Thetford: Tiger Fitness finding success with tuck shop during Covid-19 lockdown

Not content with online workouts, a couple have transformed a fitness enterprise into a popular tuck shop during lockdown.

Over the past few weeks, Tiger Fitness Club has stopped offering its usual classes and personal training. Instead the business in the Charles Burrell Centre, in Thetford, has started selling sweets, stacks and vegan products with free doorstep delivery.

Chief executive Richard Taylor and his partner Katrina Wallace have been ‘rushed off their feet’ since starting the project - which has been named Tiger Tuck Shop.

The couple have at times almost sold out of products and been delivering as far and wide as Bury St Edmunds, Diss, Attleborough, Watton and Methwold.

Richard said: “As I can’t use the suite for it’s intended purpose but still have to pay rent on the space, I decided to make use of it. Katrina and I came up with the idea for the tuck shop

“I’ve always had a good mind for business. I like to see the bigger picture when I’m evaluating the pros and cons. The tuck shop is something I’ve thought about for a long time. I love sweets, probably too much for a personal trainer! But I’ve always been interested in starting something fancy. The plan is much bigger than what we’re doing now but we’re happy and humbled with how well it’s taken off so far.

“I refused to just sit back while this was all happening, I saw a gap in the market and thought I’d go for it, so far, it’s been really popular.”

The tuck shop idea started after a realisation of a need to keep income for the gym - which has been streaming live workout videos on YouTube. The gym has now become partly used for preparation of the snacks, which are delivered around the area. Snacks are also being posted to further locations.

The couple’s next idea is to sell on their ‘movie night in’, offering a new range of snacks. All of the company’s boxes are compostable.

Tiger Fitness has been able to establish the following from effective use of social media - which was helped from a free giveaway on Facebook.

And following the success, the tuck shop could be here to stay.

Richard added: “Katrina and I are really happy with how things are going. All going well, we’d love the Tuck Shop to stay open when we’re able to reopen the suite for fitness but time will tell.

“It may be that we have to rent another space for holding and prepping the stacks.”

Visit: www.facebook.com/tigertuckshop/