A SHOPKEEPER is giving away viral energy drink Prime for free as he takes on controversial rival Wakey Wines.
Jiy Singh, 37, who owns Wheatley Mini Market in Doncaster, Yorkshire, says his local community are “like family” and he wants to “give back”.
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Jiy, who gave up a job at B&Q in 2020 to buy the shop, started giving away free Prime to local kids as a thank you for the support of the “tight-knit” community.
His actions have drawn a sharp dividing line between him and online sensation Wakey Wines in nearby Wakefield.
Wakey was recently dubbed the UK’s ‘most expensive corner shop’ as it hiked the price of the popular drink, created by YouTube stars KSI and Logan Paul, to £100 a can.
The outlet’s owner, Mohammad Azar Nazir, 42, was recently revealed to be a convicted drug dealer, after his store was banned from TikTok over their inflated prices.
Jiy, meanwhile, insisted that he doesn’t want to try and make big bucks off the back of the social media craze.
He said: “We shopkeepers make a lot of money from the community. People spend a lot of money on us instead of cheaper alternatives.
“Truth is every shopkeeper should be giving. We need to give back. I make a lot of money from the community.
“I started the giveaways for local kids. I know most of them by name, I know their families as this is a tight-knit community, and I wanted to give back.
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“This community is tight-knit. People love and care for each other. And the important thing is they really support us. These children spend lots of money in this shop every day. I had to give back.”
He has also bought the cafe behind his shop and plans to integrate it into the off-licence to allow him to give back even more to his community.
One of his most popular purchases is a classic Mortal Kombat arcade game, which is free to play.
Any child who beats the game gets to pick anything they want from the shop, also for free.
Sarah, 45, a life-long resident of the area, sang Jiy’s praises, saying: “Jiy did raffle tickets over Christmas. My son, who was poorly, won a tenner!
“People just want to speak about things they don’t know. Jiy has always been giving and giving. There is always little things to win, to get. The whole community here loves Jiy and he is genuine.”
Likewise, Stacy, who runs the community WhatsApp group, said: “This is a tight community, and we love Jiy.
“I buy here. I would rather spend an extra quid here and there buying here than from a supermarket.
“Because I know, if I ever needed anything, Jiy would give me. If I ever needed anything, and I couldn’t pay, I would just tell him.
“And I know, 100 per cent, he would give me and I could pay him later. So I will always buy here. This community will always buy here.”
Wakey Wines has been contacted for comment.
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