In Northern Ireland, two SPAR stores celebrated reaching significant milestones, with the SPAR Ulster University store in Coleraine marking 50 years of service, and the SPAR Monaghan Road store in Armagh celebrating 20 years of serving the local community.

SPAR Ulster University store serving students for 50 years

The SPAR Ulster University store, located inside the university’s Coleraine campus is celebrating 50 years of operations. The store opened in 1975 and has undergone four major renovations to meet the diverse and changing needs of students and staff under one roof. Owned and operated by Morris Smyth, the store also employs two students each term, gaining vital work experience during their university life.

Store Manager Morris Smyth commented, “We’re proud to be celebrating 50 years of our store. Our store is right at the heart of the Coleraine campus and we love getting to know the students and friendly faces coming into the store each day. The students are central to everything we do and that is why we have had four major refurbishments over the years to expand our services and product offering as their needs and demands evolve over the years.

“We wish to thank all the students for their support and look forward to serving many more throughout their time at Ulster University Coleraine.”

Armagh store central to the community for 20 years

The SPAR Monaghan Road store in Armagh also celebrated a significant anniversary of 20 years in operation. The store, which is owned and run by Stephen & Donna Mullan, opened in May 2005 with 15 employees, which has now more than doubled as the store employs 36 people from the local area.  Since the store opened, over £3.5 million has been invested in major refurbishments to improve the instore offer and services to shoppers. The refurbishments also included the introduction of solar panels and high efficiency refrigeration.

The local community has always been central to the store, with the staff often taking part in fundraisers for local charities. The team have raised over £50,000 for numerous organisations over the years including the annual Blooming Great Summer fundraiser in aid of Marie Curie, store sponsorships of local sports teams such as Armagh City Football Club and supporting local schools with regular donations for school sports days.

An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is also installed outside the store, which is available for the community 24/7, providing essential access to potentially lifesaving equipment even when the store is not open.

Source: Henderson Group

Read more about SPAR UK.

About SPAR UK

The United Kingdom joined the SPAR retail network in 1956 when SPAR International granted a licence to operate the brand to a group of independent wholesalers. There are five regional organisations in the UK, continually building the brand’s presence through a strong collaborative system. 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.