NI retail’s biggest night of the year has arrived!
The moment of truth has arrived for NI’s leading retailers, as the industry’s biggest awards evening prepares to open its doors tonight.
The Neighbourhood Retailer Awards 2015 will see 80 of Northern Ireland’s best independent retailers battle it out for 17 prestigious industry awards.
The 17th annual Neighbourhood Retailer Awards ceremony is taking place in Belfast’s Ramada Plaza, a glittering gala evening hosted by celebrated broadcaster, Eamonn Holmes.
Over 400 individual award entries were received from across the region, and reaching the final signifies a major achievement for independent retailers, symbol groups and oil companies.
Guests will walk the red carpet and join the champagne reception, feel the excitement build ahead of the awards ceremony, then enjoy a gala dinner and superb live entertainment.
In attendance will also be over 500 key decision-makers from Northern Ireland’s and the Republic’s independent retailers, wholesalers, symbol groups, and oil companies – making it a major networking opportunity.
The Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children will again be the charity partner for this year’s event and much-needed funds are expected to be raised on the night.
Over the past 16 years, the Neighbourhood Retailer Awards has attracted entries from the leading retailers in the country who hope their businesses will come out on top and scoop an award at the industry event of the year.
This year sees the return of the Industry Achievement Award, which last year acknowledged the excellent contribution made by Niall Creighton to the industry, and much anticipation surrounds who will be this year’s recipient from NI’s broad pool of world-class retailers.
The awards have garnered much industry support over the years and 2015 is no different. Leaders in their respective fields – such as Imperial Tobacco, JTI, Nestle Professional, Cuisine de France, Pay Point, United Wine Merchants, Salesplacement, Costa Express, PRM, Philip Morris, CPUK, and Note Machine – are backing this year’s award categories.
NR Awards 2015 finalists (full list)*:
Neighbourhood Retailer Awards 2015 finalists (full list)*:
Neighbourhood Store of the Year
Category 1: Convenience store up to 1,500 sq ft
Castlearchdale Service Station Ltd, Lisnarick, Co Fermangh
Centra Boucher Road, Belfast, Co Antrim
Harte’s Nisa Local, Pomeroy, Co Tyrone
SPAR Crawfordsburn, Co Down
SPAR Mountsandel, Coleraine, Co Derry/Londonderry
Neighbourhood Store of the Year
Category 2: Convenience store 1,501-3,500sq ft
Alvarod Maxol Service Station Eglinton, Co Derry/Londonderry
Centra Ballymena, Co Antrim
Lilley’s Centra Lough Shore Road, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh
Quinns Spar Westland Road Cookstown Co Tyrone
Spar Lagan Valley, Hillsbourgh Rd, Lisburn, Co Antrim
Neighbourhood Store of the Year
Category 3: Convenience store 3,501 sq ft -7,000 sq ft
Hughes – Nisa Extra, Camlough, Co Armagh
Kelly’s EUROSPAR Moneymore, Co Derry/Londonderry
Mulkern’s Eurospar, Newry, Co Down
Swift’s EUROSPAR, Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh
The Fresh Food Centre, Castlewellan, Co Down
Neighbourhood Store of the Year
Category 4: Convenience store over 7,000 sq ft
JC Stewart Ltd, Magherafelt, Co Derry/Londonderry
McVeighs EUROSPAR, Warrenpoint, Co Down
Milestone Nisa Extra, Rathfriland, Co Down
Newell’s, Coalisland, Co Tyrone
SuperValu, Ballymoney, Co Antrim
Fiveways Nisa Extra, Newry, Co Down
Casey’s EUROSPAR Crossmaglen, Co Armagh
Store Manager of the Year
Earl Patterson, Centra Foodmarket, Omagh, Co Tyrone
Vanessa Taylor, JC Stewart Ltd, Magherafelt, Co Derry/Londonderry
Ian Elliott, SuperValu, Ballymoney, Co Antrim
Darren Given, Swift’s Eurospar Lisnaskea, Co Fermangh
Forecourt of the Year
Category 1: Forecourt with convenience store up to 1,750sq ft
Castlearchdale Service Station Ltd. Lisnarick. Co Fermanagh
Centra, Magherafelt, Co Derry/Londonderry
Maxol Edenderry Service Station, Crumlin Road, Belfast, Co Antrim
Milburn Spar & Filling Station, Lissan Rd, Cookstown Co Tyrone
Patterson’s Centra, Gilford Rd, Portadown, Co Armagh
Forecourt of the Year
Category 2: Forecourt with c-store more than 1,750 sq ft
Applegreen Motorway Service Area, M2 Northbound, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim
Centra Ballinderry, Glenavy Rd, Co Antrim
Centra Ballymena, Antrim Road, Ballymena, Co Antrim
EUROSPAR Brackenvale, Saintfield Rd, Carryduff, Belfast, Co Down
Mayobridge Service Station, Newry Road, Mayobridge Co Down
Spar Abbeyhill, Newtownards Road, Bangor, Co Down
Spar, Belfast Road, Bangor Co Down
CTN of the Year
Glenmac, Glen Road, Belfast, Co Antrim
McRobbie’s Centra, Conlig, Newtownards, Co Down
Smyth’s Centra, Newcastle, Co Down
Spar / Topaz, Glenavy Village, Co Antrim
Off-Licence of the Year
Lilley’s Centra, Lough Shore Road, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh
Kenny’s Randalstown, Co Antrim
Dolan’s Centra, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh
Fiveways Nisa Extra, Newry, Co Down
Emerson’s Supermarket, Scotch St, Co Armagh
Crawford’s Of Maghera, Main St, Maghera, Co Derry/Londonderry
Bakery of the Year
Crawford’s Of Maghera, Maghera, Co Derry/Londonderry
EUROSPAR Maghera, Co Derry
Milestone Nisa Extra, Rathfriland, Co Down
Donnelly’s Bakery and Café, Ballycastle, Co Antrim
Butcher of the Year
Casey’s Eurospar, Coole Park Meats, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh
Corries Farm Butchers and Deli, Holywood, Co Down
David Mawhinney and Sons Butchery and Deli, Bangor, Co Down
McAtamney’s Butchers, Abbey St, Coleraine, Co Derry
McAtamneys Butchers, James St, Cookstown Co Tyrone
Newcomer of the Year
Alvarod T/a Maxol Service Station, Eglinton, Co Londonderry
Applegreen Motorway Service Area, M2 Northbound, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim
Casey’s Eurospar, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh
Castlearchdale Service Station, Lisnarick, Co Fermanagh
Centra Boucher Road, Belfast, Co Antrim
JM Retail – Todays Local, Forkhill Road, Mullaghbawn, Co Down
Pharmacy of the Year
Bannside Pharmacy, Main Street, Portglenone, Co Antrim
Harrison Healthcare, Donegall Pass, Belfast, Co Antrim
McMullan’s Pharmacy, Lisburn Road, Belfast
Melvin Pharmacy, Main Street, Garrison, Co Fermanagh
Deli of the Year
Hughes – Nisaextra, Camlough, Co Armagh
Lilley’s Centra, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh
The Green Deli in Mace, Titanic Quarter, Queen’s Road, Belfast
McVeigh’s EUROSPAR, Warrenpoint, Co Down
Milestone Nisa Extra, Rathfriland, Co Down
Training Initiative of the Year
A29 Spar & Filling Station Solo Retailing, Dungannon Road, Cookstown, Co Derry/Londonderry
SuperValu Ballymoney, Co Antrim
Swift’s Eurospar, Lisnaskea, Co Fermangh
Moran’s Centra, Co Derry/Londonderry
Green Store of the Year
Emerson’s Supermarket, Co Armagh
EUROSPAR Ranfurly, Dungannon, Co Tyrone
Spar Lagan Valley, Hillsbourgh Rd Lisburn, Lisburn
* Neighbourhood Retailer of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award will be announced on the night
