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South Shields’ Dicksons rolls out concept store as part of expansion

Dicksons, the traditional family pork butcher, is rolling out its shop expansion plans with a brand new concept store in Whitley Bay.

South Shields-based Dicksons, which now has 24 shops across the region and plans to open another two stores this Autumn, will launch its concept store to communicate the company’s 60 year pork butcher heritage and expertise.

Following a £140k investment, the new shop design will echo the firm’s strong heritage and capture the essence of a traditional pork butcher whilst meeting the needs of today’s customer with a relaxed seating area.

The 60 year old company is looking to roll out this concept across much of its existing estate as it looks to cement its position on the region’s high street for another 60 years to come.

Dicksons employs more than 240 staff across its chain of retail shops, Head Office and production facility.

Established in South Shields in 1953, as a stand-alone pork butcher, the firm sells a wide range of premium meat products, including freshly cooked deli meats, sausages, bacon, pies, and a selection of hot and cold food on the go.

The roll out of the new Dicksons concept store coincides with the appointment of two new senior figures in to the business, whom together with the Dickson family are looking to grow the brand to ensure its ongoing success.

Managing director, Michael Dickson, said: “The opening of our Whitley Bay shop marks a key stage in our development plans; not only are we entering a new geographical territory, but we are looking at how our products can evolve to meet customer demands.

“Our shops embrace the traditional pork butcher – a sight which would have been extremely common on our high streets in times gone by – and we are seeing customers once again choosing to seek out these more artisan and speciality retailers, which is great news for our high streets and towns like Whitley Bay.”

“It’s an exciting time for the business and we have brought some very experienced individuals in to the company to aid our future growth.

“Not only have we appointed a highly experienced factory general manager in Harry Howarth from the large corporate sector to ensure we can meet the expectations of supermarket and food service customers but we have also welcomed Chris Hayman into the business to head up our growing retail division.

“Joining us from McDonalds he brings with him a wealth of ideas and retail experience to ensure that our retail offering meets the needs of our customer and can continue to attract new ones.”

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