Wendy, who is store manager at McDade’s Centra Clogher, impressed the independent judging panel following a rigorous judging process.

The Store Manager of the Year is a very competitive category, as each candidate is eager to highlight their commitment to their respective stores, with finalists undergoing written and interview assessments.

All stores in this category were mystery shopped with judges describing the standard of candidates as “extremely high”.

However, Wendy stood out to the judges with her approach to running the store.

“Their clear focus on key business drivers and willingness to tackle challenges has resulted in significant business success,” said the judges.

It was an exciting night for McDade’s Centra, as they were also Highly Commended in the Forecourt of the Year Cat 2 category, with judges praising the store and staff for their achievements in this sector.

Independently judged by Spotcheck, the awards were judged to exacting standards over a three-month period.

The Neighbourhood Retailer Awards reward excellence, recognise achievement, raise industry standards, and reward entrepreneurial spirit and are Northern Ireland’s most prestigious retail awards.

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Neighbourhood Retailer Awards 2024

Award Criteria

Retailer of the Year

The Retailer of the Year is selected from the top performers in the previous categories focusing on a number of key areas –

• The quality and extent of the services and facilities provided by the store.
• Staff development and investment in training and development to enable staff to deliver business success.
• Customer care and community support – evidence that the store takes customer care seriously and is always striving to improve.
• Competitive edge, innovation, and ability to respond successfully to challenges.

Judges are looking for business excellence in all aspects of running a retail store that has differentiated itself from the competition with a unique approach creating an outstanding customer experience every visit.

CTN of the Year

Sponsored by:

The category is specifically for confectionary, tobacco and newsagent stores and not general convenience stores. The judges will be looking for a CTN, which clearly meets the needs of its customers and stocks an extensive variety of CTN products. The specific criteria will include the following: –

• Product range, available services and facilities, access, and parking.
• Merchandising and display including layout, signage, and presentation.
• Customer service including staff availability, efficiency, specialist product knowledge and level of staff engagement.

Neighbourhood Store of the Year

Each store entered will be required to identify the size category into which it fits. The process will judge how well the product range and services reflect the size of the store.

Judges will consider all aspects of the retail offering which will include;

• Convenience in terms of opening hours, product range, available services and facilities, access, and parking.
• Merchandising and display including layout, signage, and presentation.
• Customer service including staff availability, efficiency, product knowledge level of staff engagement.
• Use of technology to enhance the customer experience

Stores will gain higher scores by providing value added services which customers may not expect to find. These categories will be judged initially photographs/video submission.

Stores will gain higher scores by providing value added services which customers may not expect to find. These categories will be judged initially photographs/video submission.

Neighbourhood Store of the Year

Category 1 – Convenience Store up to 1950sq ft.

Sponsored by:

This category is open to all convenience store with a selling area of less than 1950sq ft.

Neighbourhood Store of the Year

Category 2 – Convenience store 1951-3950sq ft.

Sponsored by:

This category is open to all convenience stores with a selling area of between 1951sq ft and 3950sq ft.

Neighbourhood Store of the Year

Category 3 – Convenience store 3951sq ft – 7000sq ft.

Sponsored by:

This category is open to all convenience stores with a selling area of between 3951sq ft and 7000sq ft.

Neighbourhood Store of the Year

Category 4 – Convenience store over 7001sq ft.

Sponsored by:

This category is open to all convenience stores with a selling area of over 7000sq ft.

Butcher of the Year

This category is open to all independent butcher shops or in store butchers that can demonstrate expertise in their craft. Judges will be looking for an innovative and exciting range of products coupled with expert product knowledge and outstanding customer care. Stores will be judged on the merchandising and presentation, counter services and pre-pack offering, quality of products and value for money. Customer service, hygiene standards and specialist product knowledge will be taken into consideration when judging this award.

Fresh Food Store of the Year

This award is designed to recognise the best in fresh food retailing. The winner of this award will be a thriving fresh food store offering some or all of the following – fruit and veg, meat, fish and poultry, dairy, and baked goods. Judges will be looking for quality, seasonality, use of local produce and outstanding retail display. Entrants must be able to show a clear commitment to excellence in fresh food provision across all areas of the store.

Digital Marketing Campaign of the Year

This award is open to all stores who can demonstrate their use of a broad range of technology to deliver an outstanding customer experience. This could be through online grocery retailing, social media, and digital marketing or in store applications such as self-checkout, and media screens.

Newcomer of the Year

This category will be judged against the appropriate criteria for the type and size of the store and must be in business not more than two years up to and including 30th June 2022.

Judges will consider all aspects of the retail offering which will include;

• Convenience in terms of opening hours, product range, available services and facilities, access, and parking.
• Merchandising and display including layout, signage, and presentation.
• Customer service including staff availability, efficiency, product knowledge level of staff engagement.
• Use of technology to enhance the customer experience

Off Licence of the Year

This award is open to all off licensed premises. The judges will be looking for an off licence that clearly meets the needs of its customers and stocks an extensive variety of wines, beers, spirits, and related products. Judges will be looking for exceptional customer service, staff with extensive product knowledge, and outstanding in store merchandising and display.

Community Store of the Year

Sponsored by:

This award is designed to recognise stores who have engaged with and supported the local community, providing a wide range of services and products to meet the need of their customers. One store from each county and two stores from Belfast will be chosen by the editorial team at Penton Publications to compete in this category. Stores will be judged by public vote and customers will be able to vote either in store or by social media. The winner of the award will be the store with the most votes.

Forecourt of the Year

Each forecourt with adjoining convenience store entered will be required to clearly identify the size category into which it fits. Judges of this category will assess the levels of forecourt standards as appropriate to the size of the site and store.

This will include:

• A clean and attractive forecourt area with convenient and well-maintained services.
• An inviting and well stocked convenience store which provides an exceptional shopping experience.

The process will judge how well the product range and services reflect the size of the store and forecourt and entrants will gain higher scores by providing value added services which enhance the customer experience on the forecourt and in the store.

Forecourt of the Year

Category 1 – Forecourt with C Store up to 1950sq ft

This category is open to any forecourt with a convenience store which is less than 1950sq ft in selling floor area.

Forecourt of the Year

Category 2 – Forecourt with C Store over 1951sq ft.

Sponsored by:

This category is open to any forecourt with a convenience store which is larger than 1951 sq. ft. in selling floor area.

Store Manager of the Year

This award is open to all owners or managers of forecourt and convenience store sites who have a minimum of 2 years at store management level at 30^th June 2022. Candidates for this award can be nominated or self-nominate. Candidates will be asked to give evidence of measurable business success, their ability to manage and develop staff, their focus on customer service and their innovative and successful approach to improving business performance in all areas. All entrants will be asked to complete a written submission which will be judged by a panel of industry experts. Short listed candidates will be invited to interview.

Best Customer Service

This award is open to all stores, who can demonstrate how they consistently rise successfully to this challenge by providing their customers with a first-class retail experience

The winner will be able to demonstrate their individuality and innovation and a real understanding of their customer base in all aspects of their offering.

Mystery shoppers will visit to experience your store as your customers do. They will report on all aspects of the customer journey:

The mystery shopper will pay particular attention to the initial impact of the store – window displays, special offers, how the staff interact with customers, the range of services provided and how the store exceeds customer expectations.

Bakery of the Year

This category is open to all independent bakeries or in store bakeries that provide a range of products that keep their customers coming back. Judges will be looking for both innovative and traditional products to suit customer demand. Stores will be judged on the merchandising and presentation, counter services and pre-pack offering, quality, freshness, and value for money. Customer service, hygiene standards and specialist product knowledge will be taken into consideration when judging this award.

Food to Go Store of the Year

The judges will be looking for an in-store deli or stand-alone deli that clearly meets and exceeds the requirements of its customers. They will be looking for innovative choices and visual impact in terms of the hot and cold food offering as well as quality of the food and value for money. Customer service, hygiene standards and specialist product knowledge will be taken into consideration when judging this award.

New Product Launch of the Year

This award is open to any business that has introduced a new product to the retail, foodservice, or forecourt markets in an innovative way to reach their marketplace effectively and successfully. Entrants should give evidence of the content, the types of different media used, the results achieved and how these have increased awareness, attracted new customers, and increased sales. This award will be judged by written submission.

Sustainability Champion of the Year

Lifetime Achievement Award

The Lifetime Achievement Award is decided by the Neighbourhood Retailer editorial board. While the board may nominate an individual based on their perceived contribution to the industry, nominations and self-nominations are welcome.

The post 2024 Awards Categories first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Now in their 27th year, the NR Awards are Northern Ireland’s most prestigious awards for the retail industry and the annual focal point for all retailers, brand owners, service providers and all top executives.

Winning a Neighbourhood Retailer gong is a benchmark of success and it is a highly coveted prize within the industry as well as being highly motivational for the entire retail team. 

There are 21 unique categories which will attract 600 entries and the competition continues to help raise industry standards.

The dynamic behind the NR Awards is Neighbourhood Retailer magazine, now published monthly in digital format with more than 8,000 e-subscribers and a monthly reach of 85,869 across all digital assets – magazine, website, e-newsletter (INsight) and social media. 

Neighbourhood Retailer is the leading magazine for NI’s grocery trade reaching all decision makers in supermarkets, independent grocers, symbols, garage forecourts, deli’s, butchers, pharmacies, off licenses etc. 

BOOK TODAY 

There are great rewards for all winners…

The Neighbourhood Retailer Gala Awards Dinner is an opportunity to celebrate success, while networking with all the key decision makers in the industry.

All awards are independently judged to the highest standards by Spotcheck NI.

All finalists are complimentary VIP guests at the NR Gala Awards Dinner on Friday 18th October 2024.

Winners will receive:

• A specially commissioned Neighbourhood Retailer winners gong
• Comprehensive media coverage for their business in local and national media
• High profile association with Northern Ireland’s most prestigious retailing awards
• A fabulous business profile in Neighbourhood Retailer magazine
• Extensive social media coverage in the days and weeks following the Gala Awards Dinner

The post NR Gala Awards Dinner 2024 first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The NR Awards are Northern Ireland’s most prestigious awards for the retail industry and a major focal point for all retailers, brands owners, service providers and top executives.

With unique industry categories, the NR Awards draw entries from more than 600 of Northern Ireland’s top retailers, all vying to be the best at what they do.

Everyone at Neighbourhood Retailer is excited to launch this year’s awards in our next issue, with the date for the gala night also set to be revealed.

Since the awards were launched back in 1998, they have grown into the must-attend ceremony, and the perfect place to meet and greet, giving you the chance to network and celebrate with your colleagues right across the industry.

We are looking forward to giving you all the details of this year’s autumn awards night, when all the big names in NI’s independent retail sector will gather at a star-studded ceremony to celebrate all that is ground-breaking and innovative on the shop floor.

The post Neighbourhood Retailer Awards return this autumn! first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.