Our cover story is a special interview with new Managing Director of Henderson Wholesale, Noel Hegarty. NR spoke to Noel to find out his main aims and plans for the business amid a changing of the guard.

Inside this issue, it’s our annual Top 100 brand footprint, in association with Worldpanel by Numerator. Emer Healy, Business Development Director at Worldpanel talks us through the movers and shakers this year and which brands are excelling at the point of purchase.

There is also reaction to the planning approval for a brand-new Sainsbury’s store in Omagh. The supermarket’s first store in the town has attracted attention due to the planning process behind it – we speak to representatives to find out more.

Elsewhere, the owner of Nearby Curran Road, William Noble tells NR about his desire to bring something into his local community and outlines his aims for the new business.

As well as all the latest news and exciting NPD, don’t forget to check out our exclusive feature focusing on the work carried out by dedicated store managers across Northern Ireland.

YOU CAN READ ALL THIS AND MUCH MORE IN THE AUGUST-SEPTEMBER ISSUE HERE!

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The UK convenience sector may be experiencing slower overall growth, but one category continues to outperform – food-to-go.

According to Lumina Intelligence, their latest data identifies increasing consumer demand for convenient meal solutions, healthier snacks and immediate consumption occasions. As households remain under financial pressure, shoppers are increasingly trading down from eating out. Nevertheless, they are still seeking quality, convenient meals.

Retailers are responding by transforming store layouts and investing in destination food-to-go zones. Leading fascias including Costcutter, Best-One, Premier and SPAR are expanding their foodservice offers. These expansion plans include hot food counters, bakeries, barista coffee stations and meal deal propositions.

The opportunity is particularly strong among “Grab-and-Go Families”, an affluent customer segment that now accounts for a growing share of convenience spending. These shoppers value speed, quality and convenience, making them highly receptive to premium meal solutions and healthier grab-and-go options.

Health trends are also reshaping the category. As demand grows for protein-rich foods, nutrient-dense meals and functional beverages, convenience retailers have an opportunity to move beyond traditional sandwiches and snacks. Consumers increasingly expect healthier options that deliver both value and convenience.
Technology is supporting growth too. Self-service coffee machines, smart vending solutions and digital loyalty programmes are helping stores improve efficiency while enhancing customer experience.

With convenience shoppers making more frequent top-up trips and seeking quick meal solutions throughout the day, food-to-go is rapidly becoming a core growth driver that retailers can use to increase footfall, basket spend and customer loyalty.

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The partnership brings together two brands with strong growth momentum, rooted in fitness and community and united by a shared belief in the power of everyday achievers – from first-time competitors to seasoned athletes.

Through the partnership, CELSIUS will bring its LIVE.FIT.GO. platform to life by creating experiences at the intersection of fitness and culture that celebrate movement, progress, and the ambition to own your goals. CELSIUS will connect with ATHX participants through a premium branded zone experience and product sampling across select competitions.

ATHX Birmingham, held on 22^nd and 23^rd August 2026, marked the start of the partnership, bringing CELSIUS to the heart of the ATHX community. The ATHX Games will arrive in Dublin on 12^th and 13^th June 2027 at RDS Dublin.

Julien Scheubel, Head of Brand – Europe at Celsius said: “CELSIUS® is built for people who are motivated to keep moving and make every day count.

“We are excited to become the Official Energy Drink Partner of ATHX, a brand that shares the belief in the power of community and in making fitness more welcoming, rewarding, and relevant to everyday achievers.

“We can’t wait to bring our LIVE.FIT.GO. platform to life together, supporting participants as they take on their goals.”

Founded in the UK in 2023, ATHX has experienced threefold growth in competitor numbers over the past three years and expects more than 40,000 participants across its events in 2026. CELSIUS plans to expand alongside ATHX as it looks to bring its competition beyond Europe.

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New research from The National Lottery has unveiled some of the UK’s best-loved seaside destinations and airport locations become Lottery hotspots during the summer months.

The findings show that coastal towns across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland enjoy significant increases in National Lottery retail sales during July and August, suggesting that sunshine, time off with family and friends, and that unmistakable holiday feeling can fuel a sense of optimism.

Airport retail outlets also recorded strong growth in National Lottery sales during July and August, suggesting that the feel-good holiday mindset leaves travellers feeling more optimistic and more likely to embrace a sense of possibility.

Whether enjoying a day at the beach or returning home from a summer getaway, people appear to be feeling more positive, hopeful and inclined to dream big, with many extending that holiday feel-good factor by crossing their fingers and imagining what it would be like to win a life-changing National Lottery prize.

Leading the pack for coastal towns is the picturesque Cornish harbour town of Padstow, where National Lottery sales during July and August 2025 were 27.3% higher than across the rest of the year.

It is not the only seaside locations where holidaymakers appear to be feeling lucky. Portrush in Northern Ireland recorded a 23.0% uplift, while Tenby in Wales saw sales increase by 21.8%. Fellow Cornish favourite St Ives also enjoyed a significant summer boost, with sales rising by 19.5%.

Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at The National Lottery said: “Whether it’s a family holiday in Wales, fish and chips on the Cornwall coast or a long-awaited summer getaway, our findings suggest that summer is the season when the nation really gets that ‘fingers crossed’ feeling.

“Being on holiday often gives people the chance to switch off from everyday life and dream a little bigger. It’s fascinating to see that reflected in National Lottery sales last year across some of Britain’s most popular destinations, and we’re seeing the same trend in sales so far this summer.

“And with New Lotto now making more millionaires than ever before, with more than 100 millionaires already created this year, there’s never been a better moment to believe that it could be you.”

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With a well-established background in the bakery industry and a wealth of experience ranging from Dublin Airport to Australia via Skinny Batch Bakery, Thomas Roffey was not short on eagerness, determination and drive to open his own business.

As a head pastry chef in Australia for a time, he realised this was something he wanted to do himself, with a dream to open his own bakery. In 2024, he returned home to do just that, establishing Gullion Bakery with his father.

And despite a somewhat rocky start, Gullion Bakery is thriving and earlier this year, Thomas and his father opened a second outlet, in Newry city – Golden Fold. As Thomas told NR, he set out to do achieve something his competitors weren’t.

“What we are doing is different from our competitors, we are doing deliveries seven days a week and we are making seven days a week. We are making all our products fresh each day and we can bring those directly to our customers every day,” said Thomas.

All products sold in Gullion Bakery and Golden Fold are handmade, using fresh ingredients, with Thomas and his team making the pastry from scratch each morning.

“There is nowhere within 50km of us doing anything like that, so it’s very unique,” added Thomas. “That is a really good selling point for us.

“People are pleased with the quality of the goods we are baking; they are getting used to what we are doing, which is trying to disrupt people’s habits.”

Building up a core customer base and establishing an ever-growing list of wholesale clients, Thomas acknowledged the very early days left him unsure as to whether he had made the right decision.

“It was really hard and difficult to get set up. We had a limited budget and we did as much of the work ourselves as we could to the best of our ability, and they were long hard days at the start.

“People tell you it will be hard, but they were 15-16 hour-days, six days a week. It really does test you, but after a while it makes it all worthwhile and it is paying off.

“At the very start after we opened, we were very quiet, nobody really knew we were there and I remember sitting with my dad looking at an empty shop on a Saturday afternoon and wondering if we had done the right thing. But soon people started to get to know us and discover what we do, we have built up that customer base, but it does take time to build your name and reputation.

“It is quite daunting to do something like this. It’s scary to take all your savings and try to set something up,” he added.

“You are wondering if people are going to come and for the first while they didn’t come, but we are very busy now and it was all worth it. We are very busy now supplying a lot of wholesale goods, coffee shops are wanting to buy fresh, top-quality items and we can deliver those to them every day.”

Having set up in 2024, Thomas couldn’t have foreseen what was to come in the Autumn Budget, with SMEs particularly hard hit with increasing National Insurance contributions and rising wage bills. With a dedicated team of 16 staff employed, he told NR he has tried to take on those challenges as best he can.

“Rising wage costs are certainly difficult and something that I was not ready for when I first opened Gullion Bakery. It is going to be the smaller businesses who are going to take the hit with those wage bills,” he said.

“It is an easy way for the government to raise money, and the tough part of that is the National Insurance contributions, it makes the difference between everything going well and being just above water.”

With a commitment to focusing on fresh, quality products, Thomas added that he always has a close eye on the latest trends or hits in the food sector.

“Trends move so fast, but I would love to lead the charge with pastries. We have more different products and we are trying to make it a bit more special.”

Having attended and took part in IFEX earlier this year, Thomas said it was an experience he really enjoyed.

“It was something different. I am not used to being in front of the camera like that, and I have to say I would love to do something more like that in the future. It was also good for the business as I could show those attending the quality of what we are doing.

“We recently just hit our maximum capacity in terms of what we can make for our wholesale distribution,” he added.

“It is great for the business and great that our name and reputation is out there now but that does mean working 16-17 hour-days, six days a week for two to three months, which a lot of people do not see going on behind the scenes. So, I have just hired someone to take that load off me.

“People don’t see the 2.30am starts and the work that has been done before you even open your doors. Social media does help with that as we can show some of what we do. But it’s still quite frustrating, as we do have people coming in and asking where we get our pastry from. We are showing them this way that we can making it fresh ourselves every day, we want them to see the process step by step and to appreciate that.”

READ THE FULL FEATURE ON GULLION BAKERY IN THE JUNE-JULY ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

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