Recognised for his drive and determination by judges, John Fox was praised for working tirelessly to achieve concrete goals, partnering closely with his team to deliver exceptional results.

Evidence of this can be seen throughout the County Down store, which is completing an extensive expansion and redevelopment, with John’s commitment to improving the offering the store provides to its customers and consideration for consumer demands all having been taken into account in the process.

Judges said resting on his laurels was not in John’s vocabulary, with his sights set on ambitious targets to take the store to new heights. Overseeing the redevelopment at the store, John has been central to ensuring that feedback from customers helps form the basis of improvements.

Ahead of the works beginning last September, John and the team asked customers for their input and feedback on what they wanted in the store, what could be done better and what was being pushed too much.

“Customers were asking for our own meals, more parking, more offering of fresh foods and an in-store bakery,” said John.

“We have launched our own in-store production kitchen, the eighth in-store one for Henderson’s.

“We have put so much into it and seeing it being recognised now is very rewarding and a great boost to know you’re getting it right.”

Describing his award win as “fantastic”, John said it was a special night catching up with many familiar faces within the industry here.

“You cannot put into words what it’s like to win when you are there. When my name was called out in the shortlist, there were so many cheers, I couldn’t believe it,” he said.

“When my name was called out as the winner, I was just completely surprised, it was wonderful. The whole night was brilliant.”

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH JOHN FOX IN THE MAY ISSUE OF NR HERE

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Husband and wife retail team, John and Donna Moran recognised early on that food to go was the way forward when it comes to forecourts.

A retail powerhouse, the pair bought and established their three forecourts in the late 1990s and early 2000s and from those early days their top priority was to develop their food to go range.

“When John and I opened our first store, Moran’s Centra Strand Road, people thought we were crazy to attempt to sell hot breakfasts from a ‘petrol station’ as it was referred to,” said Donna.

“But evidentially it had taken off, so food to go is something we started from the beginning and have developed on since.”

Having made salads and sandwiches in the shops, they decided the best way for them to retain their quality was to have one central distribution hub. They built the first stage of their production kitchen in Ballykelly and the couple completed the third stage of their production kitchen a few years ago, allowing them to develop their range even further.

This development has gone from strength to strength and two significant award wins at the 2024 Neighbourhood Retailer Awards has cemented their reputation in food to go.

With their mantra ‘Moran’s Makes its Own’, taking the title of Food to Go Store of the Year has given John and Donna more drive and motivation for 2025.

“We were delighted to win this award and for the team to receive recognition for their hard work,” said Donna.

“To win the Food to Go Store of the Year again this year was the icing on the cake. It is a wonderful achievement and testament to the hard work our entire team put in seven days a week.

“I can’t praise our team enough, who start as early as 4.30am, seven days a week to ensure our customers receive fresh products in store daily.”

Judges had high praise for the SuperValu Ballykelly store, stating its food to go was “simply mouthwatering” with “fresh, innovative options presented beautifully”. They also commended the variety on offer, stating it was “exceptional” with the quality “top-notch”.

“We go to great lengths to ensure we use high quality, locally sourced ingredients and provide the freshest products to our customers,” added Donna.

“I can’t praise our team enough – there is a lot of product development and work behind the scenes to get us to where we are today.

“We have a consistent offering throughout the three stores, which is extremely important for us as a brand, to offer and maintain high-quality products we expect our customers to receive regardless of which Moran’s store they visit.”

READ THE FULL FEATURE ON MORANS RETAIL GROUP IN THE FEBRUARY-MARCH ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER HERE

The post Enjoying Moran more success first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Synonymous with serving their local community since 1997, Springisland’s status in County Tyrone is cemented in its commitment to delivering top quality fresh food – living up to their tagline as a ‘fresh and local market’.

Established in 1997, the family-run business is now in its second generation and with a unique farm to fork philosophy, Emma’s father Peter supplies the store with his own farm Quality Assured beef.

Emma told NR they were thrilled to be awarded the Fresh Food Store of the Year at the 2024 Neighbourhood Retailer Awards. Judges had high praise for the store, describing it as a haven for fresh food lovers, with unbeatable quality and value.

They also commended its huge range of options, from local meat and vegetables to bakery, prepared meals, salads and sauces.

“The feedback from the judges was fantastic, and we were delighted to share their feedback on our social media,” said Emma.

“We work alongside a lot of local producers and manufacturers across the store, from our fruit and veg to our deli and of course, our butchery and we’re always keen to identify new ones as well.

“We were delighted to win this award and it was fantastic recognition for our team as fresh food has always been our focus, given that our tagline ‘fresh and local market’ has been as such since we opened the doors in 1997,” she added.

“Our staff were delighted with the win, as it was recognition for all their hard work, so it was great to receive external validation for this. It gives customers added confidence in our products as well, so we definitely received positive feedback from them too.

“In today’s market and with the growth of larger multinationals, it’s sometimes not possible to compete on price, so our fresh food, we believe, has always been our differentiator.

“It’s an area we are always focusing on in terms of our own homemade food – we’re always trying new products, adding new flavours to successful ranges, and ensuring we get the best quality and pricing from suppliers so that we maintain our overall quality, but with keen pricing for customers.”

It’s commitment to providing for and assisting its customers was made even more evident recently during Storm Éowyn, when they welcomed those without power in the local area to the store to avail of hot water for flasks, with customers praising their efforts in helping the community.

Springisland marked its silver anniversary in 2022 and ahead of that, the store underwent major renovations and an extension, with works completed in mid-2020. The £1.2 million investment saw the store increase from 10,000 sq ft to 15.000 sq ft.

With such an extensive expansion, the store was subsequently able to expand its range of produce, with an increase in fresh, ambient and grocery items providing even more variety for their customers. The extension allowed for the expansion of the fruit and veg section, with a serve-over bakery and ice cream parlour also introduced, thus adding to their key profit centres.

YOU CAN SEE THE FULL FEATURE ON SPRINGISLAND SUPERMARKET IN THE 2025 NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER YEARBOOK AND MARKETING GUIDE, CLICK HERE

The post Springisland Supermarket – a fresh food haven first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The entrepreneur, who marked 45 years in business this year, was the recipient of the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award, and was presented with this prestigious industry award at the gala awards night held in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast.

An entrepreneur who has grown his business, now the proud owner of three stores in County Tyrone, Charlie made his first venture into the industry in 1979, leaving his profession as a civil servant. Along with his wife, Ruth, they took on their first shop in Newtownstewart.

Working seven days a week, they put their hearts and souls into building up the business, using their own experiences to drive their ambition for the shop.

Breaking new ground in retail, the Newtownstewart store was the first convenience store in Northern Ireland to have automatic doors – a revolutionary step and one which was of huge significance to his customers.

Innovation and revolution are the name of the game in retail, and Charlie was the first retailer in County Tyrone to sell hot food in the supermarket – one of only five retailers across Northern Ireland to do so.

He was also the first person to do a joint investment with Coca-Cola to introduce a dairy cabinet style refrigerator for soft drinks, something that was really revolutionary at the time.

This store was also one of the first stores in Northern Ireland to carry the SPAR ‘8 to late’ branding, with Charlie proud to say he was already providing those opening hours for customers with their forecourt.

Having started out with just one full-time member of staff and two part-time, the Newtownstewart store now boasts 35 staff all from the local area, something Charlie is proud of thanks to his belief in reinvesting in the local community, supporting local charities and community events and regular fundraising for Marie Curie.

This investment in local saw the Hamiltons establish two further shops in County Tyrone, opening their Castlederg shop in 1995 and another in Omagh in 1998. Charlie and Ruth have also guided their children into business as well, with son David starting his own shop in Enniskillen in 2000 and growing his business to three stores, as well as having an interest in farming.

Following daughter Louise’s time at university, she bought Joe’s Chippy in Sion Mills and has been in business for 15 years, while son John spent 10 years in Australia and has now settled back home and is starting to build up a property business and daughter Alison works in the family business now too, and is a partner in the Newtownstewart store.

At this year’s NR Awards ceremony, Charlie was eager to thank his wife, Ruth for all her support, stating his achievements today are down to her. One source of particular pride to Charlie is his family, and together with his wife, Ruth they have guided their children into business as well, with Charlie having spoken of his pride in them working hard and achieving what they have on their own merit.

2024 has been a significant year for Charlie, as he marked his 45^th year in business, and despite the changes and developments within the retail industry, Charlie has remained true to his core business, which is award-winning fresh food. Indeed, his SPAR Castlederg store took home the Fresh Food Store of the Year at last year’s NR Awards.

Judges last year praised the Castlederg store for its “huge range of fresh food” along with its range of with “fresh local meat and vegetables to bakery, prepared meals, salads and sauces – the quality and value was outstanding”.

Charlie was a previous Overall Retailer of the Year winner and has established himself as a well-respected and popular businessman, not just in County Tyrone, but across Northern Ireland, building a worthy reputation.

MD of Penton Publications, Bill Penton said he was thrilled to award Charlie with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award.

“With a long-standing background in retail, which has seen him introduce ground-breaking innovations in the industry, he is an entrepreneur who has gone from strength to strength over the last 45 years,” said Bill.

“A well-respected and popular businessman known right across Northern Ireland, he is a truly deserved recipient of this prestigious accolade.”

This year’s award was sponsored by Maxol, and Charlie was presented with his award on the night by Brian Donaldson, Maxol Group CEO.

Following the awards night, Charlie told NR that it was an honour to be recognised for his achievements in the Northern Ireland grocery industry.

“You work every day and you enter different competitions, but to win one you did not enter, makes it extra special,” said Charlie.

“When our customers found out, they were delighted and all came in to the shop to congratulate me.

“We are nearly 46 years dealing with people every day, especially in Newtownstewart, it’s all about community. People remember the day we opened and those people are still supporting us every day.

“Customer support has to be earned and maintained, and it’s wonderful to have such support.”

TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON CHARLIE HAMILTON IN THE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER, CLICK HERE

The post Lifetime Achievement honour for retail stalwart Charlie Hamilton first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The Crowne Plaza Belfast was the setting for another thrilling gala awards dinner, where Northern Ireland’s top names in grocery were in attendance at the most prestigious awards in the industry.

It was a night to remember for South Belfast’s Creightons of Balmoral, who claimed not only the Neighbourhood Store of the Year Category 3 award, but also the coveted Northern Ireland Retailer of the Year 2024 title.

A hugely popular winner, the owners and staff from Creightons were on-hand to collect their awards, marking a hugely successful night for company.

It was a night to remember for well-known County Tyrone retailer, Charlie Hamilton, who was honoured with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award.

The 500-strong audience gave Charlie a rousing reception as he appeared on stage to receive the honour, presented by Maxol Group CEO, Brian Donaldson.

Charlie and his wife, Ruth marked their 45^th year in business this year, and Charlie paid a special tribute to Ruth and his children as he accepted the special award.

It was also a record year for McCullagh’s Classic Service Station, Omagh as they made it a hat-trick, winning the Forecourt of the Year Category 2 award for the third year in a row.

Now in their 28^th year, the Neighbourhood Retailer Awards are the annual showcase of industry excellence and hundreds of the country’s leading retailers gathered in the ballroom, waiting with anticipation to find out this year’s winners. This year’s platinum sponsor was Allwyn, the new operator of The National Lottery, and Divisional Sales Manager, Wendy Craig appeared on stage to extend a special word of thanks to NI retailers, as well as congratulate all the finalists ahead of the awards presentation.

Hosted once again by Donna Traynor, the winning stores in 19 categories were announced over the course of the gala awards evening, with store owners and representatives appearing on stage to collect their awards.

With another record year for entries, this year was a fantastic awards evening for winners and finalists on the night – with five business also Highly Commended in their respective categories.

Huge congratulations to all of our winners and finalists on the night – find out the full list of winners below.

Retailer of the Year 2024:

Winner: Creightons of Balmoral

Lifetime Achievement Award:

Winner: Charlie Hamilton

Store Manager of the Year:

Winner: John Fox, EUROSPAR Greencastle St, Kilkeel

Neighbourhood Store of the Year Cat 1:

Winner: Centra Annaclone

Outstanding Customer Service:

Winner: Trainor Bros SPAR Poyntzpass

CTN of the Year:

Winner: Simpson’s Nearby Antrim

Neighbourhood Store of the Year Cat 2:

Winner: Maxol SPAR Edenderry

Bakery of the Year:

Winner: Dougies Goodies

Off Licence of the Year:

Winner: First and Last, Jonesborough

Neighbourhood Store of the Year Cat 3:

Winner: Creightons of Balmoral

Sustainability Champion of the Year:

Winner: Maxol Braid River

Community Store of the Year:

Winner: SPAR Loughbrickland

Forecourt of the Year Cat 1:

Winner: Moran’s Centra Coleraine

Neighbourhood Store of the Year Cat 4:

Winner: Fruitfield Service Station Richhill

Butcher of the Year:

Winner: McAtamney’s Traditional Butchers Limavady

Food to Go Store of the Year:

Winner: Moran’s SuperValu Ballykelly

Forecourt of the Year Cat 2:

Winner: McCullagh’s Classic Service Station Omagh

Fresh Food Store of the Year:

Winner: Springisland Supermarket

Digital Marketing Campaign of the Year:

Winner: Musgrave NI

Newcomer of the Year:

Winner: EUROSPAR Downpatrick

WE WILL HAVE A SPECIAL AWARDS SUPPLEMENT IN THE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER, COMING SOON!

The post Another record night for Northern Ireland retailers at the 2024 NR Awards! first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.