Throughout 2023, 14 SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO retailers in Northern Ireland celebrated milestone partnership anniversaries with Henderson Group. The total came to over 500 years of retailing experience and commitment to serving their communities.

While some of our retail partners have been proud to display our brands above their doors for 50 years, many have been serving their local communities for even longer, through family businesses which have a passion for retail and locality. It’s incredible to look back at the evolution of their stores throughout the years, which are examples of how we as an industry must keep on moving – something more important in 2023 than ever.

2023 saw the completion of 109 retail projects across our company-owned and independent estate marking an investment of £49.7million. This included landmark store openings from the state-of-the-art EUROSPAR fresh foods superstore in Killyleagh, to extensions and renovations at some of Henderson’s busiest company-owned stores to update and introduce butchery and bakery, production kitchens and the popular Delish deli offering.

Henderson Wholesale continued to partner with independent retailers to build stores which deliver to the demands of that town and community, with Mulgrew’s EUROSPAR in Carryduff, SPAR Coopers Mill and SPAR Kesh standing out as significant new builds.

It means that throughout 2023, an incredible 59,940 sq. ft. of additional retail space was built by the Group and its partners to cater for Northern Ireland shoppers.

FUTUREPROOFING THE BUSINESS

Everything we do is with our retailers and shoppers in mind. We source 75% of our fresh produce from local farmers and suppliers, we invest heavily in deals and campaigns throughout the year, and we look to the future to ensure we are working sustainably so that we remain a robust business for our retail partners.

That futureproofing took a huge step forward in 2023 with the switching on of 1,494 solar panels which cover 75% of Henderson Wholesale’s fresh foods warehouse at the business’s headquarters in Mallusk. And at the end of the year, Henderson Retail announced a contract with bp pulse, which will see the installation of a new network of ultra-fast and rapid electric vehicle charging points throughout their 100+ SPAR and EUROSPAR sites.

Many of our independent partners are also leading the sustainability charge. Last year saw Maxol reveal the second of their Ultra Rapid EV Charging Hubs at their £2.4m Braid River SPAR in Ballymena, an impressive partnership investment that we strive for with our retailers.

When it comes to plans for 2024, the Group remains consistent with their intentions. We have always said we will channel profits back into the business and that is what we do year-on-year. We currently have significant investments planned for around 70 retail projects lined up for 2024 throughout our company owned, partnership and independent store network, including an exciting new build from the Knox family, a Nisa retailer who converted all three of their stores to SPAR in 2023.

Our business and our retail partners have stores in every neighbourhood in Northern Ireland, they are run by local people and employ local people. They get deliveries daily from local farmers, so money spent in those stores goes into that all-important circular economy here in NI.

TO READ MARTIN AGNEW’S INDUSTRY COMMENT IN THE 2024 NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER YEARBOOK AND MARKETING GUIDE, CLICK HERE

The post COMMENT: retail experience and community commitment from Henderson’s first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The store, which has been operating for six years and is rooted firmly in the local community, prides itself on giving back to local charities, groups and organisations, and store manager David Harrison says their new look store and additional staff will help them do even more in the future.

“Our store first opened in 2017, providing the area with a global-standard yet community focused supermarket, right on their doorstep,” said David.

“Since then, and as our shoppers’ needs have changed, we have adapted and extended our store which now brings a bigger store, a bigger range, and a bigger opportunity for us to engage with our community.

“We have over a thousand new products including an extended range of locally sourced fresh and ambient products, plus a new range of food to go within our Delish deli, which now includes our Southern Fried Chicken selection of fillet burgers, goujons, wraps and loaded fries.”

Windcroft Butchery continues to operate in-store, adding to the incredible choice of freshly prepared meals and products, with shoppers able to browse the range of locally sourced meats while getting expert advice from Andrew Patton and his team.

Value and convenience are priorities within the store, with a choice of four new self-check-outs in operation alongside the fully staff serviced checkouts, while the neighbourhood’s Post Office remains on site now offering a new Evri drop-off and collection service.

When it comes to everyday essentials, fresh and locally sourced groceries, and pre-prepared meals for tonight’s tea, shoppers can still expect to find a host of deals, including a number of prices in-store, matched to Tesco*.

COMMUNITY AND CHARITY FOCUSED

The store’s Community Rep, Caroline Stinton is hugely valued within the local community for her volunteering and engagement with local organisations which EUROSPAR Donegall Road support on a long-term basis.

David added: “Caroline is a gem in our local community and, amongst many initiatives, has connected us with the Cosy Club at Greater Village Regeneration Trust, where we make regular donations of tea, coffee and baked goods for their lunch group, as well as organising a recent donation of selection boxes for the young people supported locally by Tree Co. We also sponsor the local Kelvin Old Boys Youth Football Club, which helps the development of grass-roots football in the area.

“Within our store team, we continue to support Cancer Fund for Children, the charity partner for EUROSPAR NI, however we also make time to raise funds for other charities close to our hearts, including NI Pancreatic Cancer, for which we recently raised over £400 in memory of our colleague’s mum.”

Mark McCammond, Retail Director at Henderson Group which operates the store added: “Since its opening six years ago, EUROSPAR Donegall Road has created a hub for the local neighbourhood and represents what our SPAR and EUROSPAR NI stores are all about.

“Their community initiatives have been praised and rewarded time again, and we are delighted to be able to develop the store for the local community, providing everything they need under one roof, as well as adding eight new jobs to the team.”

*Over 1,000 prices in-store matched to Tesco. Prices checked and updated weekly.

The post South Belfast supermarket officially reopens after million-pound renovation first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The investment is part of a wider five-year £84m capital investment programme across The Maxol Group to create a network of convenience-led forecourt services that offer customers quality, value and choice on everything from fresh coffee and groceries to food-to-go on their doorstep.

A new Ultra Rapid EV Charging Hub – the second to be developed by Maxol and the second of its kind in Northern Ireland – has opened and features four high-powered 200kw ultra-rapid chargers that charge a single vehicle* in as little as 15 minutes. The chargers are powered using renewable electricity, as part of Maxol’s sustainability strategy.

Maxol Braid River offers the latest SPAR concept with a new store of 246 sq. metres. Customers can now shop for everyday grocery essentials including a greater choice of fresh, locally sourced fruit and vegetables, a wide range of dairy and chilled produce and a huge selection of frozen foods. Other new additions include a locally produced range of pre-packed butchery items and a wide selection of ready-made meals perfect for tonight’s tea.

From breakfast through to lunchtime, a brand-new Delish deli offers customers a delicious range of hot food to go – freshly prepared on-site to take-away. Also new, is an in-store bakery offering a range of pastries and sweet treats alongside the popular Barista Bar Coffee which has doubled to two units making it easier for customers to grab and go. For something colder there are two new refreshing Frozen Coca Cola and Frozen Fanta slushie machines.

Two self-checkouts have also been installed to give customers even more choice, efficiency and convenience. Non-food items available include a comprehensive range of Maxol own-brand engine oil, adblue and car care products.

ON THE FORECOURT

Car parking facilities have more than doubled to 32 spaces to provide greater customer convenience, particularly during busy trading periods. Premium Fuels have been introduced to enable customers to make greener motoring choices and Pay at Pump technology is now available at two islands, giving our fuel customers a quicker and more convenient way to pay.

Maxol’s innovative and sustainable forecourt design has been fully implemented at Maxol Braid River. Cutting-edge technology has been used to reduce the site’s carbon footprint which include photovoltaic (solar) panels to reduce electrical import requirements; solar efficient glazing; the use of LED lights; low energy CO2 refrigeration systems with doors fitted throughout the store; exhaust air-heat pump technology to reduce heating loads; and an energy management system to monitor and control the overall energy usage on the site.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Brian Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer of The Maxol Group said: “We are delighted with our latest investment at Maxol Braid River, it is now a modern, welcoming store that marks a further milestone on our journey towards becoming known for our convenience-led retail offer.

“Customers can now pop into this store to enjoy freshly prepared food to go from the Delish deli or they can do a basket shop in our newly expanded SPAR store packed with an extensive range of groceries for every meal occasion from breakfast through to dinner as well as plenty of snacks and treats.

“The in-store offer reflects the ‘Bags More’ advertising campaign we launched some weeks ago to highlight the range of goods now available at Maxol stores and Braid River is now a leading example of that in Ballymena with our partner SPAR.

“This is our second EV Charging Hub designed to offer the latest technology and fastest speed of charging available for our customers along with the continued rollout of our sustainable forecourt design. This investment reenforces our continued commitment to being a more sustainable forecourt convenience retailer offering the highest quality of facilities and products. The site is operated independently by our licensee Aramark and I wish Nicola and her excellent team every success at Maxol Braid River.”

Maxol Braid River also offers customers an ATM, customer toilets and air, water and vacuum services and operates 24/7, 7 days a week.

* The speed of charge depends on the vehicle and battery.

The post £2.35million investment transforms Maxol Braid River Service Station first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The group worked with SPAR UK and SPAR International alongside the project team at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) to design and build the £250,000 Union Shop within One Elmwood, bringing a host of new products and services to its customer base of over 27,000 students and staff at the University.

“One Elmwood, the new Queen’s Student Centre and Students’ Union has been seven years in the making. It is a stunning £40m world-class complex which will be home to thousands of students from around the world, so we had an opportunity to develop something truly unique”, said Paddy Doody, Sales and Marketing Director at Henderson Group.

Focused on student needs, and creating a place for all campus essentials, the Union Shop brings a number of firsts for the SPAR brand in Northern Ireland.

Mr Doody said: “The store is proud to introduce the first ever non-dairy self-serve coffee concept under Barista Bar, with its unique plant-based only machine, which we believe is a first for Northern Ireland.

“Barista Bar Planted provides non-dairy options for coffee-drinkers with the same great taste and quality of a signature Barista Bar brew, and will sit alongside two of our standard machines offering a full range of delicious hot drinks.”

With food-to-go high on the priority list, SPAR NI’s new exclusive Delish brand makes an impact in the store, exclusively adapted for the Union Shop, with around 300 sq. ft dedicated to tasty, freshly prepared hot breakfast and lunch items, either made fresh to order or packaged to grab and go.

Mr Doody added: “This was a high priority for the student and staff demographic. Often, they could be running between lectures and only have time to grab something quickly, but they still want good quality food fast, which Delish provides.”

One of the most exciting elements is the Delish Burrito Bar, delivering a traditional Mexican street food experience of fresh, high-quality Burritos and Bowls offering really satisfying portions at great value.

Mr Doody says they expect it to be hugely popular: “The demand for this type of street food which is full of flavour, customisable and fast is ever growing.

“Students are the main force behind the demand within this market locally, they are savvy in that they’re not only looking for value prices but top-quality produce that is made right in front of them, which is exactly what we’re delivering with the Delish Burrito Bar and our great value meal deals.”

Delish hot food-to-go will be complemented by a full range of sandwiches, wraps and salads, including the popular Choice range which incorporates the brand’s vegan offering. The Fanta and Coca Cola Frozen machines, fresh orange juice by iSqueeze and a full SPAR Bakery offering, ensures there is something for everyone in this exciting food-to-go concept in the heart of Belfast City.

While the Union Shop may be built with international concepts in mind, the design at its heart is derived from locally loved landscapes, created to inspire its student community whether they’re local or experiencing Belfast for the first time.

Welcoming SPAR to the new Union Shop in One Elmwood at Queen’s University, Director of Student Plus Caroline Young said: “We are delighted to partner with SPAR in our new Union Shop to deliver the best value and range of products to our students, staff and the wider community.

“One Elmwood is a one stop shop for all our student needs, and it’s important that they have access to good quality food and refreshments to keep them going whether they are working in our collaboration spaces, taking part in Clubs and Societies or just chilling out in our tech friendly space.

“We look forward to working with SPAR to make our Union Shop the place to go for students at Queen’s.”

Store Manager, Glenn Patterson explains: “Belfast’s culture is truly unique. SPAR in Northern Ireland is over 60 years old, so we have a lot of history to bring to our store, which will not only welcome international students but help locals feel at home.

“We have created a store that students will want to visit and experience. The design is urban but bursting with Belfast heritage, such as the shipping container which houses our Burrito Bar. We want our students and staff to feel revived and excited when they visit us, aligning with the ethos of One Elmwood as a whole.”

Eight new jobs have been created in the building of the store, as Glenn added: “I have 35 years of retail experience, alongside some of my long-serving management team, but we also have students who are taking on new roles and learning vital skills by joining our workforce. It’s a fantastic team and we’re so excited to welcome everyone to the new store.”

Services are focused on student needs and the fast-paced shopper profile the team are expecting, so five self-service checkouts have been installed, which will sit alongside store cupboard staples, grab and go items plus bays of fresh, local products and produce and everyday essentials, with all the value and variety that SPAR offers throughout Northern Ireland.

One Elmwood SPAR is open 8am – 8pm, Monday to Friday and 8am – 4pm at the weekends.

Caption: Henderson Group Sales and Marketing Director Paddy Doody is pictured with Grainne Doherty, Interim Head of Eventus, Culture and Arts at Queen’s University, Belfast.

The post One Elmwood SPAR at QUB opens to international standards within new £40m hub first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.