The History of Stans Superstore

It was almost 60 years ago that Stan Faulks was shipped home from a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp to a Britain still firmly in the grip of rationing. As Stan struggled to rebuild his life his brother-in-law stepped in to help. there was a fish & chip shop available in St. Martins, with a little personal training his long-suffering relation's start up in business began. Growth in the fish & chip shop business did not come quickly in those lean post-war years. But Stan and his wife, Vera, worked steadily and hard.

Stan was offered a job in the shop next door, and after a year or so he was running the shop and selling fish & chips. Eventually he was asked if he wanted to buy the shop, and with goods coming off ration, he took the plunge. they sold cigarettes, sweets, toys and novelties to what was then a mining community.

Sons Robert and Peter were introduced to shopwork early, standing on boxes to serve customers and getting used to their father's flexible hours. "We've always traded seven days a week," says Peter. "We stayed open to do the business, and at Christmas that meant staying open until 10 or 11 o'clock at night."

By the time Robert and Peter were teenagers in the 1960's they were taking more notice of the business, and Stan decided it was time to take matters in hand. Experience of how the big shops operated would do them no harm and might do his shop some good, so Robert went to work for Woolworths and Peter found a job with Tesco.

They returned six years later in 1974, ready to help build a bigger Stan's Shop. Plans were laid and in 1981 a new building more than tripled the size of the shop from 3,000 to 10,000 square feet. the staff too, had to grow from less than 10 to 50-60. The shop began to serve a wider area, drawing customers from nearby towns and villages, especially at Christmas when late opening, seven-day trading and famously low prices combined to produce a bumper trade. However, the building proved to be too small. further plans were made.

In 1991, Stans Superstore was opened (by Liz Dawn alias Vera Duckworth, Coronation Street), a 22,000sq ft store, giving plenty of space inside for the customers and goods, and plenty of parking space outside.

Jones Brothers of Weston Rhyn who came highly recommended to Stans were appointed to alter the store which included knocking down one warehouse and converting part of another into part of the new store.

The whole process, from the first thoughts to completion, took about 18 months and Stans are indebted to Jones Brothers for their professionalism and also their patience with having to work whilst the old shop was still trading.

It has been the start of a long and successful association between the two companies and we look forward to working with Jones Brothers for many years to come.

With Stan’s untimely departure from us in 1988, his wife Vera remained a familiar figure in the store, often seen shopping and catching up with staff who she had known of old.

Our latest addition to the store culminated in the opening of a new 5000 sq foot extension in 2009. This new area has given us the opportunity to increase our greetings card, magazine and gift range as well as the new comfortable, increased size coffee shop.

After her unfortunate passing away in March 2008, the family tradition is still deeply embedded in the day to day running of the store where the third generation are deeply committed to securing the success of the store for years to come.