Established some 77 years ago, The Heatherlea is a mainstay of Bangor’s Main Street, proving itself to be a tried and tested destination spot for the discerning baked goods consumer.

Owners Paul and Patricia Getty came on board in 1990, full of “youthful enthusiasm and energy” and have expanded the business to the widely-known brand that it is today, with a café and deli and wholesale arm now part of the core structure of what The Heatherlea offers, as well as the critical and essential skills of its 40 staff.

“Our business is led by our people and our shared passion to bring great bread and pastries to our loyal and expanding customer base,” Paul told NR.

“We have a café and deli on our first site in Main Street and we feel that this enables us to showcase our produce and let our customers see our range displayed in the optimum environment.

“It further allows us to manifest that warm homely feeling that we would like customers to have when they eat our products. Whether they buy directly from us or from one of our local retailers who kindly stock Heatherlea goods, we hope this all leads to a unique Heatherlea taste.”

They opened the café and deli in 1990, with Paul describing them as a “fantastic addition” to the traditional Home Bakery at their Main Street site.

“It is great to welcome so many regular customers daily and we have seen a resurgence of visitors post-covid, particularly ex-pats who love to stock up on soda bread, potato bread and wheaten loaves to take home.”

The wholesale arm of the business is another means for bringing the taste of Heatherlea home and has grown steadily over the last 20 years, with independent stores and major local retailers who share their passion to bring local food to local people, all stocking their beloved products.

“We have a great range with our soda bread, pancakes and sausage rolls being favourites, closely followed by sourdoughs and our ever-popular traybakes, such as Rocky Roads and fruit slices, along with Viennese fingers, snowballs and almond cheesecakes.

“We are always looking for new ideas and the retail environment is a great test for products which can potentially move into our wholesale business.

“New ideas are plentiful with Pinterest and Facebook great resources although when we are on holiday we are always looking for local bakeries to see what they are doing.

“We are also lucky enough to have been left a number of handwritten recipe books by our predecessors, which are fantastic reference points.”

Inevitably, over the past 12 months The Heatherlea has contended with rising business costs, increases in ingredients prices and energy bills while trying to maintain a pricing structure suitable for their customers facing the same cost-of-living battles; Paul added their biggest challenge is staying on top of costs.

“We have switched most of our energy suppliers in the past year and continually follow international pricing of raw ingredient materials and try and bring pressure to bear on our suppliers, especially when we see international prices falling in certain categories and this not being reflected in what we can buy locally.

“There is a balance between what we can charge for a product and what expectations a consumer has,” added Paul.

“Unfortunately, ingredients and energy have both led to price rises and there are some lines which can no longer be cost effectively produced. We do feel that ingredient producers are not always aware of the impact of some of their price rises and how challenged many consumers are currently.”

Rising to these challenges however, is key for businesses, engaging with their customers and building lasting relationships with them.

“We use social media and special occasions such as Mother’s Day, Pancake Tuesday and St Patrick’s Day as opportunities to offer unique product purchases, which we believe help us create regular customers especially when they visit in store and see our range of baked goods.

“Technology allows us to monitor and develop our customer experience allowing us to have the correct amount of goods on shelf at the right time throughout the day and throughout the week.

“We are also able to manage our wholesale operation with the use of handheld portable devices which are cloud-based and all integrated into an agile back office platform.”

The Heatherlea beat off its competition at the 2023 Neighbourhood Retailer Awards, winning the title of Bakery of the Year for an impressive fourth time, a true testament to the longevity and success of the Bangor bakery, and the dedication and commitment of its team of 40.

“We are absolutely delighted to have won NR Bakery of the Year for the fourth time,” said Paul. “It is a strong endorsement of the effort put in by all at The Heatherlea over many years, indeed we have some staff who have remained with us since 1990 and worked in the business previous to us.

“We would like to thank every one of our staff and customers for their support in the past years and trust this will continue for many more years. We would also like to thank NR for the continued interest and support in the craft baking sector.”

TO READ THE FULL HEATHERLEA BAKERY FEATURE IN THE FEBRUARY-MARCH ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER, CLICK HERE

The post The Heatherlea – a baking institution first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The last five years have been a period of growth for McDade’s Centra Clogher, with an extensive renovation completed in 2019. A new forecourt was added and store expansion, all culminating in a significant boost to the local community and economy – and saw them Highly Commended in Forecourt of the Year Category 2 at last year’s NR Awards.

Owned by retailer John McDade, the store has developed substantially since taking over the site in 2007, with improved access, additional car parking and customer toilet facilities all introduced, providing enhanced convenience to local customers and commuters on the main Belfast to Enniskillen route.

While sales were modest when they first bought the site initially, the store soon gained momentum, which Wendy said was the result of hard work and responding to consumer needs.

“During the first couple of years we focused on extended opening hours, improving the product range, adding an off licence and developing a coffee and hot food operation,” said Wendy.

“In 2019 we added a new forecourt and renovated both out and up. We extended our storeroom, changed the overall layout of the retail store, moved and extended our deli, added a seated area and self-service tills and gained three large offices and a brand new canteen upstairs.

“We introduced an ice cream ‘corner’ that serves gelato ice cream, whippy, milkshakes and lots of other treats. We extended our coffee service by adding another machine, bringing us up to three Frank and Honest machines with lots of added offerings on display at the coffee dock.”

Seeking to improve even further and provide more convenience and offerings for their customers, they implemented a ‘mini refit’ last year.

“We felt the entrance to the shop itself needed to open up,” explained Wendy.

“We moved some confectionery shelving away from the entrance, which opened up a lovely big space. We installed two additional spider fridges here and got after ready meals.”

In addition, they made the tills, gelato counter and self-service tills more visible, thus improving the overall flow of their footfall, and added four bays of take-home snacks at the entrance of the off sales and a four-sided cube of hanging bag sweets.

“We have enjoyed great growth in impulse and convenience since then. We moved the home bakery stand and put real focus on timing of bakes as well as quality and merchandising. Again, this has allowed us to see significant growth in the department.”

There have been advances too in the technological aspect, with a Glory machine installed, which Wendy said has been a factor in reducing wages and inaccuracies with cash handling.

“The Kelsius system has also proven to be a great success for us,” added Wendy. “We now have a streamline, paperless system that allows us to sustain our high standards in cleanliness and food hygiene throughout the whole store.”

Most recently, they added an additional retail unit, Skipper Jacks, specialising in premium quality takeaway foods to complement their hot food operation on site.

“We have developed a Gourmet burger range and this, along with our unique recipe for freshly battered Skippers Cod, form the basis of the more popular options from our Skipper Jacks menu.

“The online ordering facility is proving very popular with repeat customers. 2024 will see us really pushing for more momentum here.”

On top of this is their popular deli, which Wendy adds is key when it comes to profit and margin.

“There are great opportunities there for high profit margins, albeit somewhat difficult to keep on top of all the variables within this department.

“Impulse lines are also a key driver for us. We have a lot of passing trade, so it’s important for us to use offering and strategic merchandising to maximise sales in this area. We have found that since covid, a lot of folk are having nights in rather than going out, so linking departments has worked really well for us, such as off sales and snacks.”

‘The online ordering facility is proving very popular with repeat customers. 2024 will see us really pushing for more momentum here’

As Wendy outlines, these offerings are just some of what makes McDade’s Centra stand out from its rivals.

“We have a lot of features in our store that set us apart. The building itself is a lovely space to shop, lots of car parking and we strive to provide all that the customer may need.

“The one thing that I would say stands out the most is our staff. We have a real mix of staff from long-standing members of 15 years and more, new staff who are just starting out and all that’s in between.

“We work hard to create a hard-working, fun culture. We all love the craic and that brings a good vibe, good attitudes and rubs off on the customers.

“Our department managers care about their departments. They take pride in overseeing and being the driving force behind those departments and are motivated when they see success and growth.

“We also make time to chat with our customers. We are very aware that some people come into us just for that and maybe are the only people they will see and talk to all day.”

Overall, Wendy adds, the majority of their staff want the business to thrive and are proud to be part of that success.

“That allows us to get the best out of our people and has proven to be the backbone of our business.”

With approximately 51 staff members at the store, Wendy’s 13 years of experience as store manager help ensure she can motivate and look after the whole team.

“I look after training in terms of enrolment on the Musgrave Training Institute. With regards to basic job training, I have senior members of staff who implement that for me, and then I monitor progress.

“I train department managers myself on the job, however most of them are long-standing, so I haven’t had to do that in a while.”

A qualified food technologist, retail was never a sector Wendy had planned to get into. It was during her studies that she worked part-time in a Centra close to where she lived.

“When I qualified, I needed a full-time position while I was on the look-out for lab work and I ended up working for John in his Ballygawley store. I had zero experience in management, in fact it frightened the life out of me, the thought of being in charge. He talked me into it and the rest is history.

“He moved me over to his Clogher store a year later and I have been there since – now he can’t get rid of me!”

It was a testament to John’s faith in Wendy and her adeptness and capabilities in the job that saw her enter and ultimately win the Store Manager of the Year Award at the 2023 Neighbourhood Retailer Awards, something she describes as a real shock.

“I just do my job every day and have never really thought of being awarded for doing so.

“During the process, I was uncomfortable talking about myself and what I bring to the table as store manager. However, afterwards I actually had a real sense of pride in myself and the team.

“We were delighted to get into the final and when John sent 12 of us to the awards night, we were buzzing! We were over the moon when the store got Highly Commended in one category and then I won my category.

“It was just a great night and it has given us the drive and motivation now to enter again next year and strive to win more awards – so watch out, McDade’s Centra Clogher are coming!”

Wendy’s commitment, drive and pride in her work are all evident and notably it’s her dedication to helping others succeed which comes to the fore.

“I love my job (most days!) I love the customers and the staff I work with. I love to see the business succeed year on year and I love having a key role in that success.

“However, one thing that always stands out for me is when we employ a young person who literally has no experience, is terrified and has no confidence in themselves. Through time and with some patience and perseverance they learn, gain more confidence and start coming out of themselves.

“They start to show real promise and all of a sudden, they have become a key member of staff, with a great attitude and a strong work ethic. This doesn’t happen all of the time, and it’s getting harder and harder to develop those people, but when you do and you see them in the future having great success of their own, that makes it all worth it. For me, that’s achievement.”

TO READ THE STORE PROFILE ON MCDADE’S CENTRA CLOGHER IN THE FEBRUARY-MARCH ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER, CLICK HERE

The post McDade’s Centra Clogher – hungry for more! first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

With its unique name, Lazy Claire Patisserie has been a talking point from the off, a play on words that continues to be a conversation-starter almost six years after opening. Specialising in authentic French pastries, Daniel knew he wanted to stand out.

“I had originally thought of another French sounding name but wasn’t sold on it. I wanted something fun and I knew we would be making eclairs as part of our main offering,” said Daniel.

“So, one night at dinner my partner and I were talking about a name and I can’t remember who mentioned “les eclairs” but when you say it out loud, the French pronunciation is nearly the same as ‘Lazy Claire’. That’s when the name was born and I knew we were onto something that would serve us well.”

Daniel began his pastry career at the former restaurant, No.27 Talbot Street. After it closed, he moved to Paris in September 2012, where he worked at the world-renowned tearoom and patisserie, Angelina. Having battled to get his visa to work, he worked at Angelina until September 2013, when he returned to Belfast and began planning on opening the most authentic patisserie in Northern Ireland.

“My experience in Paris was absolutely essential for our business model. Angelina at the time had at least six locations in and around Paris, so they sent items out to each shop in the morning.

“We were working on a very large scale and that was easy to scale down. But now that we are in our production kitchen, I have been able to expand back up with many of the same methods we used there.

“The production kitchen was always in my business plan from the very start. As I mentioned, Angelina had a massive production kitchen in the outskirts of Paris and I wanted something similar, although smaller! We were very limited in the quantities we could produce in our Castlereagh location and the timing finally worked in our favour to secure the location on the Beersbridge Road.

“Partnering with HSBC for a significant business loan, I fitted out the former butchers’ unit with all the equipment that we would need to increase both our current offering but also introducing some new items. This space allows for all the chefs to work at the same time without being on top of each other.”

Describing the early days after opening as exciting, Daniel added it was also tricky to determine how many pastries to make due to high demand.

“As with any new business we had to adapt constantly and figure out what worked well and what we needed to do better. Knowing that we were bringing authentic pastries to Belfast had been a goal of mine for a long time and the public responded overwhelmingly to what we were doing.

“Our business has expanded steadily over the past six years. Initially it was tricky getting in front of the public, mainly due to our location. But word of mouth spread and we gained a very loyal following and once the pandemic began, we had enough loyalty to keep us going.

“We pivoted from being a sit-in café to offering only takeaways, which helped with recognition since there was a queue out the door! After things settled down again, we continued to increase the quantities we were producing to keep up with demand. It was on the back of this demand that I determined that it was the right time to expand into our production kitchen.”

While corporate orders and catering are available, Daniel said they have no plans to add a wholesale arm to the business.

“We have been asked to supply wholesale from the very start, but I have always wanted to keep our offering in-house,” he explained. “This exclusivity allows us to deliver a very high-quality product since the pastries are made fresh on the day.

“Quality has always been at the forefront of our craft and that’s very hard to control once you pass that on to someone else. Will they store it correctly? Will they attempt to sell day-old pastries? The quality and freshness that we bring would be difficult to ensure when someone else stocks your product.”

With so much demand for the sweet baked goods, innovation is key to help keep people coming back for more.

“The most popular products in the bakery can change from week to week. Our customers are not afraid of trying something new and it can be really hard to pin down what our bestsellers are, especially when we nearly sell out every day!

“My personal favourite is either the Paris Brest, made with our homemade praline paste, or our newest Opéra cake with chocolate and coffee flavours.

“Coming up with new products or ideas can be tricky if I am pretty busy with the day-to-day production. However, I have found it much easier now that I have the space to work on my own in the new kitchen. But that challenge also comes with providing something innovative and that we haven’t done before.

“I try my best not to bring back past pastries, but if I can reinvent a favourite in a different way, this gives customers the flavours that they love. With so many holidays throughout the year, we always have to be on our toes coming up with something new, so I look at pastry magazines as well as Instagram for inspiration.”

With a team of four chefs including Daniel, there are also five front of house staff, all ensuring the smooth running of Lazy Claire Patisserie, with training offered at the start for their baristas to ensure they are all up to speed on customer service and coffee skills.

Their coffee supplier, Bailies also offers a training programme for baristas and that helps ensure that each one is performing to a great standard, Daniel added.

“For our chefs, training is pretty much on a daily basis. There is so much to teach and instruct on, so it’s very rare that they aren’t learning a new skill at least once a week.”

Indeed, with the opening of the production kitchen, Daniel has plans for another exciting development, offering customers the opportunity to expand their own skills by completing a pastry course.

“Our customers have been demanding pastry courses for as long as we’ve been open and I am very keen to offer this to the public. With TV shows like GBBO and Bake Off – The Professionals, the public are intrigued by and keen to know how pastry and baking works.

“I have also had some interest from fellow chefs who would like to learn more advanced techniques, so I would like to explore offering masterclasses as well.”

Inevitably, rising business and energy costs have had their impact, with Daniel saying that inflation and rising utility costs have definitely impacted them, and as their staff are also facing those costs, wages have had to be increased too.

“All of those costs have to be covered and we have to pass those along to the customer, unfortunately. But I have tried to keep those increases to a minimum so that we can still offer excellent pastries at value for money.

“It’s a fine balancing act of finding the same product that could be cheaper with a different supplier. While I absolutely would never use inferior products, I did find that one supplier offered a high-quality, own-brand chocolate at a good reduction in price.

“I am constantly looking at raw material costs and try to avoid expensive items if possible. And if we can make something cheaper than buying it in, then we absolutely will. For instance, we make our own marshmallows, hot chocolate and chai and this can help offset the higher costs of other items like vanilla and butter.”

Daniel added that for him, the biggest challenge is ensuring continued growth and maintaining their commitment to excellence throughout that.

“Many businesses can expand and scale up, but frequently it comes at an expense to quality and corners begin to get cut. Our dedication to high-quality pastries has never changed, but figuring out how to make more in the same space of time and with the same team can be very tricky to manage.

“Technology can assist in only so many ways before you lose the craft that a trained pastry chef will bring. We don’t rely too much on technology and still craft our pastries by hand.

“We do have updated machines to help with increasing quantities, but there is still an element of knowledge and expertise that needs to go into every step. Technology can help eliminate some steps, but it would take a massive production line to come close to the steps needed with most of our pastries.”

And it is these finely-honed skills that has led to some significant award nominations for Daniel, including Top 10 Pastry Chef and Best Chef nominations.

“I have been very honoured to have been nominated for a number of awards. Having my hard work and dedication to the craft acknowledged by respected partners is very rewarding.

“Although I have yet to actually win one of the categories, the growth our business has enjoyed has proven to me that it has been successful and that is the recognition that matters most.”

TO READ THE FULL LAZY CLAIRE PATISSERIE FEATURE IN THE 2024 NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER YEARBOOK AND MARKETING GUIDE, CLICK HERE

The post LCP – a slice of Paris in East Belfast first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Trading since 1936, Finaghy was Creightons first store and now stands as a south Belfast landmark, with the Creightons name now synonymous with community retailing.

When WG Creighton opened Finaghy Garage in autumn of 1936, there were just a couple of pumps, however it has since grown to become a 3000 sq ft EUROSPAR store featuring a Post Office, deli, car wash and fuel store. And while the company has remained focused on brand building, it has done so by following more traditional values – building trust, focusing on community, finding their own solutions and being prepared to take risks.

Owned by Niall Creighton and his sister, Gail Boyd the company now extends to four sites, with the acquisition of JD Hunter Markethill in August 2022, but it was at Finaghy where it all began.

Boasting over 200 staff across the whole business, Creightons of Finaghy has approximately 60 dedicated staff members, including Store Manager Alan Gilliland, who started with the company back in 2006.

“Originally from a Post Office background, I joined as the Post Office Manager. We transferred an existing Post Office from one mile away into a brand-new location within the store,” said Alan.

“All the most up-to-date technology and new services helped us win the best Post Office in the whole of the UK in 2008.

“Over the years my role developed, to becoming the Assistant Store Manager and then the Store Manager when Balmoral opened in 2016. No two days are ever the same, there is always a new challenge to keep us busy.

“Working with such a great team though makes all the hard work worthwhile and I can honestly say I enjoy coming to work every single day.”

COMMUNITY AT ITS CORE

As Alan tells NR, the family-run business has a very strong sense of community.

“We try to give our customers everything that they may need on a daily basis and we focus heavily on seasonal events, bringing theatre into the store with our flower offering and seasonal displays,” explained Alan.

“Additionally, we support many charities from Cancer Fund for Children and Northern Ireland Hospice to our latest focus, the Trussell Trust Food Bank. This has proven a huge success with our customers filling a large wooden trough full of essentials, which is collected weekly.”

This support from their customers is made all-the-more important for Creightons, as they are all too aware of the challenges facing consumers. While inflation may be slowing down, prices are still high with consumers continuing to make some difficult choices and remaining more considered in their grocery shop.

“Our biggest challenge at the moment is still the cost-of-living crisis. People are definitely shopping smarter and being careful with what they spend their money on.

“Although our footfall is up and our basket spend is similar to last year, our overall costs are also up. With the latest increase in the National Minimum Wage coming soon, it is more important than ever to keep our loyal customers coming back day after day by offering value for money and great customer service.”

AWARD-WINNING ETHOS

This determination and commitment to helping and supporting the community has remained steadfast over the years, and when it came to entering the 2023 Neighbourhood Retailer Awards, they had their sights set on the most important one for them.

“When we decided to enter into the awards, there was one category that we were determined to win. Creightons of Finaghy has been part of this community since 1936 and all our staff come from the local community.

“We support the local schools, sponsor the local football team and the Food Bank etc. The whole team buy into everything that we try and do, so we really wanted this one as a thank you to all the staff and to our loyal customers who support us every time we do something.”

Judges for the Community Store of the Year award were looking for 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.

At the NR Awards gala night on 20^th October last year, host Donna Traynor revealed the winner had given details of how their long-term commitment and successful fundraising had established them as an integral part of the local community. This was done through a range of initiatives, events and activities designed to support local charities, groups and individuals.

The judges added that Creightons had demonstrated how they have reacted quickly to current issues and made efforts to provide targeted support.

Following their win, Alan told NR he had felt absolute joy at hearing Finaghy being named Community Store of the Year.

“This was so important to all the team, as we had worked hard all year with various groups and organisations in our local community to try and help in some small way,” said Alan.

“This has really inspired us to carry on and make 2024 even more rewarding and we will continue to work closely with those groups that we formed a bond with last year.”

INVESTING AND IMPROVING

This community ethos was front and centre of Alan’s and the teams’ minds during the pandemic, with everyone working hard to ensure the shop was well stocked and their customers felt safe when shopping there during tight covid restrictions.

“Trading has been very strong both during and since covid,” said Alan.

“Like all retailers, covid was challenging but we did all we could to make the customers’ shopping experience as easy as possible and like many others, we introduced a free delivery service.

“This was greatly received and strengthened our standing within the local community. Since covid, sales have remained high with our customers still preferring to shop with us, keeping it local.”

This has been invigorating for the store, with previous and recent investments a key driver in maintaining footfall and rewarding customer loyalty with more variety and fresher produce.

“Over the last five years we have increased the size of our fresh and produce offering, and installed new fridges to drive sales of Creightons own brand and Henderson’s Tonight’s Tea range.

“We also introduced three self-checkouts, allowing us to take away two of our manned checkouts. This allowed us to increase and improve our confectionary range, which has grown sales by 30%.

“We also created more of a gifting area, allowing us to develop this range more. This was very successful over Christmas and will be a major benefit at Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter.

“The introduction of Shelf-Edge Labels, ASR and Relex has all helped to improve stock availability for customers and reduce staffing costs.”

Creightons has always embraced technology, using it to increase sales and efficiencies whilst also cutting costs, added Alan.

“Electronic Shelf-Edge Labels and self-checkouts are the best examples of this,” added Alan. “We are always looking at what is new out there and what other great retailers are doing for inspiration.”

TO VIEW THE FULL FEATURE ON CREIGHTONS OF FINAGHY IN THE 2024 NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER YEARBOOK AND MARKETING GUIDE, CLICK HERE

The post Creightons of Finaghy: synonymous with community retailing first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Nicholl Oil opened their new forecourt on the site in May 2020 with the shop built and left vacant until Lynch’s Foodstores took over the store in August 2021, when they commenced work developing their latest EUROSPAR store.

Requiring a full fit-out from scratch, it was all systems go, with an intense works schedule carried out in just under three months.

“It was roughly a year and a half in the planning,” said Alastair. “Work started in mid-August 2021 to fit out the store and 11 weeks later we opened our store to the public on time.

“On completion of the store, we opened on Thursday 21^st October with the old Centra store closing on 20^th October. In early 2022 the old store was demolished with four new units replacing the old building and additional car parking added.”

The store now stands at 5900 sq ft with a Nicholl Auto 365 24hr forecourt on site. Fifty-six local staff work in the Greysteel store, headed up by store manager, Gregory Nicholl, with Gregory and 15 staff members coming across from the old Nicholl’s Centra store at the time Lynch’s opened, with most of these staff members still working in the store.

MODERN SERVICES

Bringing a host of up-to-date services to the area, the Greysteel facility has a forecourt providing diesel, unleaded, Ad Blue, HVO Renewable diesel and kero, airline and water facilities, vacuum system and air freshness unit, coal, logs and sticks, 80 free car parking spaces, customer toilets, electric car charging point, external ATM, Post Office and mail drop-off facilities, PayPoint and Lottery.

Their in-store offerings include butchery, Lynch’s own brand ready meals, hot and cold deli food to go, double coffee machine, produce, chilled foods, bread and cakes, grocery, frozen, Scoop ice cream, Tango Ice Blast, news and magazines, tobacco and vaping and free home deliveries.

The eighth store acquired by Lynch’s Foodstores group, Alastair said the village in Greysteel was “overdue” the new store opening.

“The old store on the site was well past its time and lacked investment. The locals come from all around to shop our store,” said Alastair.

“With 80 free car parking spaces customers find our store easy to access and shop freely. Setting and maintaining the highest of standards is critical to the success of our business.”

AWARD WINS

Fending off the competition at the Crowne Plaza Belfast on Friday 20^th October, Alastair and Gregory were on-hand to collect the Newcomer of the Year award at the 2023 Neighbourhood Retailer Awards, and afterwards spoke of their delight at the win.

“It’s a genuine pleasure for myself as the Area Manager to see our staff recognised and rewarded for their continuously high levels of service to their customers and their community and these awards are recognition for all of them,” said Alastair.

“You cannot operate without good people, and we are very lucky in that respect. Our staff are well known in the community and that is a big draw for our customers, when they see familiar faces then they come into the shop.

“As the Area Manager of this store, the team at Greysteel deserved the recognition for their hard work and dedication, which has been a key factor in winning the Newcomer of the Year award. Following on from our success at the UK Retail Industry Awards and UK Forecourt Trader awards, this latest success has just capped off what has been a truly rewarding year for everyone associated with our Greysteel store.

“We were delighted to win Newcomer of the Year. It was great for the team to get the recognition they deserve, given the quality of all this year’s finalists and they got lots of praise on social media from our customers for winning such a high-profile award.”

In August this year, they moved across to Henderson’s ASR Rexel ordering system for grocery, tobacco and frozen, a move Alastair said has seen them reap the benefits.

“It implemented a true sales-based planogram and completely automated ordering system. Whilst it is like the previous system, this new system is more precise and has taken not only these categories, but the rest of the store to the next level on many fronts.

“With the new system, we are first to market with new lines and this keeps our range current and fresh. We quickly saw the benefits as we truly hit 24/7 availability and resulting growth of extra sales especially around delivery days where the faster lines, at times, were out of stock on the morning of a delivery.

“This has also made working stock more efficient and also reduced overall stock holding, freeing up some capital back into the business.

“We have plans in early 2024 to introduce self-scanning check-outs and electronic shelf edge labels which we introduced to our recently renovated Trench Road store last month. Even though we are only a month into working with this new technology, we can see the massive benefits to our business, with a full roll-out next year across most of our stores planned.

“We receive six fresh orders a week and in May of this year we moved to same-day delivery for fresh. We can now place an order by 10am and this delivery is dropped into our store later that same day, meaning ordering is more accurate and minimising any gaps in our fresh range.”

‘The team at Greysteel deserved the recognition for their hard work and dedication’

Technology is an important tool across all aspects of business, with social media an increasingly vital part of the job for independent retailers, allowing for immediate contact with their customers, building and establishing relationships.

“Social media is an important tool and the impact is huge,” said Alastair.

“We actively post daily and our store team all contribute to the content we post. Obviously, it’s great to be able to promote our deli, new products and promotions, but we find it’s a great way to build a sense of community with our customers.

“A great example of this was our coffee morning in September for Cancer Fund for Children NI. Our staff really got behind this event and by engaging with our customers on social media in the lead up to this event we created a buzz in the store that morning, which helped us smash our 2022 figure and we raised over £11,763 for such a great cause.”

CHALLENGES

With 452 staff employed across their head office and nine stores, Lynch’s know better than most the financial challenges the industry is facing, as Alastair explained they have made concerted efforts where they can to address these challenges.

“Inevitably, we face increasing energy costs, like so many other retailers and we are making continued efforts to manage costs where possible. Everybody knows the challenges with energy costs spiralling and it has been hard to handle over the last year or so.

“We have done everything we can in store in terms of making efficiencies, efficient air conditioning, LED lighting and we have energy efficient refrigeration.

“We have a supermarket price file and Tesco Price Match on over 1000 lines. We provide a competitive price model for our customers with regular manager specials which are run across all Lynch stores.

“We are a community supermarket facility with a very good pricing structure, but there is no doubt there has been food inflation across the board. Our customers are very savvy and it’s in nobody’s interests to look at this as an opportunity to increase prices, our customers will not forget that in the long run.

“There is no doubt that we have a lot of customers who shop regularly and shop more often. We have a great supply from Henderson’s and we have six days a week delivery of fresh food with same day delivery by ordering before 10am and receiving this delivery later that day. This means that our availability and product freshness is first class.

“However, despite this, one of the main challenges we face in our business is bringing in new people to the industry. Our biggest issue is getting manpower, be it deli staff, sales assistants or floor managers, this remains a big challenge for everyone in our sector.”

Amidst these challenges, Lynch’s continues to enjoy success and growth and recently opened their renovated Trench Road store, which was upgraded from a SPAR to EUROSPAR. With some small cosmetic work still to be carried out and the snagging list to complete, Alastair said they are delighted to be at the “finishing touches stage”.

“This was a major undertaking and investment in the site which seen our store size increase by 60% to create a new bright, fresh, spacious modern store.

“Its host of offerings include a deli and hot food counters, butchery, an ice cream counter, a Barista Bar coffee stand and a range of Lynch’s pre-packed meats and fresh food for consumer convenience. Self-service checkouts offer shoppers further convenience when they’re pressed for time.”

New to the store are the Glory Cash Management System, both back of house and customer facing, as well as Electronic Edge of Shelf Labelling and ASR software operated by Relex Solutions.

“It has been a tough and testing schedule of works on this store and the site remained open for trading during the work with some challenging days during the course of the 10 weeks of work,” added Alastair.

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