Our Story | Everyday Direct

Everyday Direct was created from over 20 years of serving our local community through Premier Newtown Stores in Stourport-on-Severn.

I first took over Newtown Stores in October 2004 when I was just 24 years old. Like many independent shop owners starting out, I worked extremely hard to make the business succeed, often working around 100 hours a week during the first five years. Those early years were incredibly important because they allowed me to truly understand my customers, who they were, what they needed, and how a local store could serve them better.

Retail has always been more than just selling products to me. I genuinely enjoy talking to customers, seeing familiar faces every day, and being part of the local neighbourhood. That connection with the community is what has shaped the way we run our business.

After five years of hard work, I reinvested most of what the store had earned straight back into improving it. We extended the shop to more than double its original size and completely refurbished the store. This allowed us to expand our range and offer far more choice to our customers, something the local community really appreciated.

Over time I also became involved in the vaping market, mainly because many of our older customers wanted help to quit smoking but found other alternatives ineffective. Rather than simply stocking products, I took the time to properly train myself and my team so we could genuinely help people transition away from cigarettes. For us it was never just about selling products, it was about providing the right service and advice.

As our vape range grew larger and larger, we eventually reached a point where it was impossible to display everything in-store. That is when we created VapesDirect, our online store that allowed customers to browse our full range more easily. What started as a simple solution quickly grew far beyond what we expected. Today VapesDirect ships nationally and serves over 30,000 customers across the UK.

After building and growing the online side of the business, I wanted to bring that same convenience back to the store where it all began.

That is how Everyday Direct was created.

We explored several delivery platforms and third-party services, but the pricing structures required to make those work often meant products would have to be sold online at a higher price than they were in-store. That never sat right with me. I have always believed our customers should receive the same fair prices whether they shop in person or online.

For that reason we launched Everyday Direct as a Click & Collect service, allowing customers to shop online at the same prices they would pay in store. As the service grows, our goal is to eventually introduce local home delivery with our own driver, so we can continue serving the community in the way we believe is best.

From October 2004 to today in March 2026, I have dedicated a large part of my life to this store and the neighbourhood around it. The support we have received from our customers over the years has been incredible, and I am genuinely grateful to every person who continues to support us.

Everyday Direct is simply the next step in that journey.

Thank you for being part of it.