SPAR and EUROSPAR retailers from across Northern Ireland, which fall under the Henderson Group, racked up over 20 awards in just three nights at some of the most prestigious national retail awards ceremonies in the UK and Ireland recently.

At the Forecourt Trader Awards, Retail Industry Awards and Ireland’s Forecourt & Convenience Retailer Awards, SPAR stores and EUROSPAR Supermarkets from Northern Ireland received 24 awards for excellence in fresh produce, independent, community and company-operated retailing, as well as recognition for their Food-to-Go offering.

Fresh Food sales have grown 10% in the past year, and the Henderson Group has posted a turnover of £853 million for 2018. Some 19 new stores and supermarkets opened their doors in 2018/19 to provide everyday essentials for their local communities, creating around 500 local jobs. The Henderson Group also recently announced a £26m investment in a further 20 stores in the next 12 months.

The judges were impressed with these results, and Sales & Marketing Director Paddy Doody says they’ll continue to drive investment to ensure Henderson’s retail brands are at the forefront of convenience in Northern Ireland.

At the Retail Industry Awards in London, often regarded as a benchmark of excellence in the retail industry, SPAR and EUROSPAR store managers dominated in the Store Manager of the Year category, taking away the prize for Independent (Thomas Magennis, Mulkerns’ EUROSPAR, Newry) and Multiple (Joanne Walker, EUROSPAR Donegall Road, Belfast) while Jennifer Donaghy (SPAR Holywood Road, Belfast) took home the highly commended award. Store Team of the Year went to the VIVO Essential’s store, Mountjoy Filling Station in Omagh.

Meanwhile, at the Forecourt Trader Awards, also in London, Samuel McCann (EUROSPAR Carrick Milestone, Carrickfergus) was awarded the Best Site Manager Accolade, while SPAR Fortfield and EUROSPAR Wallace Village won regional Forecourt of the Year titles.

Finally, at Ireland’s Forecourt & Convenience Retail Awards in Dublin, Mulkerns’ EUROSPAR won Best Use of Category Management, Creighton’s of Balmoral won Forecourt & Convenience Store of the Year, and Henderson Retail won Best Training Initiative.

Source: SPAR UK

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About SPAR UK

The UK became a member of SPAR in 1956 when a group of independent wholesalers was granted the SPAR licence by SPAR International. There are five regional partners in the UK with strategically placed Distribution Centres in each region. A central office, located in London, provides national marketing and buying services for the group and supports the development of the brand.

SPAR has led the convenience market in the UK for many years but has faced increasing competition. Always innovative, the five regional partners have continued to grow the brand. Throughout the UK, a combination of independently-owned licensed retailers and company-owned stores can be found, spanning forecourts, airports, train stations, city centres, and local neighbourhoods.