SPAR UK wholesaler for Northern Ireland, Henderson Group, welcomed the opening of a new store, the SPAR Culmore store in Derry, and the reopening of the Watt’s SPAR store in Ballyclare after a £3 million investment.

SPAR Culmore store

Owned and operated by family retailers Alwyn and Roberta Curry, this new store was converted to the SPAR brand after significant renovations. The new store created five new jobs in the locality, while retaining the staff from the previous store. This is the fourth SPAR store owned by the Curry family in the Derry area, also owning the SPAR Ballynagard Road, SPAR Church Brae and SPAR Church Meadows locations.

The SPAR Culmore store provides the local area with quality products and services, including food- and coffee-to-go. Instore, the SPAR Bakery concession serves sweet treats daily and baked goods from Curry’s own brand and local suppliers. With the Curry family established in the local community, plans are in place for community events, including the fundraising towards the installation of a defibrillator outside the store.

Alwyn Curry, retailer, commented, “We’re delighted to officially open the doors of our new store. We have put so much time and made a significant investment to enable us to provide more convenient services for the local community, increase our product range and create new jobs for the local area.”

Watt’s SPAR store in Ballyclare

The store has reopened after renovations spanning nine months, doubling the size to 445m². The site in Ballyclare has been owned and operated by the Watt family since 1950, serving the local community for over 70 years. With the investment, the store now boasts an expanded delicatessen with food-to-go throughout the day. Additionally, local suppliers, including Stanley’s butchery and potatoes from Rooney’s, are available to customers.

Gerry Watt, retailer, said, “The major investment has allowed us to deliver even more value on our shoppers’ doorsteps, with a significant expansion of our fresh and locally sourced food offering and entire range of everyday essentials, along with an extensive range of fruit and vegetables.”

Richard Ash, Sales Director at Henderson Group, which owns the SPAR brand in Northern Ireland, commented, “We wish to congratulate Gerry, the Watt family and the whole team at Watt’s SPAR on this incredible investment into their store and local community. The refurbishment has allowed them to provide even more value for shoppers, as well as providing more jobs for those in the local area.”

Source: Henderson Group

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About SPAR UK

The United Kingdom became a SPAR member in 1956 when SPAR International granted a licence to utilise the SPAR brand to a group of independent wholesalers. There are five regional organisations in the UK, continually building the brand’s presence. A central office in London provides national marketing and buying services for the group. SPAR in the UK comprises independently owned and licensed retailers as well as company-owned stores.