli, a chain of Ind…
The story of the sandwich [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Shattering the myth of its aristocratic origins and exploring some of the boldest creations; Ruth Alexander finds out about the history, culture and family ties wrapped up in the sandwich. Josh Veasey, co-owner of Rack i…
Small kitchens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
From Michelin starred kitchens to Hong Kong’s high rise tower blocks, via informal settlements in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. Ruth Alexander hears from people making the best out of the cramped and tiny spaces they’re co…
The risk takers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Every food company starts with a gamble - and not all of them pay off. In this episode Ruth Alexander speaks to business owners about the risks they’ve taken to get where they are today, from financial leaps to personal…
How to write a recipe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:41
We all have recipes we turn to again and again, perhaps from the stained pages of our favourite cookbooks, or handed down through families. But have you ever wondered about the work that’s gone into writing that set of i…
Can you learn to love the foods you hate? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Most of us have foods we refuse to eat - think coriander, or maybe olives. But where do those strong dislikes come from, and is it possible to change them?In this episode of The Food Chain, Ruth Alexander sets out to fin…
Fermented foods: A beginner's guide [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:47
Fermented foods are fashionable – kimchi, kefir, kombucha – they're all having a moment, many thousands of years on from where they were first produced. But how much do you know about how they're made? Do you know your S…
Dinner unboxed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Meal kits have become a familiar part of food shopping in many countries, offering pre-portioned ingredients and recipes delivered to the door. But how widespread are they, and what do they reveal about how people are ea…
Should we all eat the Mediterranean way? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:27
The Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, pulses and olive oil and traditionally includes small amounts of fish and very little red meat. Thousands of studies back its health benefits. In fact, it's considered to be…
Tweaks for 2026: How to eat better [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Ruth Alexander gathers the most useful, actionable nutrition advice from our episodes of 2025 to help set you up for 2026. Things like how to nourish your brain, keep an eye on portion sizes, and why it’s important to fo…