NI newsagents awarded for in-store and delivery services to community
Two Northern Ireland newsagents are celebrating after collecting top awards from one of Europe’s biggest employers’ associations.
Julie Brown, who owns Livingstones Newsagents in Newtownards, was named the Home News Delivery (HND) Retailer of the Year at the 2025 Fed Awards. This follows her being crowned Newsagent of the Year at last year’s ceremony.
Julie’s award was presented by Shaun Jones, head of circulation at award sponsor, DMGT (Daily Mail).
Judges said Julie’s “strong marketing of the service in store and great team ethos among the delivery staff” set her apart from the competition.
“For over 20 years, she has offered HND over a 10-mile radius and to 150 homes,” added the judges.
“As well as newspapers and magazines, the deliverers carry milk and bread for the more elderly and vulnerable customers. And if a HND customer calls them directly, asking for stamps or any other product, they will happily deliver.”
Julie said she was absolutely delighted to win the award.
“This is so exciting, we are chuffed to bits. It just makes all the hard work and early mornings all worth it,” she said.
Meanwhile, Hamilton News saw off competition from across the UK and Ireland to be named Parcel Retailer of the Year.
Following on from her success as HND Retailer of the Year in 2024, owner of Hamilton News, Judy Mercer was presented with her 2025 award by category sponsor, InPost UK’s head of network sales, Matthew Fearn.
Judges were impressed with Judy’s entry to the category, stating it “illustrated simplicity in how to best manage and be successful in this fast-growing category”.
The judges were also impressed with how practical staff training regularly took place, and “customer experience was not just seamless but participative too”.
“Hamilton News has become a trusted destination for parcel services, handling over 3000 parcels per week – and it’s easy to see why,” they added.
“With early opening hours, fast service, and friendly staff trained to keep things simple, sending and collecting parcels here is stress-free, efficient, and right in the heart of the community.”
Judy said she was absolutely delighted to win the award and thanked the Fed for a great night.
“It’s lovely when every year you’re among your peers and they decide that you have worked hard all year round, and we really have done this year with parcels, so it is just the icing on the cake to be named Parcel Retailer of the Year,” said Judy.
