UK rappers open new supermarket to help their community 'feel seen'

By Catarina Demony and Suban Abdulla

LONDON (Reuters) - Tired of going from shop to shop in their hometown to find the culturally diverse products they need, two British rappers have decided to take matters into their own hands.

Award-winning duo Casyo Johnson and Karl Wilson, known in the music world as Krept and Konan and the voices behind the 2015 hit "Freak of the Week", grew up in Croydon, south London, where about 40% of residents identified as Black or Asian in a 2021 census.

But the duo say many of those communities are underserved by small local convenience stores and that the "world food" aisles in some of the major grocery chains often lack in product variety - a gap they hope to fill with their new 15,000 square foot supermarket, "Saveways", which opens on Saturday.

"We want people to feel seen," said Konan, who along with Krept was awarded a British Empire Medal in 2020 for their services to music and the community in Croydon. "We want people to feel that they've got a place that represents them when they want to get their specific food."

Shelves have been stocked with hundreds of spices, different types of beans, rice and cooking oils. Shoppers will also be able to bulk-buy halal meat, exotic fish and fruits, as well as ethnic hair and beauty products.

There is a prayer room and a comment box near the checkouts where shoppers can make requests for new products.

The idea to open a "one-stop-shop" with products tailored to Black, Asian and ethnic communities was pitched to Krept and Konan by their business partner, Kaysor Ali, who has known the rappers for more than 15 years.

"There is a lot of heart behind it and that's where it really comes from," Ali said. "To bridge that gap ... because no one has ever really done it - not to this standard."

(Reporting by Catarina Demony, Suban Abdulla and Marissa Davison; Editing by Alex Richardson)