The Northern Irish business, established in 1972, operates from sites in Cushendall and Ballymena and employed 95 staff.

It was announced on 21^st September that Stuart Irwin, Ian Leonard and Robin Coughlin from Interpath have been appointed joint administrators, and following the appointment, the company has ceased trading.

Over 50 years ago, the company began with a passion for field-to-fork quality, growing and packing potatoes for leading supermarkets and other grocery chains across Ireland. They also produced a range of hand-cooked crisps under the Glens of Antrim Crisps brand.

In a statement, Interpath said it was a very sad outcome for this well-known business.

“The agri-food sector has faced significant challenges over the past few years, with businesses up and down the supply chain impacted heavily by rising input costs,” said the statement.

“For Glens of Antrim, these pressures had a significant and detrimental impact on cashflow. In response, the directors explored a range of options, including refinancing and investment, but sadly, with no solvent options available, they had to take the very difficult decision to request the appointment of the joint administrators.

“As a result, and with deep regret, all of the company’s employees, with the exception of a small skeleton staff retained to support the administrators, have been made redundant. The joint administrators and their specialist employment team will be providing any and all support to those impacted.”

Stuart Irwin, managing director at Interpath and joint administrators said: “Glens of Antrim has been growing and supplying potatoes across Ireland for over 50 years, so this is a tremendously sad outcome for the business, its dedicated team, the agri-food sector in Northern Ireland, and the wider community in Ballymena and Cushendall.”

The joint administrators are now seeking interest in the business and its assets, and are inviting any interested parties to make contact with the team at the earliest opportunity via goageneral@interpath.com

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End of summer activities saw shoppers going to stores less often, with trips down 5.5% versus last year and volumes continuing to decline, down 8.7% year-on-year, according to new data from Worldpanel by Numerator.

Meanwhile promotions accounted for 34% of value spend, the highest share reached to date, with more than £1.5bn now spent on promoted products in-store each year.

Grocery inflation increased again this month to 12.33%, up 0.54% on last month, with Emer Healy, Business Development Director at Worldpanel by Numerator, stressing that the outlook remains precarious, with signs of further pressures in the months ahead for shoppers.

Shoppers heavily relied on promotional offers to offset high prices where they could, as children began heading back to school. Promotions accounted for 34% of value spend, the highest share reached to date, with more than £1.5bn now spent on promoted products in-store each year.

Branded ranges continue to hold majority value share in Northern Irish baskets, at 57.1%, growing by 6.2% and contributing an additional £151 million in value sales compared to last year. Premium own label ranges also continued to show strong value growth, up 13% and adding an additional £20.6 million in value sales to take-home grocery.

“The return to school has brought shoppers back into their everyday routines, with this reflected in growth across key categories,” said Emer.

“Over the 12 weeks to September, bakery pastries grew by 3.2%, savoury snacks by 13.3%, yoghurt by 14.9%, biscuits by 7.7% and coffee by 2.5%, as shoppers returned to their familiar breakfast, lunchbox and snacking occasions. We also saw total toiletries grow by £7.8 million, as households replenished their essentials following the summer holiday period.”

In the supermarkets, Tesco leads in value share at 39.3% as the number one take-home grocer in Northern Ireland. It grew ahead of the market with 7.1% value growth as new shoppers and larger baskets contributed a combined additional £111 million.

Sainsbury’s held its market share at 17.3% and grew in value by 4.6%. The retailer continues to grow by recruiting new shoppers, adding an uplift of £33 million to the retailer’s performance.

Asda sits at 14.1% value share, declining by 7.0%. Meanwhile, Lidl holds 9.9% value share, up 8.5% in value growth. Lidl saw both increased volume of items per trip as well as an influx of new shoppers this period, contributing an uplift of just over £31 million.

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With over two decades as store manager behind him, Leslie Harte has witnessed a wealth of changes within retail. However, for him, the central purpose of the role remains unchanged – providing the best service to everyone coming through the shop doors.

Having started out working in retail when he was 14, Leslie has built up an enviable background in the industry, something which keeps him focused on ensuring both his customers and staff are respected and valued.

Store manager at Simpson’s MyDaily in Antrim, Leslie has sought to make every person who either shops or works at the well-known store feel heard and supported.

Employing 26 staff overall, there are four full-time and 22 part-time and notably, Leslie is particularly proud of their very low turnover of staff.

“We have one woman who has worked here for 30 years and another who has retired after 35 years,” said Leslie.

“It’s a real family atmosphere, we know everyone who comes through the door, and we always take the time to speak to them and find out how they are – that personal touch makes a big difference.

“We cannot compete with the big guys on prices, but we can make the service more personalised and unique.”

Leslie has shown just how much he values and supports his team. When staff member Nicole had the incredible opportunity to compete in boxing at the Commonwealth Games, Leslie made sure she knew the whole store was behind her. He genuinely cares for his staff and often celebrates their achievements both in and outside of their workplace. Over the years, Simpson’s has become a supportive environment where both staff and customers feel valued and encouraged.

Having served his time working in retail management in Iceland and later at Halfords, Leslie returned to the independent convenience trade in 2004 when approached to come back to Simpson’s, where he has been store manager ever since. A notable difference between the roles for Leslie has been the trust and total responsibility afforded to him in his longest-serving position.

“I am managing the business rather than simply running a shop. In the multiples you are taking instructions from management, whereas here I am making the decisions and implementing them,” he said.

“I do everything here, so it’s given me complete autonomy to run the business as I see fit.”

There have of course been challenges along the way, notably working through the pandemic as a frontline worker.

“Managing through covid was a challenge in terms of keeping my staff happy and making them feel valued and safe, of course.”

As changes and developments have happened in the industry, so too have they been brought into Simpson’s, with Leslie and his team keen to embrace as many innovations as possible while keeping true to their core business aims.

“We have evolved over the years and have brought in new lines; we introduced a hot food and deli counter, which has made a big difference to the business, we’ve seen increased footfall and repeat customers from that.

“We put in a new cigarette gantry and display gantry for vape products; we also got a new till system in recently and we installed new refrigeration last year for our drinks,” said Leslie.

“We try to do something every year to keep evolving and improving so we are not standing still. It keeps the place fresh looking for people, if it looks like you care about your shop, it will keep people coming back.”

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH LESLIE HARTE IN THE AUGUST-SEPTEMBER ISSUE HERE

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Over the past 30 years, the Musgrave NI owned brands have become a familiar part of communities across Northern Ireland, supporting local retailers, suppliers and producers, serving generations of customers, creating employment opportunities and contributing to the growth of the local economy.

David Higgins, Retail Sales Director for SuperValu and Centra said they were incredibly proud to be celebrating 30 years of SuperValu and Centra in the region.

“Reaching this milestone is a testament to the strong partnerships we have built with independent retailers across the region, the dedication of our colleagues and the loyalty of our customers,” said David.

“Over the past three decades, our brands have become a trusted part of communities throughout Northern Ireland, and this anniversary is an opportunity to thank everyone who has been part of that journey.

“As we look to the future, we remain committed to investing in local communities, supporting our retailer partners and meeting the evolving needs of customers across Northern Ireland for many years to come.”

To thank customers for their support over the past three decades, SuperValu and Centra are launching a special ‘30 Years, 30 Chances, £30k’ giveaway. Shoppers will have the opportunity to win £1,000 each day from Monday 14^th September to 13^th October.

SuperValu and Centra retailer Gabriel Bell has operated a successful SuperValu store in Crossgar since 2014, and Centra in Killinchy for 10 years.

“Musgrave has been a valued partner to our business for many years and we’ve seen first-hand the strength of the SuperValu and Centra brands and the trust they have built within local communities,” said Gabriel.

“We’re proud to celebrate 30 years of SuperValu and Centra in Northern Ireland, and to recognise the customers, colleagues and communities who have played such an important role in that journey. It’s a fantastic milestone and we’re delighted to be giving something back to our loyal customers as part of the celebrations.”

Among Musgrave NI’s longest serving retail partners is the Moran family, who opened their first Centra on Strand Road in Derry~Londonderry in 1997. John and Donna, and their three children, now own two Centra stores and a SuperValu in the Northwest. In Co. Down brothers Conor and Declan Watson have each got more than 25 years of Centra retailing under their belts with their respective stores in Cloughey and Portaferry, while the Kennedy family will soon mark 25 years of their Centra store in Ballinderry.

The post SuperValu and Centra celebrate 30 years of serving communities across NI first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

As with so many when they take their first step into employment, William’s working life began in retail when he was a student, working in Dunnes Stores in his late teens.

Subsequently going onto work in the construction industry, he later set out on his own to work in the hospitality sector.

Having run a number of bars and restaurants for several years, at one time William was responsible for overseeing the running and organisation of five bars and restaurants. Now running one pub in Larne, he realised he wanted to concentrate his focus within his own community.

“I wanted to invest and consolidate myself a bit more in the area and so looked into setting up a new business,” said William.

“I saw the business for sale and it was timed nicely with wanting to get into another business and so I made contact about the sale and after that it was a very fast turnaround, a bit of a baptism of fire!”

While the shop was already branded and established in the area, William knew he wanted to take his own approach and put his own stamp on it and so began the process of seeing what options were out there and ultimately led to him getting in touch with the team at Nearby.

“I took it over in March this year and I have to admit the first two months were a bit crazy, but the guys at Nearby have been absolutely amazing,” said William.

“They have been amazingly supportive. They came in and were able to get exactly what I had been looking for, even down to a specific till system. Once we got the till system in, a couple of days later they came down and started working on merchandising the shop.

“The shop had been operating as normal throughout this time, so there was no downtime at all. They sent a team down who looked at the shop layout and we flipped some things around into different areas. We have streamlined the products to tie in with this and we now have an extra 300 to 400 products available from when we took over.”

And although it is still early days for William, he has been very impressed with the changes made to the shop and what this means for him as a retailer and also for his customers.

“I felt it was important that we had some sort of identity and one with a symbol group,” added William.

“Their service levels and the regular deliveries are fantastic. The extended range of products and the promotions they run are also really good; there is a three-week cycle of promotions giving customers a better range of value and promotions.

“One of the other things I have loved about Nearby is their own product range – Go Local. We have done quite a bit of that in the shop and this has also given our customers more options and cheaper options. Their range includes all ambient products, such as tea, coffee, sugar, jams as well as soda water, tonic water, diluting juice and dog and cat food. It’s quite an extensive range and has given that added variety and more affordable options for our customers.

“The response so far from customers has been excellent. They are pleased with our levels of product availability, how the store is easy to shop in and the fact there are new options to choose from with new products, ready meals and a butchery range which is produced locally. People are really buying into it,” added William.

With a four-pump Nicholl Fuels forecourt at the site, Nearby Curran Road offers a stand-out position for themselves, as they are the only filling station in the Larne area which opens 24 hours a day with prepaid pumps in operation.

Another perk of working with Nearby for William is the opportunity to source a wide range of products from a variety of local producers and suppliers.

“They do not push anything at you, there is a full service there if you need it, but I can also go anywhere else to get new and local suppliers if I want,” said William.

“We are very big in confectionery and soft drinks, they are the real big sellers for us. We also have your everyday essentials, including bread and bakery products, and we have a local bakery in, Ann’s Pantry which is proving popular, and Rowandale Milk, which has a returnable bottle scheme in place. We have increased the numbers of that quite distinctively; it’s becoming more and more popular for us and is a big seller.”

READ THE FULL FEATURE ON NEARBY CURRAN ROAD IN THE AUGUST-SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

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