McCullaghs are hat-trick heroes!

It was three-in-a-row for McCullagh’s Classic Service Station, Omagh when they claimed the Forecourt of the Year Cat 2 award for the third consecutive year at the 2024 NR Awards. Co-director, Jonathan McCullagh tells NR of the thrill of winning and the constant commitment to satisfying customer needs.

Praised for their comprehensive range of services, both at the pump and in the store by 2024 NR Awards judges, McCullagh’s Classic Service Station has worked hard to maintain their own exceptionally high standards from their first Forecourt of the Year Cat 2 award win in 2022.

That was an especially successful year for the store, as Jonathan and his brother and business partner, Terry were also crowned the Northern Ireland Retailer of the Year, something they described as being “the pinnacle of their retail career”.

Established over 30 years ago by their parents, Terence and Briege McCullagh, both Jonathan and Terry worked in the store from a young age. Inevitably, over those 30 years the family has witnessed and overseen some major changes in the retail industry and in their store specifically.

With the growth of competition in Omagh and some close to their own shop, the family has worked hard to hold on to their coveted and important position in the local community.

“When our parents first started the business, there was hardly any competition. In those 30+ years, there has been an Asda open just opposite us, a Lidl, Home Bargains, a KFC and McDonald’s have all opened within a stone’s throw of our store,” said Jonathan.

In order to survive and grow, the family invested in the business, which of course involved expansion. Having undergone two full knockdowns and rebuilds, focusing on their unique selling points to set them apart from the competition, McCullagh’s Classic has worked hard on their food to go, customer service and fuel and being able to offer everything under one roof.

It’s a strategy that has paid off, with judges in the 2024 Neighbourhood Retailer Awards praising the store for being well organised for convenience, adding it exceeds all expectations in every way.

Jonathan said the thrill of winning the award for the third time was wonderful.

“It’s something which ourselves and the team are incredibly proud of,” he said.

“Everyone puts a huge amount of effort into making our business the best it can possibly be and to win the award for three years on the bounce is just amazing – it shows the dedication and commitment to our high standards are reaping the rewards.

“We come from humble retail beginnings, so these award wins are something which we always aspire to and will never take for granted. The standard of competition in the market is exceptionally high.

“It’s amazing to get the recognition from the industry we are in and our team are extremely proud of their achievements.”

Having enjoyed a “brilliant Christmas trading period”, Jonathan said their sales were up and average basket spends were also up.

“Fresh participation was at an all-time high,” he added. “Customers are looking for good value, great quality and excellent service and we aim to provide all three.”

Jonathan had previously described their winning edge as lying in their commitment to maintain exceptionally high standards and attention to detail in all departments.

READ THE FULL FEATURE ON MCCULLAGH’S CLASSIC SERVICE STATION IN THE FEBRUARY-MARCH ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE