The Convenience Retail Awards 2024 were held in Manchester on 21 March, recognising the very best people, retailers, suppliers and service providers across the UK convenience retail market.
Costcutter Supermarkets Group were the big winners of the night, with its stores taking home six awards, including Convenience Retailer of the Year for Costcutter Nuneaton triple ‘a’ Foodhall, Warwickshire.
Two SPAR UK stores were also awarded – SPAR Oxford Road in Greater Manchester won Independent Convenience Store of the Year, and SPAR Malone Road, Co. Antrim won Multiple Managed Convenience Store of the Year.
Ian Taylor, SPAR UK Retail Director, congratulated the winning SPAR stores, saying: “We are very proud of the work all of our SPAR stores across the UK do and are delighted to see these two exceptional stores recognised for their excellent store standards, customer service, innovation and brilliant results. This recognition reaffirms our dedication to continually raising the bar and exceeding expectations in the convenience industry.”
SPAR Oxford Road, run by Paul Stone, is located in the heart of Manchester. Open 24/7, the judges were impressed with the dedication which goes into making this store successful, with a huge focus on ‘feed me now’ and ‘big night in’ missions.
The store underwent a refit in 2023 to improve its refrigeration, lighting and air conditioning while also increasing shelf space to enhance its snacking and soft drinks offering. These changes helped contribute to an 18% uplift in sales while reducing electricity consumption by 28%.
SPAR Malone Road, in Northern Ireland, was named as Multiple Managed Convenience Store of the Year. The store has a true sense of a community neighbourhood retailer. Shoppers can find everything they need instore, and the judges were impressed by the store catering to a wide range of needs. The store puts the customer at the forefront with the ‘tell us first’ feedback initiative, with the goal to provide a continuously improving and positive shopping experience.
Aidan Fortune, Editor of Convenience Store, said: “This year’s Convenience Award winners demonstrated that the industry continues to raise the bar in delivering exceptional experiences for customers. Their success is not only a recognition of their hard work, but also a testament to their unwavering dedication to staying at the forefront of the industry.”
Nineteen awards were presented at the Convenience Retail Awards 2024, honouring the hard work, innovation and creativity of forecourt retailers across the UK.
The winners are:
- Convenience Retailer of the Year: Costcutter Nuneaton triple ‘a’ Foodhall, Warwickshire
- Community Initiative of the Year: Cost of Living Discount, One Stop Packmoor, Staffordshire
- Community Retailer of the Year: Costcutter Swanage, Dorset
- New Store/Refit of the Year: Tout’s Cleeve, North Somerset
- Customer Delivery Store of the Year: Welcome Faversham, Kent
- Food to Go Store of the Year: Costcutter University of Warwick, Warwickshire
- Convenience Rising Star of the Year: Nakendram Piratheepan, Sterling Petroleum
- Retailers’ Retailer of the Year: Anand Cheema, Costcutter Fresh in Falkirk, Stirlingshire
- Shoppers Favourite Multiple Convenience Group: M&S Simply Food
- Sustainability Retailer of the Year: Central Co-op Dodworth Community Store, South Yorkshire
- Responsible Retailer of the Year: Costcutter Epsom, Surrey
- Sales Colleague of the Year: Kruti Thaker, Family Shopper Broadoak, Greater Manchester
- Large Convenience Store of the Year: Costcutter Nuneaton Triple ‘A’ Foodhall, Warwickshire
- Shoppers Favourite Convenience Group: Premier
- Small Convenience Store of the Year: Scotmid Ballantrae, South Ayrshire
- Independent Convenience Store of the Year: Spar Oxford Road, Greater Manchester
- Multiple Managed Convenience Store of the Year: Spar Malone Road, Co. Antrim
Shoppers Favourite Convenience Symbol Store Group: Premier - Retailers Favourite Symbol Group: Londis
