Supporting local in Maghera

Jonathan Crawford, managing director of Crawford’s of Maghera tells Neighbourhood Retailer how FFI gave him the strength to act independently under Nisa.

Many would describe Crawford’s of Maghera as the centre of the community, having earned a name for itself by providing an exceptional service within the local area for over a century.

Retailing has been the Crawford family business since the early 1900’s and the company’s 30,000 sq ft supermarket site on Main Street, Maghera gives a new meaning to the term ‘destination store’.

Trading under the motto ‘giving you more’, Crawford’s of Maghera incorporates an in-house butchery concession, bakery, fresh fish counter, toy store, and children’s soft play area.

The recent acquisition of a forecourt, approximately 100 yards from the main site, marks the company’s first foray into the fuel and high convenience market.

While the new shop has undergone a temporary facelift, there are plans to develop the site into a state-of-the-art convenience store of the future.

“It is our first venture into petrol retailing,” says Jonathan Crawford, managing director. “We had planned to build on the site in 2019, but have pushed it back until the following year. We have such a strong supermarket brand, and have built up a core reputation within the community, that I want to take my time and make sure we get it right.

Since taking over the Church Street forecourt and attached convenience store, Jonathan has rebranded the site from Costcutter to Crawford’s Express, operating as an independent under the Nisa umbrella.

Jonathan attributes the catalyst behind the switch entirely to Food Force Ireland (FFI).

“It was FFI that made me change to our own brand because it allows me to deal directly with local suppliers. It’s the rubber stamp that gives us the strength in our second store to go it under our own brand,” says Jonathan.

“In other groups they don’t give you the same freedom to stock as many local brands because they have you tied into certain products, but the combination of Nisa and FFI gives terrific freedom for the retailer to support local produce.”

A big change for 2018, has been the takeover of Nisa by The Co-operative Group, but Jonathan believes this hasn’t affected Food Force Ireland’s presence in Northern Ireland. The takeover has brought more choice to retailers in the region with over 900 new Co-op own branded lines to be available by the end of the year.

Having access to a varied range of products is especially important to a retailer like Jonathan who is operating two stores with vastly different customer demands. The fresh food category, which has been experiencing accelerated growth in the last year, is an area that Jonathan regards as especially important to his business model.

“We don’t have an online offering. Our customers tend to buy their staples online from the multiples and then they come to us looking for a good fresh food range. That’s why we’re trying to concentrate on the fresh and local angle. All of our meat is sourced in Northern Ireland and our bread is baked fresh in our own scratch bakery every morning.”

As treasurer of FFI, when NR speaks to Jonathan he is busy preparing for the organisation’s Direct Supply Trade Exhibition taking place on September 25.

Describing it as an “unmissable event for any Nisa retailer”, he said: “It gives our buying team the opportunity to get away from the store, to meet suppliers in an organised venue, and take advantage of the deals on offer.

“It operates under a unique format, in that all the preparation work is done before the event, so we use the day to cement relationships and meet new faces.”

Each of the 60 plus suppliers taking a stand at the trade show will put forward a one-off, exclusive deal for Nisa retailers that can only be redeemed on September, 25. The offers are collected by trade controller, Debra Johnston, and distributed to FFI members before the event, allowing retailers to clearly map out which deals they will be snapping up on the day.

By deciding on what offers to take advantage of prior to the exhibition, the Crawford’s team are free to enjoy the event to its maximum potential.

“There is something new each year,” says Jonathan. “There are always suppliers you haven’t met before and the trade exhibition gives you the opportunity to gain new insight and new ideas.”

“A considerable amount of effort goes into the organisation of the FFI Direct Supply Trade Exhibition,” Jonathan concludes. “It is a huge networking event and is an invaluable tool to Nisa retailers in Northern Ireland. Every year we look forward to it.”