North Dorset CPRE’s Rupert Hardy visits Hawtree & Sons Riverside Garage – the family business that’s busily defining rural retail
After the brief COVID-era reprieve, when shoppers turned to their local stores and village shops rediscovered their value, long-term pressures on rural retail have returned with force. Discount chains like Aldi and Lidl have fuelled an ongoing price war. The shift to online grocery shopping favours the giants. This year, steep rises in the Minimum Wage and National Insurance contributions have squeezed margins across the board. And with energy, insurance and other costs rising faster than inflation, many independent retailers face increasingly tough decisions.
So what is it that makes a rural shop thrive, rather then simply survive?
Larger stores have natural advantages. More shelf space means a broader product range. Some have diversified with cafés, attracting footfall and offering higher-margin sales. Many now prioritise local and sustainable produce – something the CPRE has long championed. Dorset has many high quality local food and drink producers. Some independently-owned village stores can also be run more professionally., which was not the case some years back when too many amateurs bought village shops to run as collectives. Other stores have joined large symbol groups like SPAR, benefiting from the greater buying power and marketing support. A few – like Hawtree & Sons Riverside Garage in West Stour – have done all of the above, and then some.
From garage to flagship
The Hawtree family has run the SPAR forecourt store and garage at West Stour since 1988. Today, the second generation – brothers Seb, Paul and Tom – run the business, with Seb leading the team at Riverside and Tom managing their second SPAR store in Marnhull. The Riverside site sits on the A30, surrounded by ten villages without a single community shop.
It was the community response during COVID that changed everything: customers rallied behind the store and the Hawtrees responded by offering free deliveries to pensioners and disabled residents. That shift – from a transient, roadside clientele to a loyal, local customer base – proved transformative.
In 2023, the family unveiled the newly-expanded Riverside site, now the largest SPAR in the South West. It’s a store that comfortably blends SPAR’s national support with local autonomy – allowing the Hawtrees to fill their shelves with lots of quality local produce such as The Real Cure charcuterie and Wilton Wholefoods.
At the same time, SPAR’s own basic range offers a price-point close to the supermarkets – essential in a cost-conscious community.
There are also plenty of reasons to linger: fresh bakery items, chiller and frozen food cabinets, a strong ‘food to go’ offer including takeaway coffee and ice cream machines, and even fresh flowers.
They don’t do online shopping – but they are active on Facebook.
And rather than rivalling the nearby Udder Farm Shop, Hawtrees complements it – the two businesses attract different shoppers.
Behind the counter
Both Seb and Paul previously worked for Waitrose – a grounding that has clearly influenced their customer-first approach. They’ve introduced queue management to keep tills flowing, and Seb is adamant: ‘We treat every customer as a guest.’
That ethos carries through in the shop’s glowing online reviews, which consistently mention attentive, helpful staff. The family briefly ran a café, but now the focus is on broadening the garage offer, which includes a jet-wash, launderette, dog wash and courier lockers. EV charging and DIY car valeting are coming soon.
Notably, the petrol prices are competitive.
This approach hasn’t gone unnoticed. Hawtree Riverside has twice won the SPAR Convenience Retailer of the Year for the South West, and in 2024 was runner-up in the Countryside Alliance’s Village Shop category. This year they are a finalist at the Forecourt Trader Awards, and they are finalists for the prestigious Retail Industry Awards 2025.
Holding the line
Of course, the business faces the same headwinds as other retailers. Staff costs are rising, shoplifting is a growing concern, and they’ve had to become more creative with sourcing to keep prices under control. Solar panels are already helping offset electricity bills. And while a café may return one day, it will depend on improved consumer confidence. The Hawtrees are also exploring the potential for a small business unit on-site – and they haven’t ruled out acquiring another forecourt in the future.
It may look like a service station from the road – but inside, Hawtree Riverside is a true village shop in all but name. Rooted in its community, stocked with the best of Dorset produce, and managed with a professionalism that puts many high street names to shame, this is rural retail done right.
Hawtree & Sons Riverside Garage
Mon to Sat 6.30am to 10pm
Sunday 7.30am to 10pm
@HawtreeandSonsSpar on Facebook
