Customer praise for Ramsgate corner shop owner going the extra mile

Marc (right) and staff from Allenby Late Shop

A caring corner shop owner has been hailed as a ‘hero’ for the extra care he is showing his customers.

Thiraviyanathan Muralitharan – best known as Marc – runs the Allenby Late Shop in Ramsgate and has been going the extra mile to check on vulnerable and elderly customers.

The dad-of-two says he was prepared early for the coronavirus measures as his family live in France and are about two weeks ahead of the UK in the process.

The 39-year-old has made sure stock goes to those who need it, in the proportions they need, and has also been delivering to customers who can’t get to him.

‘Helping customers’

Customer Mandy Blake Cairns said: “He is so committed to his customers, I’m now in two weeks of isolation due to being on immune suppressants and he has bent over backwards to help me and my elderly neighbour.

“He won’t shut his doors because he said he doesn’t want to let his customers down, he stands at the end of my neighbour’s path and talks to her from there and he truly is a hero and so are his staff.

“His customers really appreciate everything he does, not just now but all year round. He has helped so many people out round here, he even bought an outdoor light for my elderly neighbour and got someone to put it up for her. He went to Deal hospital to visit her when she had a really bad fall and she knitted him a jumper to thank him.

“He really does go above and beyond for his community.”

Marc says he has put in place many health safety measures and has tried to explain to customers about the virus and the need to not panic buy.

Marc and Alison

He said: “With the help of my staff Alison Budge and Asnil and Charley, we started to limit the products like milk, bread, toilet rolls and pasta and others groceries to one per customer per day and also with medicines.

“We even explained to the customers the situation and told them it’s not necessary to panic buy. We offer the maximum support we can, make sure our regular elderly and disabled customers are getting essentials like milk, bread and potatoes.

“We haven’t served people trying to panic buy as we know all our customers and their financial situations and have many who cannot bulk buy because they are on benefits or pensions.

“We know if there are just two in the house or whether there is a family with eight children so know what people need. We are making sure everyone gets paracetamol and parents can get Calpol, telling customers there is no point in them having cupboards full of medicine if other children or elderly people can’t get anything.

“We also explain to our customers about the virus and how this can spread and we tell them to wash their hands when they get home and also clean the door handles. Some customers laughed and said they are healthy but we told them you can be a carrier.

“We make sure the shop is clean and we wear gloves and masks, I even wear goggles.

“I do this because in this difficult time I don’t want to let down my local customers who have given me business for 10 years.

“ I work like everyone to bring the necessities to my children and I also don’t want to let down my staff who have children to look after as well.”

Marc says despite Bookers being cleared out by panic buyers he has stock and nearly all is price marked so there are no hikes. He added that shop owners are working together to share stock and make sure people in need can get supplies.

14 Comments

  1. Very well done. We need to keep supporting our independent shops when all this is over rather than keep buying all of our household shopping with the supermarkets.

  2. Great chap Marc well done another shop doing the best for the regular customer and who like Marc has been and is thinking in advance is north star in. Margate Road my wife shops there a lot as I said shop in our local corner-store and they will look after you it’s times like this when you know that they have appreciated your custom they have saved your regular daily or weekly buy for you knowing you won’t let them down and it is appreciated in return. Thank you all corner-stores for knowing and caring for loyal customers.

  3. If only all small corner shops were as good as this, ours is on a price hike, so we won’t be going back there, shops like our one will be boycotted when this is all over and they will only have themselves to blame

  4. Such nice people serving sensibly in this terrible situation. Marc has a lovely compassionate heart. Bless you all for your kindness

  5. What about the prices he charges? What about the fact he still charges for using your card in there, says you have to spend x amount to use card..?
    And he HAS hiked his prices on allot of products since this all started.
    THAT’S why he’s going out of his way at the moment to “help” customers, because he’s making a fortune from it.

    • No he is not, get your facts right. Minimum spend is £1 as they still get charged for you using your card and if anything has gone up it’s because of bookers are the once who have put there price’s up. He does what he can for customers, so if you don’t like it then shop else where

  6. I’ve been using this shop since it opened, and l must say Marc and his staff have done an excellent job looking after all their customers and gone that extra mile in this crisis. All corner shops should be like this.

  7. This man is an absolute gem. He went the extra mile to help me and my family out of a sticky situation. Absolute top bloke,if only all were as nice as this guy. Keep it up marc

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