In Northern Ireland, the SPAR Supermarket in Ballycastle celebrated 60 years in the local community, after an investment of £100,000 last year.

This community store opened originally in 1964 by Brian Boyle, before rebranding under the SPAR banner in 2004. Now, the store employs 35 people from the local area, and remains a family business to this day, owned by Ronan and Aidan Boyle, who have managed the business since 1999.

Continuous investment

The £100,000 investment allowed for the expansion of the fresh food range through the doubling in size of the food-to-go and deli counters. Additionally, new refrigeration systems were installed to also increase the number of locally sourced and made in-store fresh products.

Over the years, the Boyle family have made significant investments into the SPAR store Ballycastle, totaling over £1 million. The current site was newly built in 2009 when the family made the move from the original site. They then completed a full refit in 2019 totaling £300,000, followed by the latest refurbishment earlier this year.

Celebrating this milestone

In marking 60 years in operation, the staff embarked on an instore charity cycle, reaching 60 miles for Marie Curie NI. A total of 60c from every Barista Bar coffee was also donated to charity in the first week of December. Additionally, shoppers could win a £60 store voucher every day of the week, while also picking up a number of 60p special deals the store were offering to mark the occasion.

Integral to the local community

The team at the SPAR store Ballycastle have always shown commitment to the local community, including support for a number of local sporting organisations and local charities, raising more than £300,000 through numerous instore fundraisers and community events over the years. Additionally, an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) remains in place which is accessible 24/7.

Ronan Boyle commented, “Our local community is central to everything we do and that is why we have made such significant investments over the years to expand our services and product offering for our shoppers. Our team decided that we wanted our 60^th year to be about our community and celebrating with them. We have enjoyed being able to thank our shoppers with competitions and special offers.”

Aidan Boyle added, “We are passionate about supporting local charities, community groups and sports teams. A number of our team members have strong connections with local sports teams and it is so important to us that we show our commitment to them. Being a hub in the community, we have supported many young people from the local area with employment during their education and it is always a pleasure to help them grow and develop their careers through our store.

“We wish to extend a huge thank you to our team for their loyalty, with a special thank you to Michael McLernon who has worked at the store for 41 years. We would also like to thank our shoppers for their support over the past 60 years and we look forward to many more successful years of the store.”

Source: Henderson Group

Read more about SPAR UK

About SPAR UK

The United Kingdom became a SPAR member in 1956 when SPAR International granted the SPAR licence 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 UK comprises independently owned, licensed, retailers and company-owned stores.