Opened in 1950 by Norman Watt, the site started out as a car repair garage which also sold fuel from one small hand-operated pump. An important part of the local community, Norman carried out a rebuild of the facility in the 1960s.

Owned and run by the family, Watts SPAR in Ballyclare is now a third-generation business.

Over its 76 years of trading, the site and store have grown significantly, with two iterations, including a rebuild in 2000, and a change of format last year.

A complete knockdown and rebuild of the store was carried out in 2000, when the previously unbranded store became a Costcutter for approximately 20 years, before rebranding as SPAR in May 2021.

“We have always been in the same location,” said Darryl. “Five years ago we purchased an adjacent site that had been a funeral home, and we then incorporated the two sites into one.

“It had been disused for a number of years, and we went through the planning process, which took four years. With the support of the local council and councillors, plus invaluable input from Henderson Group, we were able to create a store which not only supports our customers but transforms the visual impact at the town entrance.

“The store more than doubled in size from 2,421 sq ft to 4,370 sq ft. We significantly increased our hot and cold deli, and made-in-store food-to-go offering, as we wanted to emphasise our dedication to providing fresh, locally sourced, quality produce and food. This is one of our key goals.”

The new-look store, which was under renovation for nine months, has also provided 16 new jobs for the area, including both on the shop floor and in the deli.

The investment has resulted in an expansion of Watts Deli, serving breakfast and lunch to go, as well as sandwiches, wraps, salads, ready meals, and sweet treats all made in store. Working closely with local suppliers, the store offers treats from Dougie’s Goodies, The Cake Box, and French Village Bakery, as well as from Stanley’s Butchery and potatoes from Rooney’s.

In addition to accessible essential services such as PayPoint, Lottery, and an external ATM, the store offers a wide selection for shoppers on the go, including a Barista Bar coffee machine and a self-serve ice cream machine.

“We also considerably changed our forecourt,” said Darryl.

“It was always very tight and difficult for customers to get in and out of, and now it’s nice and airy and very open. We have 26 parking spaces, and we made the decision to make the car parking spaces bigger and give more room per space. We have had a lot of positive feedback.

“We are with BP for fuel because they are a quality provider and offer ultimate guides to fuel. We thought that it partnered well with the SPAR brand because it’s a quality offering rather than the lowest-cost option.

“The feedback from customers has all been very, very positive,” added Darryl. “They are very happy with it and have given extremely good feedback.”

With 24 staff employed across part-time and full-time roles, Darryl thanked them all for their hard work, including three members of staff who have been with them for over 20 years.

“Having those familiar faces goes a long way for customers,” said Darryl.

“Staff training is something we are careful about. We are very conscious of our food hygiene, especially in our deli and food-to-go sections, and we use the Henderson Training Academy, which offers excellent and thorough training, keeping everyone up to speed.”

Inevitably, there are the all-too-familiar industry challenges, from staffing to business costs, with Darryl explaining they have worked extremely hard to make the store as energy-efficient as possible.

“The cost of electricity has become significant. We have tried to mitigate that through the use of solar panels, heat recovery systems, very efficient refrigeration systems, and fully automated lighting.

“We have tried to make the building as efficient as possible in terms of heating and insulation. It’s as efficient as it can be, and our electricity bills are still very expensive,” said Darryl.

“The changes and increases in National Insurance have had a massive impact and have forced us to look at more automation, such as self-scans, electronic shelf-edge labels, and Glory automatic cash handlers, in an effort to mitigate staff costs,” he added.

“All retailers are facing the exact same problems. Staff costs and the ability to recruit staff are the biggest problems for us. We are finding it very difficult to get staff.”

However, there are still positives to look forward to, as well as reflecting on the success of the business as it fast approaches eight decades serving the local community.

READ THE FULL FEATURE ON WATTS BALLYCLARE IN THE APRIL ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

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The meeting at Parliament Buildings was attended by representatives from the community and voluntary sector, and in particular organisations representing premature and sick babies, carers, women, ethnic minorities, young people and older people.

This meeting comes as part of ongoing engagement with stakeholders on the Bill and the Minister will meet with representatives from businesses and trade unions later this week.

Key measures in the Good Jobs Bill include:

• A right for zero hours workers to move to a banded hours contract. But zero-hour contracts will still be allowed where work is genuinely casual or seasonal, and where that flexibility suits both employer and worker.
• Tips, gratuities and service charges are passed on to workers in full.
• Provide neonatal care leave and pay.
• Introduce a new entitlement to unpaid carer’s leave.
• Reform paternity leave.
• Strengthen redundancy protection for pregnant employees and those returning from family-related leave.

“The Good Jobs Bill reflects significant work to deliver a balanced and considered package of measures, representing the most significant reforms in a generation,” said the Minister.

“It introduces progressive changes to strengthen transparency and fairness from the very start of employment.

“Taken together, these measures set out a clear vision for the kind of economy and society we want to build, one that supports families, gives confidence to employers and benefits everyone.”

The post Archibald outlines what Good Jobs Bill means for employers, families and society first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Retail crime and crimes against businesses and staff have been an issue for the industry for decades. Indeed, so serious has it been for retailers here that a process began to protect shop workers from violence.

This new legislation, bringing a raft of changes to sentencing in Northern Ireland, was introduced to the Assembly at the end of February.

The Sentencing Bill, which has been brought forward by the Department of Justice, will deliver more stringent sentences for a range of offences and introduces a new offence and higher sentences for assaulting those providing a service to the public or performing a public duty, notably retail staff and shop workers.

The move has been welcomed by many in the sector, particularly given recent statistics on abuse of staff in the region over the last 12 months.

More than a quarter of shoppers in Northern Ireland (26%) have witnessed the verbal or physical abuse of shop staff in the past year, ranging from foul or derogatory language, racial or sexual abuse, physical assault or threats with weapons.

The shocking insight was revealed in the latest Northern Ireland Retail Consortium – Opinium survey and was markedly higher than the UK-wide figure of 21%.

There was a glimmer of positivity however, with just 12% of customers in Northern Ireland having witnessed shoplifting taking place, compared to 23% across the UK.

Meanwhile, retail trade union Usdaw published its findings from its annual survey of Northern Ireland retail staff, which found that abuse, threats and assaults remain higher than pre-covid levels in 2019.

Its survey of 180 Northern Irish retail staff found that in 2025 87% were verbally abused, 45% were threatened and 7% were assaulted. Indeed, Northern Ireland was the top region for staff enduring the highest rate of abuse.

Some staff revealed what they have endured, with one revealing that a drunk man kicked their inside thigh trying to aim for their privates, while they also had been punched, pushed and had things thrown at them. Another said they had been sexually assaulted multiple times of the years as well as enduring verbal abuse and being stalked by someone too.

The shocking statistics show that abuse and threats remain at high levels, while shoplifting has more than doubled since the pandemic.

“It is difficult to read these testimonies from Northern Ireland retail workers, but regrettably they are all too common, with nearly four in five retail workers suffering violence, threats or abuse,” said Usdaw general secretary, Joanne Thomas.

“No-one should feel afraid to go to work. Retail workers provide an essential service and should be respected and have the protection of the law.

“Violence and abuse are not an acceptable part of the job and much more neds to be done to protect retail workers,” she added.

The post Abuse of retail staff reaches ‘shocking levels’ first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Deputy president of the UFU, Clement Lynch said many pig farmers have been put on the back foot and many still face significant uncertainty.

“At the beginning of the year, Sofina chief executive, Ash Amirahmadi, addressed stakeholders at the Riddell Hall and outlined what appeared to be a positive vision and a range of plans for the pig sector,” he said.

“However, following those assurances, many farmers were informed that their pig contracts would not be renewed. That decision came as a major blow.

“We recognise that the pig market remains challenging, but there continues to be strong demand for pigs and there is no significant backlog within the system. Farmers are therefore questioning why these decisions are being made and, more importantly, what this means for the long-term future of their businesses.”

The UFU met with Sofina Foods on 27^th February to discuss a range of issues, including the company’s strategic plans for Northern Ireland. However, despite repeated calls for a follow-up meeting with CEO, Ash Amirahmadi, the UFU has yet to receive a response.

“The UFU has held initial discussions with Sofina, but disappointingly there has been no engagement from them since those meetings took place,” added Clement Lynch.

“The lack of communication and follow-up is simply not acceptable. Farmers are already under immense pressure from rising feed and fuel costs, and they need to know what the future holds for them so they can plan accordingly.”

The post Concern grows over future of NI pig sector as farmers await clarity first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Consideration of Commons amendments/reasons on the bill took place in the House of Lords on 20^th April, and with both Houses having agreed on the text of the Bill, it proceeded to the final stage, receiving Royal Assent on 29^th April, when it became an Act of Parliament (law).

This now means that children born after 1^st January 2009 now face a lifelong ban from purchasing cigarettes, as the government aims to create a smoke-free generation.

Additionally, from 29^th October 2026, it will also be illegal to sell non-nicotine vapes and other nicotine products to under 18s.

NI Assembly members had previously voted in support of the region’s inclusion in the Tobacco & Vapes Bill in February last year, following a plenary debate on the Legislative Consent Motion on the Bill.

There has been some concern and criticism of the bill, with the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association stating the generational ban “lacks common sense” while also completely disregarding the unintended consequences, with the UKVIA adding that while it supports the need to tackle youth sales, it was necessary not to ignore those adult smokers who turn to vapes in a bid to stop smoking.

National President of the Fed, Hetal Patel said that concerns remain, especially around the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes.

“Whilst this Bill has developed, we have engaged closely with the Government and MPs from all parties about the potential impact of changes including the Generational Smoking Ban and licence of tobacco retailers.

“We welcome societal changes which have seen a dramatic fall in cigarette smoking over the past half a century – from about 45% in the mid-1970s, to less than a quarter of that today – but are concerned that a generational smoking ban relating to cigarettes and taxation on vapes will lead to these products being driven underground into the black market. We also worry that licencing will hit legitimate retailers with costs and red tape, unless it is properly used as a deterrent to restrict rogue traders which give our high streets a bad name.

“We are calling on the government to quickly engage more closely with retailers about how the measures in the Bill will be implemented – particularly on the Generational Ban and Licencing – and to provide extra resources for law enforcement, especially local authority trading standards teams, so more can be done to tackle illicit tobacco.”

IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THE NEW LAW AND ITS IMPACTS IN MORE DETAIL – HOW WILL YOUR BUSINESS BE IMPACTED? LET US KNOW – CONTACT caroline.rainey@pentonmedia.co.uk

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