IT'S BEEN just over a year since Urvish Damwala and Abhishek Jariwala took over the ownership of the Keppel Street Newsagency. In that time, they have had much to celebrate.
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And that list of reasons just keeps on growing.
The duo were announced as the winners of the Community Newsagency of the Year Awards in 2024, at a recent ceremony on Wednesday, June 19.
During their first few weeks in business in Bathurst, Mr Jariwala told the Western Advocate that the "customers [had] all been loyal and very friendly."
This customer loyalty has certainly paid off, and now the pair have credited it as the reason for their win at the NSW Awards, which were hosted by the National Lotteries and Newsagents Association.
"It's all thanks to all the customers' support," Mr Damwala said.
"We didn't know anything about the community when we bought this shop, but then we introduced ourselves to all the customers and the Bathurst people as the owners, we got really good feedback, and that's why we got the award."
And there's more than one way in which the pair aim to keep the customers happy.
As well as friendly service, they also have an impressive track record of lottery wins, and close-calls.
"We have had three or four division one wins and then seven or eight second division," Mr Damwala said.
"We are tying our best to make them win, that's what is our main motto. It's a service we provide in Bathurst, and all customers are happy."
Another way in which they help to keep the customers coming back, is simply by providing friendly faces, and candid conversation.
Mr Damwala said that he and Mr Jariwala always do their utmost to ensure that customers are leaving the store feeling better than when they walked in.
"Every time they come in, we always have a smiling face and always say 'good morning' or 'good evening' or 'good afternoon'," Mr Damwala said.
"A lot of elderly people come in here just especially for the talk.
"They are at home, and nobody is at home, so they feel alone, so whenever they come here, from our side, we make sure that they will be very happy when they leave the shop."
"What a business should be"
And regular customer Ken Wright was more than happy to attest to that.
Mr Wright said he shops at the Keppel Street Newsagency about three times a week, and that he has never known the owners to have anything but a friendly disposition.
"The service is good, they're nice blokes, they're friendly and they're always smiling," he said.
"You don't get too many places like that today, because it's always go in, pay your money and get out.
"I've noticed that with other customers whenever I've been in here, they're always chatting to them and they're always pleasant and nice, which is good. That's what a business should be."
Mr Damwala and Mr Jariwala expressed their thanks to the Bathurst community for their continued support.
