Established 30 years ago in London by Crisis, FareShare’s aim is to fight hunger and tackle food poverty by redistributing surplus food to those who need it most. Council for the Homeless NI took the franchise to Northern Ireland and it has been operating here since 2010, with the first surplus food delivered in the charity project in February 2011.

Council for the Homeless NI was the umbrella group for the homelessness sector in Northern Ireland, which has since rebranded to Homeless Connect over three years ago and is now the delivery partner for FareShare in Northern Ireland.

Homeless Connect is the representational body of the homelessness sector. They work collaboratively to create a community of support, by being the voice of the sector and by delivering direct assistance to those in need through their projects.

In 2010 it was identified by one of the employees that nobody was dealing with the redistribution of food here, and after some negotiation an agreement was put in place, with Declan McKillop and Simon Geddis (of Avondale Foods) employed to set it up.

As Declan, who is the Head of Operations at Homeless Connect, explained to NR, the organisation is two-pronged: tackling food poverty and dealing with environmental issues.

“727 tonnes were delivered across our network of charities, schools and community groups last year. Their service users include those experiencing homelessness, people on low or no income, children and young people, older people, and those with physical and mental health issues,” said Declan.

“A lot of it is word of mouth, people see others benefiting from the food redistribution and know of others who could also benefit from it and it goes from there.”

Following a multitude of issues over the last three to four years – notably covid, Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis – FareShare NI has seen a significant increase in the usage of FareShare food in that time, with the biggest increase in the children’s age group.

“Up to 40% of our charities are dealing with children. That includes schools doing breakfast clubs or after-school clubs. There are schools inviting parents in after school in the evenings when everyone leaves to collect food of their choice to take home and feed their children,” said Declan.

“That is not just in larger areas like Belfast, but in many rural areas across Northern Ireland. With the backing of retailers and their food, we are able to help minimise the problems with children’s diets.”

Declan highlighted they are currently recruiting for more charities, schools and community groups to come onboard as community food members – the term used for beneficiaries of the food.

TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH DECLAN MCKILLOP IN THE 2025 NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER YEARBOOK AND MARKETING GUIDE, CLICK HERE

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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.

This issue is an extra special one as we mark the 30^th anniversary edition of the magazine!

Our most comprehensive Yearbook and Marketing Guide yet, it is packed with unique insight, exclusive commentary and specialist supplements – it is a must-read magazine.

At-a-glance…

SPECIAL ARTICLES AND ANALYSIS

• Industry comments from top CEOs and market leaders with their outlook for 2025
• Major players within NI retail discuss highlights from the last 12 months and share developments for the year ahead
• The latest market insights from IGD and Kantar
• Trade Associations – the trusted list of names you need to know
• A comprehensive overview of the 2024 Neighbourhood Retailer Awards
• All the latest news and information affecting the grocery industry

STORE PROFILES AND FEATURES

• ‘Fresh and local market’ Springisland reflects on the importance of being named Fresh Food Store of the Year 2024
• Agents and Distributors – the vital cogs that keep the whole machine turning
• NI Fuel Review – the latest news and insights from myAutomate Fuel Retailer

With profiles of cutting-edge retailers, forward-looking features and explorative analysis, the Neighbourhood Retailer Yearbook and Marketing Guide 2025 is the ultimate guide to the industry.

READ THE FULL ISSUE ONLINE NOW!

The post The 2025 Neighbourhood Retailer Yearbook and Marketing Guide is out now! first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

While the focus remains on navigating economic pressures, Northern Ireland retailers will need to balance affordability with quality to ensure shoppers continue to feel supported.

In an exclusive piece for the 2025 Neighbourhood Retailer Yearbook and Marketing Guide, Business Development Director at Kantar, Emer Healy reflects on an extraordinary year in retail, while looking ahead to what 2025 has in store.

Grocery inflation remained higher in Northern Ireland than in the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain, thus contributing to a fiercely competitive retail environment. The impact of inflation was evident in household budgets, with the average grocery bill rising by £420 annually.

However, the latter months of the year signalled a possible turning point, with inflationary pressures easing and retailers using this opportunity to encourage consumer spending, with targeted promotions and discounts making groceries more affordable.

As Emer explains, these promotional activities emerged as a key strategy for retailers looking to maintain footfall and drive sales, with promotional spending reaching almost £1 billion.

The rise of own-label purchasing also continued, with a 9.4% year-on-year growth in this area, with consumers spending an additional £22 million on own-label ranges.

This is a trend likely to remain to the fore of retailers’ strategies in 2025, as well as promotions and convenience remaining central themes.

READ THE FULL PIECE IN THE 2025 NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER YEARBOOK AND MARKETING GUIDE HERE

The post Northern Ireland’s ‘extraordinary’ year in retail first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.